Join me on my research journey to New Orleans to study Caterpillars and Climate Change!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Our last day in the field. Tomorrow, back to New Orleans.
I am so impressed with all the hard work you have been putting into this blog site. Most of your answers to my posted questions have been spot on! I am very proud of all the work you've done while I have been away.
Today I went out into the field for the last field plot. My primary job was to count the vegetation in the plot. I worked in the plot with Mike and Kirk, they collected caterpillars while I counted the leaf matter. Mike and Kirk found quite a few very interesting specimens.
During this plot we came across the same alligator (this time soaking up some rays on a log), two very cute tree frogs, and a Patent Leather Beetle.
I will post some pictures below for you to enjoy. I have also attached 2 videos for you to view.
I will continue to post tomorrow and this weekend, so keep following along. Miss you guys, but I don't miss the New Hampshire weather. :) It's 79 degrees Farenheit tonight....can't beat that.
As you can see from the picture of this leaf, caterpillars are extremely hungry. A caterpillar's job is to fatten itself up so that it can make it to the pupae stage. Below is a picture of a pupae "shell" that an adult moth emerged from.
Today we went out early and set up another 10x10 meter plot. Mark helped us make our way through the wooded area using a machete and we found a spot to do our research. I was in charge of looking for caterpillars and counting the leaves using estimation for the Southern Arrowwood. Below is a picture of the data I collected.
Day #5/Question #20
What do you think the data in the picture represents? Look at the numbers and decide what you think each set of three numbers represents.
Day #5/Question #21
What mathematical method do you think we used to account for all the leaf matter of each species in the plot? Do you think we counted each individual leaf?
All week the other teachers and I have been trying to spot an alligator. Today, while driving back from the plot site, guess who spotted an alligator in the Cypress Swamp alongside the road? Yes, it was me! It was very exciting. Below is a photograph and a video of the Ol' Guy.
Day #5/Question #22
About how long, in feet, do you think this alligator is? (Hint: Mark says this guy could probably take your hand off!)
Later in the day we took kayaks out into the flooded land area around the bunkhouse. We kayaked through the swamp, pulled up to the land, and assessed a plot in the swamp area. Although we did not find any caterpillars, we had a great time traveling to our location. Below are a few pictures of the area and a video of us kayaking through the swampy area.
Day #5/Question #23
What impact do you think flood waters have on the environment? Think about the benefits AND the drawbacks to having a flooded area.
This last picture is a Spiny Oak Slug. Mark found it on a tree covered with moss. He is amazing at spotting things in the woods!
Day #5/Question #24
Why do you think this Spiny Oak Slug would be so difficult to find?
Day #5/Question #25
The name of the research scientist in charge of the study of Caterpillars and Climate Change is Dr. Lee Dyer. He has a website through Tulane University, here in New Orleans, that is dedicated to the caterpillars of Louisiana. I would like you to visit the link below to investigate some of the caterpillars found in this area.
Please list your top 2 favorite caterpillars. Use the caterpillars Latin names to identify each one. Give one fact about each caterpillar. (If there are any, not all of the identification process is complete yet) Explain why each caterpillar is your favorite.
TODAY WILL BE YOUR FINAL "BLOG ACTIVITY TIME" IN THE LIBRARY AT CENTER SCHOOL. I WILL CONTINUE TO POST BLOGS THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND POSSIBLY SUNDAY BEFORE I RETURN TO NEW HAMPSHIRE. PLEASE VISIT THE BLOG SITE WHILE YOU ARE HOME THE REST OF THIS WEEK AS WELL AS THIS WEEKEND. REMEMBER THAT EVERY COMMENT THAT I POST TO THE BLOG EARNS A SUPER STAMP! :) HAPPY BLOGGING, WISH YOU WERE HERE!
This is a close-up of the Purple Crested Slug that I showed you today during our Skype conference.
Day #4/Question #14
How do you think Mark and I got this "close-up" shot of this Purple Crested Slug? What tool did we use?
Day #4/Question #15
As you look at the picture above, analyze it carefully. What do you notice about this caterpillar? What is happening to this caterpillar?
Day #4/Question #16
The picture above shows one of the things we do when we work with the caterpillars in the lab. It may be difficult to see, but there IS a caterpillar in this picture. Why do you think there is a number circled on the plastic bag above the caterpillar and why do you think we took a picture of it?
Day #4/Question #17
Tonight after dinner Mark took a video of a caterpillar by the name Variegated Midget. What do you notice about the way this caterpillar moves? What are some of your observations? Day #4/Question #18 To the right is a picture of the Hyphantria Cunea caterpillar. Its common name is Fall Webworm. When I took this caterpillar out of the specimen bag I thought there were two Fall Webworms. Mark explained to me what was happening. Can you tell what is occurring in this picture? Click on the picture to enlarge the image.
Day #4/Question #19
These two pictures are of the Saddleback Caterpillar. The image at the bottom left is a close-up sideview of this caterpillar. The image on the bottom right is of the front end of the caterpillar. Do you think this is one of the stinging types of caterpillars? Why or why not?
Thanks to all of you for making the Skype experience a great one! Today was an incredibly productive day here at the bunkhouse. Mark, the ever-helpful scientist, was very informative and I learned a great deal about the caterpillars we've been collecting and the importance of the research down here in Louisiana. Mark and I kept stumbling upon interesting discoveries.
I have posted a picture and a video of the Io Moth at the 4-5 instar. The Io Moth caterpillar is a stinging one and is covered in pencil hairs. This caterpillar was discovered in the field while I was at the bunkhouse and I thought you might like to see it up close.
Day #4/Question #13
Yesterday I talked about a caterpillar instar. What is an instar?
Today we returned to the Honey Island Swamp after a day in our "lab". As we walked through the woods we came upon this spider. It is called the "Golden Silk Spider". This is a female and she is larger than the male. Can you see the yellow spots on her abdomen? The silk she uses to spin her web is a golden color and is said to be stronger than steel!
As we ventured further into the forest Ms. Uricchio picked up an item she found in the bushes. Can you tell what it is?
There is a great video on Mrs. Moore's blog site (the Mrs. Moore from Oregon). Be sure to watch the video on her blog under October 26th. The video shows Ms. Moser from North Carolina and me trying to identify a caterpillar. It will give you a great idea of what we're doing down here in Louisiana.
I am so happy to see that you are all taking an interest in the blog. You're making some great observations and your comments are well thought out too! Remember to use your first name when commenting on the blog so I know who is making these great postings!
Here are a couple pictures of items I photographed during our first day "in the field". One of the items I photographed will be easy for you to identify (I think) because it is left by an animal that also lives in New Hampshire that you are familiar with. The second photo is evidence left behind by an animal that you may or may not be familiar with. We do have them in New Hampshire but they are prevalent in Louisiana and people in this area often boil them up and eat them!!!!!!
Day #3/Question #11
What is the left-hand picture a picture of? What animal left it behind?
Day #3/Question #12
What is the middle picture a picture of? What animal left it behind?
Here are a few pictures of us completing our data entry. We took each caterpillar samples and did the following:
1. Identified the plant within the bag containing the caterpillar. 2. Identified the caterpillar contained in the bag. 3. Determined which stage of development the caterpillar was in. (These are called "instars" and these are numbered with 1 being the 'youngest') 4. Photographed each caterpillar and numbered each bag. 5. Removed the frass from the caterpillar bag. 6. Placed the caterpillar and its food source back in the bag and hung it on the "rearing rack". Day #3/Question #9
What do you think Frass is and why do you think we needed to remove it from the bag?
Day #3/Question #10
What do you think the "rearing rack" is for? Why are the caterpillar bags hung from this rack?
