Enchoria Lacteata On Coltsfoot

Day 159: It always pleases me when one of my photos is added to BugGuide.net's database. Over fifty of them have been used so far. Many times, I have been unable to identify "bug du jour," but their entomologists nearly always come through for me. In the case of Enchoria lacteata, I have been trying to capture it photographically for several years, only to have my targets fly away, disturbed by my presence.

Enchoria lacteata does not have a common name. It is a Geometrid moth, with a wingspan of approximately 3/4". The species has a particular fondness for Petasites palmatus (Coltsfoot), which was blooming when I took a walk on the Bud Blancher Trail a few days ago. As a matter of fact, this fine specimen was sharing the same umbel as the Bumblebee I posted recently.

Don't Bug Me, I'm Bee-zy!

Day 157: The Coltsfoot (Petasites palmatus) is coming into bloom, drawing all sorts of winged insects to its flowers. Don't ask me why. I find the scent rather off-putting, but the bugs love it. I counted two butterfly species, at least half a dozen different wasps, assorted flies and midges, a single Cranefly, mosquitoes and this beautiful bumblebee which was dusted all over with grains of pollen. An industrious worker, the bee remained on the umbel while I took pictures and then continued to pose for a woman with a cell phone camera even when she moved up close. Insects weren't the only things out and about. I discovered a tick walking on her dog's nose, and our attention shifted from Bumble as we combined forces to effect removal.

Coltsfoot, Petasites Palmatus

Day 160: Coltsfoot doesn't exactly fall into the category of "pretty little wildflowers," but it is one of the first to emerge from wetlands in the spring, often even preceding Skunk Cabbage. Male and female blossoms are borne on different heads and, like our yellow Skunk Cabbage, the flower stalk emerges before the leaves. In my personal observations, I have noticed that the mildly stinky flowers attract both flies and a particular tiny black-and-white moth (species unknown, note to self - poss. Rheumaptera hastata), suggesting that these insects are the plant's chief pollinators.

Western Coltsfoot, Petasites Palmatus

Day 178: A sight almost as common in our lowland bogs as Skunk Cabbage, Western Coltsfoot is another early-spring emerger. Its odor isn't nearly as strong, but to my nose, it is less pleasant. Oddly, field guides seldom mention the scent. The flower heads burst into bloom before large, palmate leaves develop, often rising to a height of two feet. Sweet Coltsfoot (another variety of Petasites) is found at higher elevations and has a more strongly divided leaf. It blooms in late summer.