Weeds of Wednesday: Where Have All the Bidens Gone?

Usually, common beggarticks (Bidens alba) is abundant -- along roadsides, mosquito control dikes, and in other disturbed places. Not so much this year, though. Perhaps, the lack of rainfall this year explains its relative absence. Common beggarticks are an annual…

Orange Julia

When the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory began its Volunteer Nature Stewardship Program for the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area (ORCA) in 1998, julia butterflies (Dryas iulia) did not range as far north as Indian River County. The first sighting at ORCA…

An Abundance of Julia

Julia butterflies (Dryas iulia) were amazingly abundant at the Captain Forster Hammock Preserve when we visited there on 4-12-2019.  Near to the parking lot, they were sipping nectar from snow squarestem (Melanthera nivea) shown above. Nearer to Highway A1A, these…

Weeds of Wednesday: Tropical Milk-Weed?

Growing in the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area (ORCA) parking lot amongst wild coffee (Psychotria nervosa) and last's week's Wednesday "weed", beggarticks (Bidens alba), is what some folks call tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica). Other common names include scarlet milkweed, Mexican milkweed, bloodflower,…