NatureNotes

The rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), colloquially called "cut-throat" due to its coloration, is a large, seed-eating grosbeak in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae).

With some advice from Rudy, a listener has preserved the skin of a copperhead snake.

Ladybird beetles and aphids have a predator/prey relationship.

Rudy shares some words from poet Sam Walter Foss.

The ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is a species of hummingbird that generally spends the winter in Central America, Mexico, and Florida, and migrates to Canada and other parts of Eastern North America for the summer to breed. It is the most common hummingbird in eastern North America.

North American azaleas are commonly confused with azaleas of Asian origin, the evergreen azaleas.

Callirhytis seminator, the wool sower, is a species of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult wasps are about 1/8" in length and dark brown in color. They lay the egg in a gall, a round, white structure resembling a cotton ball. It starts out white and later changes color.

The eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix), also known as the copperhead, is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper, endemic to eastern North America; it is a member of the subfamily Crotalinae in the family Viperidae.

There are two types of sturgeons that live off the coast of South Carolina and spawn in its fresh waters.

Zebra swallowtail, Eastern swallowtail, spice bush swallowtail, black swallowtail, palomides swallowtail - all of each of these species of butterfly has its primary, of not sole, larval food plant.

The forest tent caterpillar moth (Malacosoma disstria) is a moth found throughout North America, especially in the eastern regions. Unlike related tent caterpillar species, the larvae of forest tent caterpillars do not make tents, but rather, weave a silky sheet where they lie together during molting.

Melia azedarach, commonly known as the chinaberry tree, pride of India, bead-tree, Cape lilac, syringa berrytree, Persian lilac, Indian lilac, or white cedar, is a species of deciduous tree in the mahogany family, Meliaceae, that is native to Indomalaya and Australasia.

Aseroe rubra, commonly known as the anemone stinkhorn, sea anemone fungus and starfish fungus, is a common and widespread basidiomycete fungus recognizable for its foul odour of carrion and its sea anemone shape when mature. Found in gardens on mulch and in grassy areas, it resembles a red star-shaped structure covered in brownish slime on a white stalk. It attracts flies, which spread its spores.

Today is the anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear plant's meltdown.

Two of Rudy's favorite plants are now flowering in South Carolina.

A listener finds a luna moth that has not metamorphisized perfectly.

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2023 is Invest In Our Planet.

Steatoda grossa, commonly known as the cupboard spider, the dark comb-footed spider, the brown house spider (in Australia), or the false widow or false black widow (though several other species are known by these names), is a common species of spider in the genus Steatoda.

Mining bees belong to the genus Andrena. This is a genus of bees in the family Andrenidae. With over 1,500 species, it is one of the largest genera of animals.

Dryophytes gratiosus, commonly known as the barking tree frog, is a species of tree frog endemic to the south-eastern United States.

A listener finds what he thinks is a animal's skull. Turns out, it's not a skull at all.

Rudy shares a poetic rememberence of a friend and fellow naturalist.

Terrestrial mole salamanders are identified by having wide, protruding eyes, prominent costal grooves, and thick arms. Most have vivid patterning on dark backgrounds, with marks ranging from deep blue spots to large yellow bars depending on the species.

A listener reports some skeletal remains he found on Dreher Island State Park...

Tinea pellionella, the case-bearing clothes moth, is a species of tineoid moth in the family Tineidae, the fungus moths. This species has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring nearly worldwide.