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Index of Subjects --1228530961-927131463-1407418765=:27793 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I was out on a river the other evening and was standing beside a=A0 bed of = Pickerel Weed ( Pontederia cordata ). It was in full bloom and was covered = with bees and other insects. As it is plentiful in NS it may be an importan= t food source for pollen insects.=0AEnjoy the summer=0APaul=0A=0A=0AOn Wedn= esday, August 6, 2014 10:12:26 PM, Stephen Shaw <srshaw@Dal.Ca> wrote:=0A= =A0=0A=0A=0A=0AHi Dave * 2 and others, =0AEarlier, last year, Fred Schueler= mentioned a fly that makes galls in golden rod stems, and that has an inte= resting life history.=A0 The larva overwinters in the gall during the freez= e-up, but according to the Storeys makes protective antifreezes, so is able= to survive, eventually pupate and emerge successfully the following spring= .=A0 The adult is figured in Steve Marshall's recent compendious 'Flies' bo= ok, that I'd also endorse enthusiastically.=A0 The Golden Rod Fly can't fly= very well or at all, so if its clump of golden rod is an isolated stand it= may remain confined there as if marooned on an island.=A0 Last year I exam= ined a very large interconnected stand of the plant on the seaward side of = York Redoubt (old fort outside Halifax) that looked like prime real estate = for the fly,=A0 but didn't find any galls at all.=0A=0AIn the Mt Uniacke Ho= use grounds the weekend before last the golden rod flowers (popular with fl= ies) were just coming out, and I examined ~15 isolated stands of the plant,= probably averaging 20-30 feet separation.=A0 Only one had a number of gall= s (8), another had one, and the rest had none.=A0 Has anyone in their local= travels come across larger numbers of galls anywhere?=A0 They are quite ob= vious, greenish-yellow like the stem and placed about 3/4 of the way up it,= and about 1.5 cm in diameter.=A0 I'd like to collect a few specimens but = don't want to decimate the small group of 8 at Mt Uniacke.=A0 I don't know = if it is at all realistic, but a few weeks with the gall in the fridge migh= t possibly be enough to simulate winter and hasten development of the larva= to pupa, and stimulate emergence in a month or so, without me having to wa= it until next Spring.=A0 =0ASteve (Hfx)=0AP.S.=A0 The only other insect-att= ractive flowerhead abundant at Mt U was the purplish thistle-like 'Ironweed= ' (the name I was given).=A0 Whether or not it is the same species, shouldn= 't Knapweed be spelled with a 'K'?=0A______________________________________= __=0A=0AFrom: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca]= on behalf of David & Alison Webster [dwebster@glinx.com]=0ASent: Wednesday= , August 6, 2014 7:12 PM=0ATo: NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca=0ASubject: [NatureNS= ] Fall Dandelion, ants=0A=0ADear All,=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 = =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Aug 6, 2014=0A= =A0 =A0 Gnapweed (Centaurea nigra) is just about over now in the yard and W= ild Carrot (Daucus carota) is half spent so Fall Dandelion (Leontodon autum= nalis) has become a prefered spot for feeding; 4-5 species of small Bees lo= aded with pollen this morning. White Clover continues to feed the odd Bumbl= e Bee.=0A=0A=A0 =A0 I don't recall having noticed this previously but the m= ost recently expanded umbels of WC (which also had more insects than older = umbels) were facing the sun. Also late this afternoon all of the L. autumna= lis flowers were closed up tight; presumably they will open again tomorrow.= =0A=0A=A0 =A0 I saw flying ants twice today; a small swarm emerging from th= e ground at 68 Campbell and one ant ~3 hours later at 16 Overlook.=0A=0AYt,= Dave Webster, Kentville --1228530961-927131463-1407418765=:27793 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body><div style=3D"color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:He= lveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;fo= nt-size:14pt"><div><span>I was out on a river the other evening and was sta= nding beside a bed of Pickerel Weed ( Pontederia cordata ). It was in= full bloom and was covered with bees and other insects. As it is plentiful= in NS it may be an important food source for pollen insects.</span></div><= div><span>Enjoy the summer</span></div><div><span>Paul</span></div><div cla= ss=3D"qtdSeparateBR"><br><br></div><div class=3D"yahoo_quoted" style=3D"dis= play: block;"><div><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"2">On Wednesday, August 6, = 2014 10:12:26 PM, Stephen Shaw <srshaw@Dal.Ca> wrote:<br> </font= ></div><div style=3D"font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica,= Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><div style=3D"font-fam= ily: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-s= erif; font-size: 12pt;"> <br><br> <div class=3D"y_msg_container">Hi Dave * 2 a= nd others, <br clear=3D"none">Earlier, last year, Fred Schueler mentioned a= fly that makes galls in golden rod stems, and that has an interesting life= history. The larva overwinters in the gall during the freeze-up, but= according to the Storeys makes protective antifreezes, so is able to survi= ve, eventually pupate and emerge successfully the following spring. T= he adult is figured in Steve Marshall's recent compendious 'Flies' book, th= at I'd also endorse enthusiastically. The Golden Rod Fly can't fly ve= ry well or at all, so if its clump of golden rod is an isolated stand it ma= y remain confined there as if marooned on an island. Last year I exam= ined a very large interconnected stand of the plant on the seaward side of = York Redoubt (old fort outside Halifax) that looked like prime real estate = for the fly, but didn't find any galls at all.<br clear=3D"none"><br clear=3D"none">In the Mt Uniacke House grounds the weekend before last the= golden rod flowers (popular with flies) were just coming out, and I examin= ed ~15 isolated stands of the plant, probably averaging 20-30 feet separati= on. Only one had a number of galls (8), another had one, and the rest= had none. Has anyone in their local travels come across larger numbe= rs of galls anywhere? They are quite obvious, greenish-yellow like th= e stem and placed about 3/4 of the way up it, and about 1.5 cm in diameter.= I'd like to collect a few specimens but don't want to decimate the = small group of 8 at Mt Uniacke. I don't know if