News

Hairy-banded Mining Bee – Andrena hirticincta

The Hairy-banded Miner Bee, Andrena hirticincta, is one of the most recognizable solitary bees known from Martha’s Vineyard, occurring in late summer and early fall wherever goldenrod, this bee’s favorite pollen source, is found.

Great Blue Skimmer

A new iNaturalist user recently documented a great blue skimmer (Libellula vibrans) in Chilmark. There are only a handful of previous records for the Vineyard.

Carrot Wasp

A Chilmark record adds the unusual wasp genus Gasteruption to the MV Atlas of Life.

Monarch Butterflies – How Endangered Are They?

This iconic orange-and-black butterfly is widely assumed to be at risk of extinction. But Monarch biology is complex, with different populations exhibiting different ecology, and some research suggests that the situation is less dire than widely believe.

White Colic-root

This member of the lily family is a characteristic plant of the Vineyard sandplain and a popular place to stop for a wide range of pollinators.

Shed Some Light on Moths

Diverse, ecologically important, and often stunningly beautiful, moths have emerged as a popular subject of study among amateur naturalists.

Deer Bot Fly

An odd-looking fly with an even odder life history.

Hoft Farm Bioblitz

Held July 15-16 at The Nature Conservancy’s Hoft Farm Preserve, this event enlisted about 20 observers who tallied more than 300 species.

Viola pedata: a Sandplain Specialty

An early spring gem, this lovely wildflower is a Vineyard specialty.

Sky Pirates!

Pyrgota undata, a boldly marked, largely nocturnal fly, is a parasite of May beetles, usually attacking its host in mid-air.

Colletes productus

A highly specialized bee, associated with the wetland shrub Lyonia ligustrina, is documented in iNaturalist.

Long Point Bioblitz, June 17-18, 2022

BiodiversityWorks, the Martha’s Vineyard Atlas of Life, and The Trustees of Reservations team up for an intensive survey – a “bioblitz” – of Long Point Wildlife Refuge.