Category: Ilse Gebhard

Heraldic Shield Colors Basis for Baltimore Checkerspot Name

by Ilse Gebhard, KAWO member One of my favorite butterfly books is an old one that my husband found for me at the Friends of the Library in Kalamazoo. Published in 1919, Butterflies Worth Knowing by Clarence M. Weed is more like a book you sit down to read rather than our present-day field guides, […] Continue reading "Heraldic Shield Colors Basis for Baltimore Checkerspot Name"

An Unusual Pollinator

by Ilse Gebhard, KAWO member At our former home the tops of the screens of the screened-in porch are held in place from the outside by 2 x 4 studs. For years I noticed wasps were boring holes in the underside of these 2 x 4s. Having heard of wood-boring wasps, I never gave it […] Continue reading "An Unusual Pollinator"

Secretive Feeder

by Ilse Gebhard, KAWO member Any day that I am presented with a mystery of nature to be solved is a great day. Late May, a few years ago, a friend brought me not only a native plant from her yard but also a caterpillar that was hiding in the soil that she dug up […] Continue reading "Secretive Feeder"

Does Spotted Knapweed Repel Monarch Butterflies?

by Ilse Gebhard, KAWO member This question came to my mind a number of years ago when I was raising monarchs from eggs and caterpillars found in the wild for the following two Citizen Science Projects: Monarch Larva Monitoring Project and Project Monarch Health. Milkweeds are the only plants that monarch caterpillars will feed on […] Continue reading "Does Spotted Knapweed Repel Monarch Butterflies?"