September 2, 2018 - Hummingbird Moth

September is here; days are shorter, the sun is lower, but at least the water is warm.  Another week of hot humid weather has kept lake temperatures above what I'd expect for Labor Day weekend.

After a hot, dry July which put us in a drought condition, the past month was the wettest August on record.  (The total precipitation in Concord was 10.67", far exceeding the prior record of 9" recorded all the way back in 1892.)  The rain restored the lake level which is back to spring levels at 6" over full pool.  It also rejuvenated all the plants (including the weeds), and working in the garden this week Linda found yet another strange, new insect taking advantage of the flowers in her garden.

A Hummingbird Clearwing moth (Hemaris thysbe) drinks from a tall phlox

This confused little insect can't decide if it's a hummingbird, a butterfly, or a moth.  When we saw it I thought it was a hummingbird, but soon learned it's an insect, scientifically classified as a moth, but it sure flies around and takes nectar from flowers like a hummingbird.  And it uses its proboscis much like a butterfly to draw nectar from a flower.  It was very hyperactive, not spending more than second at any one flower before dashing off to another in a seemingly random manner, but from dozens of attempts I got a couple of pictures of it.

It flies with its proboscis tightly rolled up.

Just starting to unfurl as it approaches a bloom

Then it quickly extends it as it approaches a flower.

Inserting the proboscis deep into the flower, it takes a very short drink before moving on.

A quick drink

I found a good description of this moth and its lifecycle at the USDA website on the Hummingbird Moth.  Its long tongue allows it to collect nectar from flowers most other pollinators can't reach, and phlox are one of its favorite flowers, along with lilac and blueberry.  But the larvae (caterpillars) which look like small tomato hornworms, feed on different plants including dogbane and cherry, both of which we have in this region of New Hampshire.  When the caterpillars are fully grown they just drop to the ground and spin a cocoon where they spend the winter amidst the leaf litter.  So it's a good idea not to rake up all those fall leaves in your pollinator gardens!  [Ref: ibid USDA]

I took my late summer weed-watcher tour of Lake Wicwas this week and am happy to report I saw no unusual weeds.  You may have seen a recent note from NH Lakes that their Lake Host program has recorded 24 "saves" so far this summer, a save defined as the identification and removal of an invasive species from a boat about to be launched or just retrieved from a lake.  Local lakes included on the save list are Waukewan (water chestnut) and Winnipesaukee (milfoil).  You can find the full list of saves here.  My tour was not without interest though, as I did enjoy plenty of good, pretty weeds as well as a few animals.

Yellow pond-lily (Nuphar lutea)

Turtlehead (Chelone glabra), named because the flower looks like the head of turtle

I think this is a black duck

Feather probably from a duck, but maybe a goose

Painted Turtle

Even the turtles are taking advantage of the late summer warmth.  And the humid air last week, combined with smoke from the fires in the west, again provided us with some spectacular skies.

There may not be too many more of these summer sunsets left in the year.