Hello! My name is Erin and I'm in my sophomore year of college studying to be a wildlife biologist! Anyways, I found this caterpillar in my church in Novelty. I used the Seek app to try and identify it, which suggested it was an Edward's glassy-winged moth (Pseudohemihyalea edwardsii). However, there are no records of any of them living in the east or even the midwest. I thought it might have mistaken it for a giant leopard moth larvae, but it lacks the red bands and is very small. Is it possible that it could be p. edwardsii? Found on 11/16/23.

Thanks for forwarding your caterpillar picture. It is one of the tiger moth species. There are several species that occur in Geauga County. When I cropped your picture and entered it into the iNaturalist.org database, their top suggestion was tiger moth, as well. Caution should be taken, however, when using Seek or iNaturalist. Usually, the AI identification ability of those sites is very good, but sometimes they can lead a person astray, as in the case with this critter. I’m happy that you looked into this a little more and realized that Seek’s recommendation might be off. When using these apps, always err on the side of caution. I’ve learned that most of the time, the respective critter is something that is normally found in our area.

-Naturalist Linda Gilbert

What is the history of the chimney and hearth along Tupelo Pond trail and who lived there? Same questions for the remains of a homestead (house foundation and well) between Tupelo pond and Ravenna Rd, just north of the pond? Thanks. A plaque with information would be nice.

From our files: “In 1955, 505 acres of land were donated to the State of Ohio by the Samuel Livingston Mather family. Ten years later, Geauga Park District entered into a lease agreement with the State for the property, creating Big Creek Park; in 1990, the State of Ohio officially transferred ownership of the park to Geauga Park District.”

The remains of structures in Big Creek are most likely from when it was owned by the Mather family. At this time, Geauga Park District does not have any more of the history of the specific buildings that existed during the Mather era, nor do we have a historian on staff to do more research. It would be wonderful if the trees, rocks, chimneys and foundations in our parks would tell us of the past!

Thanks for your interest.

-Naturalist Dottie Drockton

Can you tell me what type of insect this is? We have been in our home for 3 years and never saw one. This year I see multiple.

The picture is a Praying Mantis. It’s either the non-native Chinese Mantis or a European Mantis. The picture is too grainy to be definitive, but it is certainly not our native species. Due to the larger size of non-native mantises, scientists think the non-native species may be out-competing and/or eating our native ones.  Here is a link to some great information you can peruse.

-Naturalist Linda Gilbert

Good day :)

We recently moved to Chesterland and are interested in adding a bat house to our property. We are mostly wooded but there is a spot that receives at least some sun.

What do you recommend?

Thanks.

Cristina

Thanks for looking out for the bats! Here is a link to excellent information on the Bat Conservation International website about bat box placement and other items to consider when installing a bat box. They recommend facing the box in a southeast spot that receives a daily 6-8 hours of sunlight. Bats like to be warm, so in our area, painting the box dark brown or black is also recommended. More placement/installation details are given on the website. Good luck.

-Naturalist Linda Gilbert

Hello, a midland painted turtle laid eggs in our backyard on June 24th. We've protected the nest with a wire cage (wide enough gaps for the babies to crawl through). It's been 83 days, but no sign of eggs hatching yet. Is this brood most likely to hatch soon, or overwinter?

The hatchlings can still emerge in early fall, but sometimes they overwinter in the nest and emerge the following spring.

I hope this is helpful as you watch and wait. Good question!

-Naturalist Denise Wolfe

Hello!
We have a young red bellied woodpecker that has been coming to our feeders for several months. It seems to have all of the regular markings except that its head seems to be staying a soft reddish gray. We think its a male because those reddish gray feathers are where a female would not have any red feathers. We tried to google how long it takes before a male gets its full red plumage and can't find that specific answer. Do you know?
Thanks in advance!

Greetings! As you have found, it is pretty hard to find answers to the timing of bird molts! While it appears that some juvenile feathers (especially wing feathers) might persist for two years or more, the head feathers turn red much faster. Most juvenile Red-bellied Woodpeckers should have their red in place by the start of this autumn.

-Naturalist Andy Avram

I have a couple of milkweed which I got from the Geauga Parks Earth day last year! I now have 3 monarch caterpillars on them. Will they form their cocoons directly on the milkweed? Will only having 2 milkweeds sustain them? What can I do to protect them from predators?

Thanks for inquiring about Monarchs and milkweed. It’s great that you’ve got Monarch caterpillars on your plants.

The caterpillars generally do not form the chrysalis on the milkweed plant. They usually crawl off the plant and attach it somewhere else nearby — sometimes it could be on a fence post or on the side of a house or on the underside of a kayak (as Naturalist Trevor found out the other day).

I don’t know if your two plants will sustain them. That depends on how big the caterpillars are. If they are close to two inches long, then they are probably close to being done with the eating stage of their life.

As far as protection from predators, you might want to put them in a critter container and rear them. You would just need to supply milkweed leaves and keep the containers clean until they make the chrysalis. If you choose to do that, keep the rearing containers outside so they are exposed to day/night/warm/cold, which will ensure that they migrate. Scientists think rearing them indoors messes up the migration instinct — and we don’t want that!

-Naturalist Linda Gilbert

Found this in my pool this evening. Is it a common bug in this area?

What a cool find! Although this creature looks like something that would be found in a faraway exotic place, it is actually native to the United States and common in this area. Its name is not one that is hard to remember, as it perfectly fits its description: a Giant Water Bug (Lethocerus americanus). This bug’s large forelegs are used to grab prey, which can consist of fish, tadpoles and insects. It consumes all sizes of prey by grasping them and injecting its venomous saliva into them to digest their internal liquid. My favorite fun fact is that the females lay their eggs on the back of the males, which the males then carry until the young safely hatch. Click here for a great website to learn more about these interesting critters, and thanks for sharing!

-Naturalist Nora Sindelar

I know these pictures aren't the greatest but can you tell me what kind of turtle's they are? We know there are at least 3. One has a smooth face and the other looks like it has zits on it. They have a long tail. They never want to show me their whole body. They come up to ear and go straight back down. Thanks.

All the turtles in these pictures are Snapping Turtles. These are likely the most common turtle in the state because they will inhabit all types of water. While they do hold a fearsome reputation, they will only bite in defense, especially when they are encountered on land looking for nesting locations. “Snappers” provide a valuable service, though, keeping our water healthy by feeding primarily on sick, injured and dead animals. Enjoy being able to see them as often as you do!

-Naturalist Andy Avram

Is observatory park telescope always open if it is a clear night? Are people usually there and setup with their equipment? I was hoping to bring my son out but we don’t have a telescope.

Observatory Park is always open for “self-serve” astronomy.  Even on nights when we don’t have an official park program scheduled (see current list here), you’re likely to meet other astronomy enthusiasts who’ve brought their own equipment (as long as it’s a clear night)!  Most amateur astronomers are happy, even eager, to share the view through their telescopes, or to share photographs they’ve taken.

No telescope? No problem! Don’t forget that we’ve partnered with every library in Geauga County to offer telescope-lending services. You can check out a telescope from any Geauga County Public Library branch, and from the Burton Public Library. Other nearby libraries also telescope-lending services (the Mentor Public Library is one), so be sure to check with your library!

Thanks again, and enjoy the summer sky!

-Naturalist “Astro-Nat” Chris Mentrek