{"id":90236,"date":"2024-10-22T09:53:17","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T16:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/?p=90236"},"modified":"2024-10-22T09:53:17","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T16:53:17","slug":"puddle-clubs-and-pollinators-of-the-prairie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/?p=90236","title":{"rendered":"Puddle Clubs and Pollinators of the Prairie"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

August is here and the pollinators are in a frenzy for forage as fall inches closer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This month, I took the time to become closely acquainted with the many different flying critters that could bee <\/em>seen on the prairie. For the most part, the pollinators were not very hard to find as they could typically be found foraging on the pollen\/nectar of the prairie wildflowers; however, there were a few exceptions with some of the bees as they would find interest in eating my lunch! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Eastern Thistle Longhorn Bee (Mellisodes desponsus)<\/em> on Cirsium discolor<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Modest Masked Bee (Hylaeus modestus)<\/em> on Agalinis auriculata<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Long-horned Bees (Melissodes sp.)<\/em> on Coreopsis tripteris<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A Sweat Bee (Tribe: Augochlorini) <\/em>on my sandwich!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Aside from foraging on prairie plants or my lunch, the general behavior and nesting habitat of a few of the pollinators were interesting to watch. During Robel Pole protocols with Harsha, Michelle, and the other CLM interns, we were greeted by a group of Pearl Crescents (Phyciodes tharos)<\/em> and Eastern Tailed-Blues (Cupido comyntas<\/em>) <\/em>at a puddle. Until recently, I did not know that this behavior was called Puddle Clubbing. Essentially, puddle clubs are congregations of the same or different species of butterflies (mostly males) that gather around a source of water (sometimes large or measly), which typically contains essential minerals that the butterflies can obtain with their proboscis. The puddles can also serve as an area for males to display and compete for a female if one happens to fly by! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Robel Pole with Harsha, Michelle, and Vlad<\/em> (who is in the distance).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Naomi and Jonah taking in the beauty of the puddle club<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Jonah, the Butterfly Whisperer<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A group of male Pearl Crescents<\/em>!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n