A tiny juvenile praying mantis stalks prey on a gloriosa lily. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
The gloriosa lilies have been in full glory, so to speak, in our garden at the Extension office the last few weeks. While photographing them, I noticed a tiny visitor hidden in plain sight among the flower’s frilly petals and stamen. A bright green juvenile praying mantis, no more than an inch long and the same shade of green as the plant, stood still directly in front of me.
A Larger Florida Mantis perches on blazing star flowers in Sarasota. Photo credit: chaseyb via iNaturalist
Praying mantids are often recognizable and well-known due to their interesting body shape and posture. They have other wild features, too, like gigantic folding “raptorial” (grasping/predatory) front legs and the ability to swivel their big-eyed, alien heads 180°. The large European mantid’s Latin name, Mantis religiosa, comes from the insect’s posture when hunting. It sits or stands with its forelegs folded up as if in prayer, before deploying them rapidly for a meal. All mantid species are ambush predators, capturing prey by sitting in wait, camouflaged in color and shape. They’ve even been observed swaying gently to appear like leaves in the breeze. But when they spring to attack, they are deadly accurate.
The charismatic praying mantis, in stealth attack position. Photo credit: University of Wisconsin Extension
The insects are known for their infamous (but rare in the wild) post-mating male beheading. Mantids are not alone in that cannibalistic behavior—many insects and spiders exhibit this conduct to boost the energy of females as they produce the next generation. Most mantid species are tropical, but of the 2400 known worldwide, only about 20 live in the United States (11 in Florida).
Mantids are considered natural pest control in a garden, although they are generalists and will prey on both beneficial and pest insects. With those spiky front legs raised in the air, they drop down and grasp prey ranging in size from aphids to—rarely—hummingbirds. Their effective predatory behavior doesn’t make them immune from becoming prey themselves, however. Mantids are a food source for many species, including bats, birds, spiders, and fish.
A male bluebird perches on his nest box at the Extension office. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
“Don’t fly, Mister bluebird, I’m just walkin’ down the road. Early morning sunshine, tell me all I need to know.” These lyrics from the Allman Brothers’ song, “Blue Sky” always come to mind when I step outside our office building in the springtime. We have several bluebird houses installed on the Extension grounds, and birds have been busily building nests the last several weeks. Despite my attempts to admire from a safe distance, I inevitably disturb them and they fly off.
The Eastern Bluebird (Siala sialis) is a native species of cavity nesting bird, which covers territory from central Canada all the way south to Texas and coastal Florida. The United States is home to two other native bluebirds, the Mountain bluebird (S. currucoides), residing in high plains from Alaska to the mountain southwest, and Western bluebird (S. mexicana), which lives in drier evergreen forests on the west coast, from southern Canada to Baja Mexico. In comparison photos, the bluebird species have redder bellies on the east coast and are progressively bluer as you move west.
American bluebird species comparison. Courtesy Cornell Lab of Ornithology
A pair of bluebirds perched atop our office building. A grayer-feathered (likely female) bird can be seen on the left, near the deeper blue male on the right. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Bluebirds’ striking color patterns make them a favorite of amateur birdwatchers and one of the easiest birds to identify in the field. Their brilliant blue is a trick of the eye, though—in reality, birds are unable to produce blue feathers. Flamingos and roseate spoonbills produce genuine pink feathers using pigments from their food (like shrimp), but bluebirds are actually gray. As described by Smithsonian wildlife biologist Scott Sillett, the blue is a “structural color” formed by the angles of sunlight and refraction from keratin, creating the illusion of a brilliant blue. I’ve always thought bluebirds seemed brighter blue on sunny, blue-sky days—turns out they probably are!
Like bluebirds, numerous native bird species are cavity-nesters. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Bluebirds have overcome numerous threats to their populations over the last few hundred years in the United States. From habitat loss, fire ants (which attack nestlings), pesticides, and competition from introduced house sparrows and European starlings, bluebirds struggled for quite some time. Thankfully, their populations are now actually increasing and they are a “species of least concern.”
I noted about a year ago that someone in my neighborhood installed half a dozen bluebird boxes in our neighborhood park, and I’m betting that trend is multiplied exponentially around the country. Eastern bluebirds are a species of thrush, and are just one of many species that might utilize a nest box. In the wild, they are secondary cavity nesters. This means they wait for a primary cavity nester, like a woodpecker, to create a hole, then move in after it’s been abandoned. So, they are quite content to move into a prefabricated home built by humans.
A bluebird forages for insects on the ground. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
From ancient Chinese, Russian, and Native American mythology to folklore and music of the deep South, bluebirds hold a special place in the human imagination. The song and phrase “bluebird of happiness” reflects their cheery appearance and simple joy. In a quick online search of bluebird references in popular culture, I found more than 25 in the last 100 years. Something about the impossibility of a brilliant blue little bird on a spring day just feels uplifting and joyful. Even in the wistful song from the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy sings, “Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly.”
As evidenced by the scale adjacent to a quarter, the Brahminy blind snake looks more like a worm than a typical snake!
Part of the Extension job entails having friends and clientele reach out when they come across something odd while outdoors. I’ve been the recipient of random texts and emailed photos of bizarre-looking squishy finds from the beach, unusual plants, and snakes…lots and lots of snakes. So, when I got photos of a weird little worm-like critter a few months back, I wasn’t the least bit surprised. I’ve actually planned to write about this one for a while, because several people have asked me about it over the years.
While found most commonly buried in the soil, the Brahminy blind snake can get around in water as well. Photo credit: Huntley Jimenez
The Brahminy blind snake Indotyphlops braminus (also called the “Flowerpot Snake”) is considered a nonnative species due to its origin (Asia & Africa) and movement into natural areas in Florida since the 1970s. Even though it’s not from here, most biologists do not consider them “invasive,” as they do not meet the criteria of causing ecological or economic harm. In fact, I’ve only heard about people finding them in the Pensacola city limits—particularly East Hill or North Hill neighborhoods (but if you’ve seen one elsewhere, let me know!). Like many introduced insects and amphibians, the snake itself is typically transported through the landscape trade. It is small and can easily bury itself in the soil of a large tree or shrub container. These snakes can also swim, as evidenced by video from my friend of one wriggling around in her pool.
It is easy to see the snake’s deep black coloration in contrast here with the blue pool and water. Their heads and tails are almost identical. Photo credit: Huntley Jimenez
Brahminy blind snakes are members of the Typhlopidae family, which is composed of a cohort of burying snakes that mostly live in underground burrows in the soil. Spending their time in the dark, they have lost the need for vision (like cave-dwelling creatures). They have eye spots that can detect some light, but no detailed visual capability–hence the “blind” in their name. The tiny snakes are solid black (or sometimes purplish gray), about 4-6” long, and truly resemble a worm more than any snake most people are accustomed to seeing. They eat ant and termite eggs and larvae, so many folks would consider their role in the ecosystem rather useful. They are nonvenomous and do not bite, although they will push the slightly pointier posterior end of their bodies onto your skin (this won’t hurt) in a fruitless attempt at self-defense.
Interestingly, Brahminy blind snakes are all female. The species reproduces asexually through a process called parthenogenic thelytoky. The snake’s eggs can divide without a male, and offspring are genetic clones of the mother. Most species with this reproductive adaptation are insects (including the snake’s typical prey, ants), and it is rare among vertebrates. So rare, in fact, that the only vertebrates reproducing via parthenogenesis include several dozen lizards and the Brahminy blind snake. There are plenty of advantages to cutting out the “middle man” so to speak, including faster reproductive cycles and a reduction in energy expenditures related to finding a mate. However, creating genetic clones reduces population diversity, so any disease or innate vulnerability could wipe out relatives without genetic immunity.
The telltale intense growth of a witches’ broom in a pine tree. Photo credit: Keith LeFevre
Our topic today might seem better suited to late October, but it can be observed in the woods year-round. During a recent Master Naturalist class, we discussed the various species of pines that grow in northwest Florida. All seven Florida native species—longleaf, loblolly, pond, slash, shortleaf, sand, and spruce—grow in our area of the state. While they can be differentiated based on growing location, needle length, and growth pattern, one of our class members had seen something really bizarre in the local pines.
A witches’ broom in this spruce tree has resulted in a miniature version growing along its primary trunk. Photo credit: American Conifer Society
What he described was essentially an intense burst of pine needle growth at the tip of a branch. It stands out as deep green, dense, and unusual among the regular growth pattern of needles. The end result is essentially the production of a “mini-me,” a miniature copy of the normally growing tree, hanging off one of the branches. That afternoon while touring Blackwater River State Forest with a professional forester, we asked him about the strange phenomenon. He’d seen it many times and referred to it as a “witches’ broom.”
Mistletoe growing in a tree results from the same type of auxin disturbance as witches’ brooms. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
In normal tree growth, the trunk produces hormones called auxins, which control the division, expansion, and differentiation of cells. The hormones are concentrated in the growing tips of roots and shoots, and auxins maintain normal growth and keep smaller branches from overtaking the “leader.” Unusual growth occurs when the presence and concentration level of auxin is interfered with by an outside factor. The intense growth seen in these affected trees may be triggered in several ways, including pest, fungus, or mistletoe infestation, or death of terminal buds by environmental conditions. Phytoplasmas—bacteria that infect the phloem tissues—transferred by insect vectors (usually leafhoppers) are also blamed for the odd growth in some plants. Pines aren’t the only species affected; witches’ brooms can be found in other conifers like firs and junipers, nut species like hickory, pecan, and walnut, or in ashes, peaches, and elms.
The prolific growth of witches’ brooms is of great interest to horticulturists hoping to propagate dwarf varieties of the trees. This post by the American Conifer Society goes into great detail on how to “hunt”, cultivate, and encourage the growth of witches’ brooms into dwarf plants for the home landscape. Ecologically, witches’ brooms are not a huge problem for their host trees. Unless vulnerable to a massive outbreak of parasitic mistletoe, trees usually continue growing around them and live normal lifespans. The dense brush can even benefit wildlife, becoming a ready-made nest for birds or tree-dwelling mammals.
Kitchen and yard waste can be recycled into excellent soil amendments, reducing waste and saving money. Photo credit: UF IFAS Extension
When we turn the page into a new year, the motto is often “out with the old, in with the new.” But what if we actually kept the old and transformed it into something really useful? That’s exactly what happens with composting. Instead of raking up leaves, bagging them, and throwing them away, you can recycle them in a compost bin. The same goes for food waste—instead of throwing it in the trash, a significant percentage of our groceries can be repurposed. These in-house materials can produce your own high-quality potting soil and mulch, for free.
Compost bins should be located in an unobtrusive but convenient location. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
So, where to start? Logistics are important. If a compost bin is inconvenient, you won’t use it. Locate bins in a regularly traversed part of your yard, so it’s easier to make dropping the kitchen waste into a bin part of your routine. If you’ve got space, you can use a counter-top compost container or just a second trash can to hold material until it goes outside. Compost bins should be fairly close to a water source in case you need to moisten the material.
The composting demonstration area at our Extension office includes several types of bins. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
There are numerous types of bins, ranging from open-topped 3-sided wooden or concrete block piles, to hand-built bins with adjustable slats, or prefabricated plastic and metal bins and turners. If you have a lot of space, the open holding areas might work fine. But, in a neighborhood you may want a neater, more contained and covered bin.
Properly layered compost. Figure courtesy of Colorado State University Extension
The ingredients for compost are simple—you need “greens” and “browns”. “Greens” include fresh vegetables, fruit, eggshells, coffee grounds, lawn clippings, and other materials that contain nitrogen. These should be raw waste—if they’ve been cooked in oil or butter, they can go rancid in the pile, causing an odor and attracting unwanted wildlife. “Browns“ are carbon-rich materials that include dry leaves, straw, pine needles, and shredded uncolored paper. Besides oils, you’ll want to avoid meat and dairy products, dog/cat waste, and plants full of weedy seeds or recently treated with pesticides.
Finished compost can be used as a soil amendment or potting soil. Photo credit: IFAS Photography
This mix of green and brown materials provides a balance of carbon and nitrogen. You’ll layer the materials, green/brown/green/brown and add a bit of water. Once the compost starts “cooking,” microorganisms from the surrounding soil will start further breaking down the larger materials. These are the critters who put the decomposition in compost. Worms will often make their way in, adding their efforts to the material breakdown. There is a much more specific process of vermiculture (aka worm farming) if your primary interest is producing worms. Compost can take as long as you want it to—in the hot, humid Florida summers, with regular mixing you can produce compost from raw materials in as little as 2 months. In cooler weather or in passive composting, where you just dump it and leave it alone—it will take longer. Properly managed compost will not smell bad, so if there is an odor, add more “browns” or mix it. Ideas for troubleshooting compost bins can be found in Table 3 of the UF publication, “Compost Tips for the Home Gardener.”
For more information and great detail on both composting and vermiculture, check out the recorded webinar on YouTube our horticulture team hosted in October.
