"What a thousand acres of Silphiums looked like when they tickled the bellies of the buffalo is a question never again to be answered, and perhaps not even asked." -Aldo Leopold
Virginian Tiger Moth
Spilosoma virginica fam. Erebidae (Hodges#8137)
Host plant(s): Found on wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia), swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor) and black willow (Silax nigra)
Date(s) and location(s): 13 September, 2025 – Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO; 17-September, 2025 – Little Creve Coeur Ecological Area
Notes: Also referred to as the yellow wooly bear, this species is highly polyphagous.
Smeared Dagger Moth
Acronicta oblinita fam. Noctuidae (Hodges#9272)
Host plant(s): Found on willow (Salix sp.)
Date(s) and location(s): 15 September, 2025 – Little Creve Coeur Ecological Area
Notes: I found six of these caterpillars, all about the same size, color, and pattern, at this date and location within a few minutes of searching through willows. Due to the summer drought, willows in this areas were easily accessible at this location without the need of boots! Another common name for this species is the smartweed caterpillar. They do feed on smartweed but are highly polyphagous and feed on numerous forbs and woody plants.
Beware the urticating hairs of this species. This has been the most irritating caterpillar “sting” I have yet experienced. A bit more fiery than others and it came with a lingering rash with small blisters.
Comma
Polygonia c-album fam. Nymphalidae (Hodges#4421)
Host plant(s): nettle (Urtica sp.)
Date(s) and location(s): 17 Sep, 2025 – Little Creve Coeur Ecological Area, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: This poor caterpillar has fallen prey to one of its many enemies, in this case a nymph of Podisus maculiventris (spined soldier bug).
Yellow-billed Cuckoo photographed at Little Creve Coeur Ecological Area in late May of this year.
This Indigo Bunting was found in mid-August of this year at Little Creve Coeur Ecological Area in St. Louis County, MO. This is either an immature male or an adult male that quickly molted into nonbreeding colors.
I’m calling this striking bird a juvenile male Blackpoll Warbler. Feel free to let me know if you disagree. Found on May 22, 2022 at Little Creve Coeur Ecological Area.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 