View allAll Photos Tagged Turtlehead
I really like birds so it's a rare day when I don't lead off my Flickr feed with a bird photo, but I had such a delightful time finding butterflies out in the field today that they are taking center stage tonight. This colorful Baltimore checkerspot is one of the rarer butterflies that is resident here in the Driftless region where they are restricted to living in fens where the host plant for their caterpillars - white turtlehead - grows.
Need some help with this ID. I think it's a species of Shield Bug. Very tiny, about the size of a grain of rice!
Here it's climbing up the end of a left of a TurtleHead plant.
An adde attraction was the drop of honeydew coming from the back end! Yum!
Thank you to Wayne, for the proper identification of this insect: the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is an insect in the family Pentatomidae.
What I identified as Honeydew is in fact the stink of the Stink Bug, which it releases when disturbed, which I probably did, but didn't smell!
The things One learns when interested in learning!!
This Baltimore checkerspot is a rare butterfly here in northeastern Iowa and across the entire state since its caterpillars only eat white turtlehead (Chelone glabra) leaves and that plant is restricted to living on fens - a very rare habitat type that's now as scarce as hen's teeth here. The Baltimore checkerspot also has a very restricted flight season lasting from now until about the Fourth of July.
White turtlehead flowers have a wonderful weird shape, prompting some people to see a little white turtle with its head poking out in each open flower. Other folks see a turtle's face looking back at them when they peer into a blossom. Take your pick of the reasons this plant is called turtlehead. This wildflower is quite rare here in northeastern Iowa and is only found in pristine wetlands and fens.
The flight season for Baltimore checkerspots peaks around the summer solstice here in the Driftless Region, so if you know where there's a fen, now is the time to check it out if you want to see this beautiful butterfly. Unfortunately, fens are one of the rarest natural habitats left in Iowa due to most of the landscape being tiled, drained and converted to crops. Fens are Iowa's version of a bog, but instead of the water being acidic, it's alkaline. Fens are also the only places in Iowa where white turtlehead plants, the food source for Baltimore checkerspot caterpillars, grows.
(Second of two) Baltimore Checkerspots, Euphydryas phaeton, have white turtlehead as a primary larval host. The plant prefers moist areas and is favored as a food by deer. Both factors may cause a decline in the number of plants, which in turn can lead to declines in Checkerspot populations. Fortunately, in some areas the butterflies are using the introduced weedy plant English Plantain and other plants as food for their caterpillars.
June 26, 2015. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.
Chelone obliqua, the red turtlehead, rose turtlehead or pink turtlehead, is a perennial flowering plant belonging to the family Plantaginaceae. This uncommon wildflower is endemic to the United States, where it is found in the Midwestern and southeastern states. The three common names come from the bloom colors, yet they may even appear in other colors such as purple or white. When blooming, the flower is said to resemble the head of a turtle. (Wikipedia)
Chelone obliqua, la tête de tortue rouge, ou la tête de tortue rose sont une plante à fleurs vivace appartenant à la famille des Plantaginacées. Cette fleur sauvage peu commune est endémique aux États-Unis, où elle se trouve dans les États du Midwest et du Sud-Est. Les noms communs proviennent des couleurs de la fleur, mais ils peuvent même apparaître dans d'autres couleurs comme le violet ou le blanc. Lors de la floraison, on dit que la fleur ressemble à la tête d'une tortue. (Wikipedia)
Its scientific name is Chelone glabra, but the turtlehead plant is a plant that goes by many names including shellflower, snakehead, snakemouth, cod head, fish mouth, balmony and bitter herb. Not surprisingly, turtlehead flowers resemble the head of a turtle, earning the plant this popular name.
Jolie floraison automnale de mon jardin.
La Chelone obliqua (on prononce «ké-LONNE») ou Galane, en anglais Turtlehead, est une robuste plante vivace originaire de l'Illinois qui s'est répandue dans le quart sud-est de l'Amérique du Nord, mais se fait rare à l'état sauvage dans certains états. Les horticulteurs par contre commercialisent des cultivars et des hybrides à usage ornemental.
En effet, cette plante produit une touffe dense et non envahissante de tiges solides et parfaitement dressées de 60 à 90 cm de hauteur. Les feuilles au vert très foncé sont attrayantes tout l’été, mais sa particularité ce sont ses belles fleurs roses qui dominent à l’automne, une période où les floraisons sont plus rares.
C’est donc une vedette du jardin automnal car à la toute fin de l’été et à l’automne, cette plante forme de d’étranges fleurs. Elles s’épanouissent sur un court épi au sommet de chaque tige et elles sont curieusement assemblées, étant plutôt fermées à l’extrémité, avec seulement une petite ouverture qui ressemblent à un bec et attirent les colibris. Les Acadiens trouvaient que la fleur ressemblait à une tête de tortue d’où son nom botanique, Chelone, qui est le nom grec pour tortue. Le nom couramment utilisé – galane – dériverait d’une mauvaise prononciation de Chelone, tout simplement.
LaGrange County, Indiana
A male Baltimore Checkerspot taken in the Pigeon River Fish & Wildlife Area.
The Baltimore Checkerspot is an uncommon butterfly species in Indiana and is found very locally, and seldom flies far from its larval foodplant, Turtlehead.
Turtlehead Peak, 6324'/1728m. is the sharp peak on the left. La Madre Mountain, 8154' is behind and to the right.
The hike up to Turtlehead Peak was both strenuous and challenging, but it was also rewarding.
At the top, we were treated with a panoramic view of Las Vegas and the surrounding La Madre mountains.
This photo was taken at the beginning of our hike, the trail started with the colorful rock formations of the Calico Hills (right-hand side), then up the steep gully section, eventually reaching the saddle and winding its way up to the summit (center).
Turtlehead Peak appeared out of place because it was split off from the larger area of limestone to the left due to tectonic activity.
The beginning of the hike was the only place where the climb was gradual. Once we got to the middle, it became very steep. That section climbs 700 feet in less than half a mile.
We thought going up was hard, but coming down proved to be much harder due to the small pebbles acting as ball bearings under our feet.
**********
Distance: 5.02 mi
Elevation Gain: 1,991 ft
Moving Time: 3:48:18
Total Time: 5:50:02
Difficulty: STRENUOUS!!!
Touring the American Southwest at the moment, with Red Rock Canyon as our first scenic stop.
That day we hiked up to Turtlehead Peak; oh boy and oh joy, what a strenuous and tough hike it was!
This picture was taken in the parking lot of the trailhead, overlooking Sandstone Quarry. We hung back to catch the sunset which wasn't much due to the clouds but the short-lived afterglow was gorgeous.
"While the winter season may freeze out activities in much of the country, Red Rock Canyon enjoys the warm Mojave Desert sun which makes it quite a pleasant season for outdoor activities.
The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area [RRCNCA] is located just a few miles west of Las Vegas and encompasses 195,819 acres within the Mojave Desert. Red Rock Canyon is an area of worldwide geologic interest and beauty."
As always, thank you for your visit; I truly appreciate your support!🌷🌷🌷
Red Rocks Vegas is a 13 mile one way road drive among some of the most amazing mountain scenes I've ever seen. There are also a lot of hiking trails, one of which is a four and a half miler that takes you to the top of this distinctive fellow here. You will of course notice that this image was captured from below and oh, about four miles away.... :)
Turtlehead is also known as balmony, bitter herb, codhead, fish mouth, shellflower, snakehead, snake mouth, and turtle bloom. It is part of the Figwort family (Scrophulariacea) and has the scientific name Chelone glabra. In Greek mythology, there was a nymph named Chelone who insulted the gods; in punishment, she was turned into a turtle. The flowers of this plant are said to look like the heads of turtles. Glabra is from the Latin word meaning smooth because of the lack of hairs or texture on the stems and leaves.
Turtlehead is a perennial found throughout most of the eastern half of the United States. It generally is found along stream banks and damp ground, and usually grows to a height of 2 to 3 feet. The plant has a square stem with leaves that are opposite, toothed, and narrow. White flowers, often with a pink tinge, appear between mid summer and fall. The flowers are irregular, two-lipped and grow in dense spikes.
Chelone obliqua.
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Calico Basin
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
I waited for a day after a winter storm in Las Vegas to venture out to the Calico Basin. I selected this spot and waited for the clouds to provide the lighting in this photo.
Sulphur butterfly getting some punch from what I believe (not sure) is a Chelone obliqua pink turtle head plant.
I was waiting for a hummingbird to come back to this flower, but never did catch it. This carpenter bee paid a visit, though. Glendale, Missouri
Merci à tous ceux qui prennent le temps de voir, commenter et aimer mes photos!
Thank's to everyone who takes the time to view, comment and Fave my photos!
Took a bit of artistic freedom to create this symmetry. This is a photo of the same juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbird on the same plant (Turtlehead). The bird first landed on the right side of the plant, rested on a leaf while drinking nectar from the flower. Then it flew to the left and did the same with another flower. I joined two opposite halves of two frames, taken 10 seconds apart, to create this symmetrical pose. Downsview Dells Park, Toronto.