Dogbane

It’s Dogbane Webworm, Not Fall Webworm

When I first saw the webbed nests of the Dogbane Webworm (Saucrobotys futilalis, family Crambidae) on Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum, family Apocynaceae), I thought the culprits were fall webworms (Hyphantria cunea, family Erebidae). After all, this native moth has a very wide host range and it’s not uncommon to find their nests on herbaceous perennials.
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Authors
Joe Boggs
Common Milkweed and its Doppelgänger brown.2766@osu.edu Thu, 06/09/2022 - 16:30
This can be a particularly tough time of the year to learn plant identification. With the warm temperatures and plentiful rainfall, vegetative growth is rapid, and we’re often left looking at a wall of green on green (on green). A common mix up is the misidentification of common milkweed and dogbane. Learn how to tell these two species apart.
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Authors
Carrie Brown

A Most Beautiful Beetle

This is the time of the year when a close look at dogbane may reveal Dogbane Beetles; one of the most beautiful beetles found in Ohio. Indeed, the beetle's scientific name, Chrysochus auratus, loosely translates to "made of gold." This native beetle should be familiar to BYGL readers; it's one of my favorite insects and I post at least one report about it each year!
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Authors
Joe Boggs

Beautiful Beetles on Dogbane

Earlier today, I came across one of the most beautiful beetles found in Ohio.  The beetle lacks a common name, but is generally referred to as the "Dogbane Beetle" because it primarily feeds on dogbane.  The beetle's scientific name is Chrysochus auratus, which loosely translates to "made of gold."  Indeed, these beautiful iridescent beetles may look like gleaming spots of gold on the leaves of dogbane, or they may blaze with an array of other shimmering colors depending on your angle to the beetle.  A slight change in viewing angle will cause the beetles to glisten with multiple...

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Authors
Joe Boggs