News
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.
Why Planting Native Species Matters
Natural Neighbors is working towards the development of a native plant CSA (community-supported agriculture) to increase the supply of native species adapted to Martha’s Vineyard’s local climate and soil conditions.
Stiletto Flies
Perhaps because of their elongated shape, members of the fly family Therevidae have acquired the common name “stiletto flies.”
New Arrival
Deliberately or by accident, humans have transported many thousands of species from their native ranges to new regions or continents.
“Mystery Fly” on the Vineyard’s South Shore
A rarely reported, carrion-loving fly turns up on the southern shoreline of Martha’s Vineyard.
New Wasp Species for Vineyard Atlas of Life
An interesting species was added to the BWorks Martha’s Vineyard Atlas of Life project on iNaturalist last weekend: Vespula vidua, sometimes known as the widow yellowjacket.
Don’t Take Flies for Granted
Flies — the order Diptera — tend to be either ignored or reviled by humans. But this diverse group of insects, with about 17,000 known species in North America, is of enormous ecological importance.
Butterfly Season
With mild weather finally forecast for this week, odds are good that the year’s earliest butterflies will be on the wing.