Neighborhood Naturalist Summer 2018

neighborhood naturalist CORVALLIS, OREGON — SUMMER 2018

Red Baneberry A

Red Baneberry is a member of Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family, which contains some of the showiest and deadliest native plants in our area. Tall Larkspur, which thrives in the rich soils of riparian forests, the Columbian article and photography by Lisa Millbank Monkshood of mountain meadows, and the showy Red s the dry, warm summer days progress, many of Columbine are all armed with multiple toxic organic our native forest plants enter dormancy or focus compounds. The degree of toxicity varies, and certain plant their energy on seed production. The ephemeral parts have the highest concentration of these chemicals. flowers of springtime are long past, but in the deep shade The question of just how toxic Red Baneberry fruit are splashes of brilliant scarlet or white, the fruit of Red actually is may have been settled more than a century ago.

Baneberry.

In 1903, Alice E. Bacon wrote an account in Rhodora, Red Baneberry (Actaea rubra) grows in shady, moist the journal of the New England Botanical Club, of her forests across North America, and the plant, especially experimentation with the fruit of Red Baneberry. The the fruit, is toxic to humans. Interestingly, the closely first dose was very small, causing nothing more than a related Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa, syn. Cimicifuga burning sensation in her stomach. Gradually, she worked racemosa) is a popular herbal remedy that causes few serious her way up to a dose of six berries, reporting that “At first side effects in healthy people. Red Baneberry may have there was a most extraordinary pyrotechnic display of blue toxic effects on other animals when introduced into the objects of all sizes and tints, circular with irregular edges… bloodstream, as some Native Americans are said to have while sharp pains shot through the temples.” Bacon soon used the juice of Red Baneberry fruit as an arrow-poison. found herself unable to think coherently or name familiar Despite the hazards, the other plant parts were sometimes objects; she became dizzy and disoriented, had difficulty used medicinally—though it should be noted that such swallowing and suffered abdominal pain. Most worrying were the cardiac symptoms: “The pulse rose to 125, was ethnobotanical reports aren’t always accurate.

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Similar Flowers Red Baneberry

Tall Bugbane

False Bugbane

Actaea rubra Bears racemes of flowers with reduced elliptical petals (visible in photo) and showy white stamens. Flowers clustered at end of stalk.

Actaea elata syn. Cimicifuga elata An uncommon and localized species of moist forests, with broad, maple-like leaflets. Leaves aromatic and resinous.

Produces small green pods, but no berries.

Trautvetteria caroliniensis Generally uncommon in our area and usually found at higher elevations. The flowers are borne in flat clusters. The plant does not produce berries.

Red Baneberry flower structure

Tall Bugbane flower structure

False Bugbane flower structure

Large False Solomon’s-Seal

Ripe berries are red, but broad elliptic leaves distinguish it.

Similar Berries

Red Baneberry

Red Baneberry

Red Baneberry may have either red or white fruit. The toothed compound leaves help distinguish them from other plants.

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Common Snowberry

Snowberry has larger fruits and small oval or lobed leaves.

irregular, wiry, tense; the heart fluttered most unpleasantly.” Surely solitary bees and hoverflies also contribute to this Although she recovered within a few hours, she was species’ pollination. convinced that a dozen berries would be a fatal dose.

Though I haven’t tried growing Red Baneberry, it’s Though her experiment might seem foolish, she did it reportedly easy to grow in moist, shaded gardens rich in because there was concern that children would be drawn to organic matter. It can be grown from seed, but it takes the scarlet berries and would poison themselves. Aside from several years for the plant to grow its thick, perennial proving that it doesn’t take many berries to affect a healthy rootstock and begin to flower. Consider the risks of the adult, she also noted that the flavor of Red Baneberry fruits plant’s toxicity, because dogs and small children are known is so acrid and bitter that accidental human consumption for their dietary indiscretion, even with items that taste bad. is unlikely.

When you visit a shady forest this summer, look for the Red Baneberry fruits are typically bright red, but about long-lasting scarlet or white berries of Red Baneberry. ó 10-30% of the plants have white berries. The significance of this is not known, and the color may be determined by a single gene. An experiment was done to try to understand the fruit color dimorphism and how it might influence the consumption of the fruit by animals. The researchers noted that the white berries were slightly more likely to be taken during the day, while the red berries were often taken at night by small mammals. However, the effect was not particularly significant, and it seems that the occasional white-fruited plants do about as well as their red counterparts.

Birds are probably the best dispersers of Red Baneberry seeds, as most seeds pass through fruit-eating birds intact.

Sapsuckers and thrushes have been observed eating them in their natural environment, and in captive feeding trials.

With captive thrushes, Red Baneberry fruits were often rejected by the birds after they ate a few of them. These berries are clearly not as popular with frugivorous birds as are other wild fruits. Ruffed Grouse thoroughly grind the seeds and pulp in their gizzards, digest it all, and don’t contribute to seed dispersal. Rodents, such as American Deer Mice, voles, squirrels and chipmunks typically discard the fruit pulp and eat the seeds only. In this case, the seeds may be stored in a burrow, where there’s a chance that they may germinate, or they may be eaten and digested by the rodent.

Once again, the notion that humans can observe other animals to learn what’s safe to eat is disproven; birds can eat many fruits and seeds that are dangerous for humans, and squirrels can even eat the deadliest Amanita mushroom species with aplomb.

While the berries are particularly eye-catching, Red Baneberry also produces attractive flowers. It’s the stamens of the flowers, not the petals, that provide a showy display.

There are petals, but they’re inconspicuous and soon fall off the plant. A rose-like fragrance attracts pollinators. Beetles are the primary pollinators of these plants in some regions, but which insects play this role in our area is unknown.

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Colorful and Showy Moths Moths are sometimes thought of as rather dull in appearance when compared to butterflies. As we feature one of the most plain-looking butterflies in this issue, here are some local moth species that rival the fanciest, most colorful butterflies.

Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae). This striking European moth was introduced to North America as a biocontrol. Its host plant is Tansy Ragwort, which can poison livestock. The caterpillars have black and gold bands.

Strawberry Crown Moth (Synanthedon bibionipennis). This harmless native clearwing moth looks like a wasp, and it flies like one too. We have other, related species that also resemble wasps.

Red-shouldered Ctenucha (Ctenucha rubroscapus). A diurnal-flying moth native to western Washington, western Oregon, the Sierra Nevada and central California.

The caterpillars eat grasses.

Ceanothus Silkmoth (Hyalophora euryalus) Sometimes called the “Nike moth” for the “swoosh” marks on its rear wings. It’s native to western North America and its host plants are deciduous shrubs and trees.

Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus). A native moth in the same family as the Ceanothus Silkmoth, and similarly, its host plants are a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs.

Pale Beauty (Campaea perlata). A large, lovely, pale green native moth whose host plants are both deciduous trees and conifers.

Ranchman’s Tiger Moth (Platyprepia virginalis). A native, diurnal flier, often found around wetlands. The caterpillars resemble the “woolly bear” caterpillar of the Isabella Moth, but these have little white mohawks. They feed on a variety of forbs.

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Common Ringlet article and illustrations by Don Boucher photography by Lisa Millbank

B

utterflies are known for their bright colors and contrasting field marks, and even the duller-colored butterflies often have ornate patterns we can use to identify them. Then we have the amber-colored Common Ringlet. It’s so plain at first glance, but this actually makes it distinctive among our other butterflies.

it’s possible to find some with a small spot on the top end of the forewing.

Their bodies are quite hairy for a butterfly. The labial palps, which sit below and in front of the eyes, look like a fan of bristle-like hairs. They appear to have only four legs because the front pair of legs are tiny and tucked We see Common Ringlets flying from May through behind the head, easily going unnoticed within their September, typically during the warmest days, with outliers butterfly pelt. in April or October. They fly weakly among grassy fields, barely above the height of the grass, or even between the Common Ringlets are in the largest family of butterflies, taller stems. They’re quite common, but they don’t like to Nymphalidae. The family is characterized by a reduced pair stray far beyond their grassland habitat. of forelegs, which are not used for perching and are seldom seen. This family is also called brush-footed butterflies, A Common Ringlet may lack bright colors or fancy because some species have bristles on their tiny forelegs. patterns, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to Examples of brush-footed butterflies in our area are the look at. The wingspan averages from 1 to 1⅞ inches, and Monarch, wood-nymphs, ladies, admirals, fritillaries, because they usually perch with their wings clasped, you sisters, tortoiseshells, and commas. may only ever see their underwings. The color varies among individuals, typically a mixture of warm grays, amber, and The Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia) is the only sand. The wings are remarkably soft and fuzzy, and the ringlet in our area. It’s found throughout temperate regions edges are fringed with pale hairs. A wavy band of cream of the northern hemisphere, there are many subspecies, and crosses the hindwing, and sometimes the forewing too. In appearances vary. All have warm, earthy colors and some our area, the wings usually have no other markings, but have bold wing spots.

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About a dozen or more years ago, many of these subspecies were considered separate species. Some retain their common names, being called some kind of “ringlet” or another. In the British Isles, it’s called the Large Heath.

Subspecies in the in Willamette Valley are the Northwest Ringlet (C. t. ampelos) and Common Ringlet (C. t. eunomia) but their range boundaries aren’t well documented. It’s not clear whether or not other subspecies, common in nearby regions, such as the California Ringlet (C. t. california) and the Ochre Ringlet (C.t. ochracea), make appearances in our area. Telling these subspecies apart is challenging because the appearance within each subspecies varies. When I see a Common Ringlet, I’m not confident that I can identify its subspecies, but at least I can easily tell Common Ringlets from our other butterflies.

Monarchs, Painted Ladies and California Tortoiseshells are known for migrating hundreds of miles, but Common Ringlets rarely stray more than a half-mile from where they emerged. As adults, they only live about four or five days. Males travel the most, as they fly around meadows searching for females.

A Common Ringlet caterpillar is about an inch long. It’s green with pale green or yellow stripes, and it has a bumpy texture. The similar-looking Common Wood-Nymph caterpillar, also found on grasses, is about twice as long and fuzzy.

Male ringlets engage in ritualized, circular flights. There’s much flapping and maybe their wings make contact, but not much else happens. Somehow, the contest is settled, the winner chases the rival away and he gains mating privileges. Mating contests among other animals often involve weaponry, like antlers, horns, claws, tusks, etc.

These contests may be settled solely by ritualized displays as a way to avoid injury. However, non-violent displays are taken seriously by their participants because there’s a possibility of it escalating to violence. Even swallows or hummingbirds, when otherwise equally-matched, will lash out at each other with their feeble claws and beaks.

Butterflies, however, have no such weaponry, so there must be some other mechanism to choose a winner. There are exceptions, but not in our area. The Green Charaxes, an African species, has reinforced, serrated wing edges that it can use to damage the wings of others.

Studies on other butterfly species have shed some light on the costs of their non-weaponized fights. Males who are willing to expend more energy, more time, and risk the wear-and-tear from repeated fancy flights, are victorious. A male ringlet who has found a female will defend her from would-be suitors. A defending male has much to lose, so he will usually endure longer than a roaming rival. The roamer will give up the contest sooner, conserving his energy and time so he can keep searching for an uncontested female. After all, he only has a few days to do so. For most butterflies, it seems the reproductive fitness of a male is due Soon after the chrysalis is formed, it’s some shade of green, but it in part to his willingness and available energy to keep the contest going longer than his opponent. may turn tan or brown as the butterfly develops.

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Eggs are laid on grasses, and there are two broods a year. Caterpillars that hatch in late summer or fall will overwinter. In early spring, they continue to eat and grow and in April or May, they form a green chrysalis in the grass or other nearby vegetation. Most of the year’s first butterflies emerge in May and June. Their offspring are the generation who go through their entire life cycle within the summer. The eggs of these summer ringlets will become the next generation of small caterpillars that hibernate for the winter.

The species of grass the caterpillars eat in our area is not well studied. Ringlets are abundant, and we can assume that a wide variety of host plants will do, like native and introduced grasses, and probably some sedges too. Their habitat preferences are broad, since they’re numerous at low elevations, but are also seen in some mountain meadows.

Well-groomed lawns or golf courses aren’t suitable because ringlets need stands of grass that can mature with little disturbance. We have a lot of grass seed farms in the Willamette Valley, and while the grass is typically allowed to mature, we don’t know if these fields can serve as ringlet habitat. If ringlets do use them, they cannot survive if insecticides are used. You may find ringlets around the edges of farms, neglected backyards, roadsides, empty lots and similar grassy areas.

Adults visit a wide variety of flowers for nectar. Common summer flowers in their habitat include, but are not limited to, daisies, yarrow, hawkweed, clovers, Tansy Ragwort, tarweeds, gumweed and thistles. They may visit your flower garden if it’s near ringlet habitat.

The name ringlet comes from subspecies in Europe, which have rows of spots with concentric circles, or rings, on both sets of wings. Why, then, do our ringlets lack these rows of spots? We don’t really know, but we can reasonably speculate if we look into what purpose wings spots serve.

It has long been assumed that these spots mimic eyes and scare predators because there are “eyes” looking back at them, or at least the predator feels it cannot surprise the target if it appears to be always staring. In experiments using wild birds as predators, and in some cases lizards, the presence of spots on the wings did not reduce predation compared to those without spots. This doesn’t debunk the possibility that wing spots may intimidate predators, it just demonstrates that it’s not as clear as it once was presumed.

There are other natural selection pressures that can favor the evolution of wing spots. They can deflect predator attacks in another way. The spots are easy visual targets, directing the attack toward the wings and away from vital

The upper surfaces of the wings have hardly any pattern at all, but this where the most saturated amber or gold may appear.

body parts. The spots can also serve as identifying markers for interspecies communication.

The propensity of butterfly and moth wings to have spots is due in part to the way wings develop. As the pigmentproducing cells of a growing wing replicate and divide, they have a tendency to radiate outward from a central point, leading to circular patterns.

We may speculate that wing spots on our local ringlets simply aren’t necessary, for whatever reason. I wonder if it may be their lack of fancy patterns or spots that helps them distinguish each other from more dynamic-looking butterflies.

Common Ringlets are doing well overall, but some subspecies are targets of conservation efforts. The Yontocket Ringlet (a.k.a. Yontocket Satyr, C. t. yontocket) is found only in the coastal dunes of Del Norte county California. The California Ringlet (C. t. california) is common in a good portion of its range but is in steep decline in some areas due to habitat fragmentation. Similar habitat loss threatens the three subspecies of the Large Heath in Britain, where earnest conservation efforts are underway.

We can be grateful that Common Ringlets in the Willamette Valley are doing well and are easy to find.

They may be plain, but to me, their fuzziness makes them the little blond teddy bears among butterflies, unique and charming in their own way. ó

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Dull-colored Butterfly Comparison While the Common Ringlet is unique in how plain it is, two other local butterflies may look similar at a glance.

Common Ringlet: Some are pale and may look light-colored in bright sunshine.

Cabbage White: Non-native and white, sometimes with a pale yellow wash. About the same size as a ringlet. No fuzzy wing margins like a ringlet, dark spot on the forewing.

Common Ringlet: Some are darker and may appear brown, especially when backlit.

Common Wood Nymph: This native is brown, and about twice the size of a ringlet. Most notable are the bold eye spots on the forewing, but these may be concealed.

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