"Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain."
— Henry David Thoreau
Under perfect weather, Sunday morning I headed out to the perfect natural area—Spring Green Preserve for a tiger beetle mission. Though NEXRAD has been showing considerable avian migration the past few nights, I'll probably spend less time at the creek corridor this late summer and fall. Having said that, I don't think I'll pass up on boreal sparrow migration. I have some vacation time coming up in September and I'm tentatively planning a trip up north for Boreal Long-lipped Tiger Beetle Cicindela longilabris, which is the last of Wisconsin's 16 tiger beetle species I've not yet encountered.
The day's mission was to seek and find the Virginia Metallic Tiger Beetle Tetracha virginica, which is one of the rarest tiger beetles in Wisconsin. They're a species of Special Concern found only in two counties in our state. Though they're nocturnal, one can often find them mid to late summer early mornings running along the sandy path as they seek cover for the day. So, if you want to get a glimpse or photograph of one, it's best to arrive just after sunrise. If you're in the right place at the right time, anything rare sometimes seems common.
Liatris were opening up and small insects wasted no time pollinating them. Bird-wise, one of the first songs I heard upon stepping foot out of my car was a Blue Grosbeak. The bird flew from treetop to treetop broadcasting its song—I wonder how long they stay, anyway. Overhead I could hear flight calls of various southbound warblers, but I didn't try to identify them. Other birds included Pileated Woodpecker, Ovenbird, American Redstart, Grasshopper Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-eyed Vireo, and Eastern Meadowlark. Overall, there seemed to be less of everything with feathers, as many individuals have dispersed and left the preserve's savannas and prairies.
It didn't take long to find a Virginia Metallic Tiger Beetle, putting my 2021 species count at 10. Last year I tallied 14, which was my highest single-year tiger beetle count. There haven't been good leads on Twelve-spotted this summer, and I've likely waited too long for Northern Barrens. Naturally, none of this is a big deal—counts and lists are all fine and well, but the experiences are what matter the most. You can tell from the insect's shadow that these photographs were taken when the sun was still pretty low to the horizon. Given this insect's propensity for scurrying nonstop across sandy openings, I had to use my psionic powers to temporarily halt its passage. Honestly! I don't handle them, but there is a trick to it that I'll never tell.
Though a little early season-wise, I also wanted to check for Splendid and Common Claybank Tiger Beetles on the rocky outcroppings atop the bluff. I found this nifty Golden Oyster on a fallen tree partway up the wooded trail. They're non-native, but they still make interesting photography subjects. Actually, there was a lot more and it probably won't be long before a forager notices and harvests them. I have mixed feelings about foraging, which I may expound upon in a future blog post.
Mark Johnson independently decided to checkout Spring Green Preserve as well, so it was nice to have company as we waited for Splendid Tiger Beetles to emerge atop the bluff's rocky outcroppings. After an hour or so, we were just about ready to pack it in. In the meantime, I took to photographing other things like the Smooth Cliffbrake Pellaea glabella shown above. A few Punctured Tiger Beetles added their presense to the rocky trail, offering a sense of optimism that other beetles might follow. Finally, a few Splendids were found. They were somewhat docile and easy to photograph on account of having just emerged from their nocturnal burrows. Still, no Claybank. According to Pearson et al, recent DNA studies show that the two species (Splendid and Claybank) may actually be a single species. I've often wondered because I routinely find them together at this location.
And the stunning portraiture ...
I do so love photographing tiger beetles! On our way back to the parking lot, Mark and I came upon Festive Tiger Beetles showing substantial variation in coloration—some were almost totally green, and then there was this one which had the most amazing iridescent purple, blue, and green tones I've ever seen for this species, or any tiger beetle for that matter. Typically they're brown, bronze, or sometimes reddish or purple (see the individual further down). These more striking color variations may have something to do with age, as I don't generally find as much color variation in this species until late in the summer season. What a stunning insect!
Lastly, a Punctured Tiger Beetle positioned to pounce on prey. Though we didn't find Claybank, our sightings of Splendid, Punctured, Festive, Big Sand, and Virginia Metallic were reward enough. There could have been late Six-spotted in the woodland trail, but I wasn't looking all that closely for them as mosquitoes prompted us to make the hike up the bluff a rather speedy endeavor.
Addendum: Make that 11, Hairy-necked Tiger Beetle Cicindela hirticollis:
All images © 2021 Mike McDowell