Bryan - thanks so much for the post on the Maple Leafcutter. Coincidentally, I teach a nature-based program to elementary schools in Vermont, called Four Winds. This month’s lesson was on Leaf Eaters and the Maple Leafcutter was one of the highlighted critters. Your post brought it to life for me!
Hi Jenn. Great! I know Four Winds well, including a few of its founders (Lisa, Chris, Susan). I'm thrilled to hear that we're on the same eco-wavelength!
This post reminded me of JH Fabre (a high compliment, I know!) and his wonderful experiments with insects and his charming writing about them. How lucky we are to have you doing likewise here and now! Thank you, Bryan!
Very cute caterpillar. There is a caddisfly larva that makes similar shelters from fallen leaves in creeks. Also cute. Your flip-test was fun! At least for us human observers.
So cool! Thanks for sharing this with us. I had never heard of this species before, or the behavior of housing this way. Now I will start looking for them, both the caterpillars and the beautiful moths. Thanks for inspiring me...
“Always beautiful …No complaining …” Except for the tourists that flock to Stowe. Going back and forth from our camp in the NEK to our home in the Burlington area, we often drive through Stowe. We are especially amused when the street is packed with people arriving by the bus loads. Foliage colors still in their early stages .People gazing up at trees and vistas with a slight frown.
My husband and I look at each other and say; “ Where are all the colors? I want my money back…” As we head back north to the spectacularness ( I just invented that word) of the NEK peak season. Most tourists do not want to drive that far, which is fine by me. You know, I’ve never seen a Maple Leafcutter Moth or signs of its caterpillar form. I will be looking closely at the Maple saplings. (Your music selection is brilliant).
Ha! As long as I know you're loving the foliage, I'm happy. I'll bet you find some of those caterpillars -- they're mostly little brown pitas at your feet along the hardwood trails now, Lor!
Bryan, what a wonderful and insightful story. I’ve yet to observe this moth but will now ever keep my eye out for it. It’s difficult to gain a sense of size from the close-up, but it’s very similar in general aspect to a Ctenuchid moth.
Bryan - thanks so much for the post on the Maple Leafcutter. Coincidentally, I teach a nature-based program to elementary schools in Vermont, called Four Winds. This month’s lesson was on Leaf Eaters and the Maple Leafcutter was one of the highlighted critters. Your post brought it to life for me!
Hi Jenn. Great! I know Four Winds well, including a few of its founders (Lisa, Chris, Susan). I'm thrilled to hear that we're on the same eco-wavelength!
This post reminded me of JH Fabre (a high compliment, I know!) and his wonderful experiments with insects and his charming writing about them. How lucky we are to have you doing likewise here and now! Thank you, Bryan!
I'm not worthy! 😀 (I'd rather find an artistic genius worthy of a multi-media comparison to you!)
Very cute caterpillar. There is a caddisfly larva that makes similar shelters from fallen leaves in creeks. Also cute. Your flip-test was fun! At least for us human observers.
Means a lot to me coming from you, Walter. Thanks!
The music was perfect!! It had me chuckling all the way to the crescendo!
Glad you liked it. I do too. 😉
So cool! Thanks for sharing this with us. I had never heard of this species before, or the behavior of housing this way. Now I will start looking for them, both the caterpillars and the beautiful moths. Thanks for inspiring me...
Look for holes in Sugar Maple leaves or scattered little pitas at your feet on the trail!
Alas, we don't have Sugar Maples here near the coast of Maine. I'll have to research if they use Red Maples.
So much fun to be an explorer .
“Always beautiful …No complaining …” Except for the tourists that flock to Stowe. Going back and forth from our camp in the NEK to our home in the Burlington area, we often drive through Stowe. We are especially amused when the street is packed with people arriving by the bus loads. Foliage colors still in their early stages .People gazing up at trees and vistas with a slight frown.
My husband and I look at each other and say; “ Where are all the colors? I want my money back…” As we head back north to the spectacularness ( I just invented that word) of the NEK peak season. Most tourists do not want to drive that far, which is fine by me. You know, I’ve never seen a Maple Leafcutter Moth or signs of its caterpillar form. I will be looking closely at the Maple saplings. (Your music selection is brilliant).
Ha! As long as I know you're loving the foliage, I'm happy. I'll bet you find some of those caterpillars -- they're mostly little brown pitas at your feet along the hardwood trails now, Lor!
I’ll be out tomorrow! Thanks 🙏
Bryan, I was so worried, but she did it, triumphantly. Pshew. May we all remember how to flip over when blown down. ♡♡♡
I dunno — might we ourselves be as graceful? (We ain't gettin' any younger, you know.) :-)
Fabulous example of adaptation and natural selection producing "intelligence"!
Well, we could have a very long discussion on insect "intelligence," Baird. A tricky subject indeed!
Indeed!
This video is not helping my current Substack addiction. Pure gold.
Short-listed for Cannes; wait-listed for Sundance. Academy Awards, here we come!
Nail-biting suspense.
Thanks, Bryan. Love it. Another wonderful story from nature!
Great to hear from you, Ernest. (I was just recently looking at a photo of you from LepSoc meeting! 😀)
Bryan: Great stuff. Going to check out my sugar maples shortly, while they still have their leaves and, one hopes, their maple leafcutters.
Keep me posted. If you don't see them on leaves, they could be sprinkled on the ground. They are patchy -- hit or miss and variable from year to year.
Maple greets the winds,
waving hello and goodbye.
Fall is in full swing.
Lovely!
Bryan, what a wonderful and insightful story. I’ve yet to observe this moth but will now ever keep my eye out for it. It’s difficult to gain a sense of size from the close-up, but it’s very similar in general aspect to a Ctenuchid moth.
Similar coloring indeed, Mike. But much smaller -- something I should have pointed out. The adult is not quite 1cm in length.
So much of life still to be seen! Thanks for once again pointing the way to some of it.
Thanks, John! And for readers who don't know of John's spectacular photography, please have a look: https://www.johnsnell.photography/
Amazing! I’ve seen the roundish covers on maple leaves many times but never the “arm” reaching out to straighten them!!
This was so much fun to read about and then watch. I was rooting for that little caterpillar through the whole video!