Hello Everyone!

Thank you to all those who added observations to the Calgary Pollinators Project last month! We are off to a great start this spring. We had a great turn out at the first Calgary Pollinators Community Pollinator Walk, with 24 people attending to help document the pollinators at Nose Hill. You can register for this months walk below.

May Community Pollinator Walk (weather dependent)
Saturday May 27, 2023, from 1:00pm at Weaselhead/North Glenmore Park
Meet at the Weasel Head Natural Area Parking lot, off 37 St SW
Register for the walk here 

April 2023 Stats
Observations made: 190
Research grade identifications: 82
New members joined: 24

As a way to say thank you, there will be an opportunity to win monthly prizes this summer such as native plant seeds from ALCLA and Wild About Flowers, bee cups, beeswax food wraps, other prizes! To be entered into this month's contest upload as many different insect observations as you can; bees, flies, beetle, butterflies, moths, we want to see them all!

Golden Bean (Thermopsis rhombifolia) is a legume found in the sand areas of prairies and in aspen forests where the water table is high. Native to North America, the Golden bean can be found throughout the southern parts of British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba and into Colorado and Nebraska. Within the Thermopsis genus, the only species present in Alberta is the Golden Bean. The genus name, Thermopsis, comes from Greek, meaning lupine to describe the flower’s resemblance to lupine flowers. The species name, rhombifolia, also comes from Greek, refers to the rhombic or diamond-shaped leaves. Growing in large patches, these stout plants have stalks covered in hairs. With leaves consisting of 3 leaflets, the flowers are a bright yellow and form clusters. As a member of the legume family, the flowers resemble that of the pea flower. The fruit is a greyish-brown, hairy, curved pod.

Blooming in early May through June, the Golden Bean is a source of nectar for butterflies, such as the Afranius duskywing and the Christina Sulphur. It is also used as a food source for the caterpillars of the duskywing and as a place for the Sulphur to lay its eggs. Not only does the Golden Bean provide nectar for butterflies, they also provide pollen for bees.

The Golden Bean has cultural significance to the Indigenous people. Also known by other names, such as the Buffalo Bean and wudzi-eh-ka, meaning buffalo-flower, by the Blackfoot, because these plants bloom in spring during the time that the buffalo leave their wintering grounds and into the prairies. When brewed as a tea, the Golden Bean has been used to treat stomach diseases in both humans and horses. It is also used as a yellow dye. Like all other legumes, the Golden Bean forms a partnership with bacteria in soil, where nitrogen from the air is incorporated into the soil for itself and the surrounding plants. The Golden Bean also forms a partnership with fungi that provides minerals to plant.

Similar to other early flowering plants, Golden Bean is extremely important for pollinators in the spring. You will see patches of Golden Bean in many parks and grassland areas right now in Calgary!

Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti) is the only species of tortoiseshell native to North America, while the other three species are native to Europe. The genus name Aglais originates from the Greek word ‘algos’ meaning beautiful. The species name milberti is said to originate from the name of a friend of Jean-Baptiste Godart, the entomologist who discovered the species. The common name ‘tortoiseshells’ comes from the resemblance of the upper wings to the yellow-brownish spotted shell of sea turtles. They are found throughout Canada, Alaska, and the Northern and central United States and are present at all elevations. They commonly inhabit wet areas where nettles are nearby; this includes moist pastures, woodlands, wetlands, and roadsides.

Tortoiseshell lay their eggs in clusters on the underside of stinging nettle (Urtica) leaves; which then hatch into the larval caterpillar form and use the nettle leaves as a food plant that they feed on until they are ready to metamorphosize. Then, they fashion a cocoon made of the nettle leaves and spun webbing around themselves and enter the dormant pupae stage to develop into adult butterflies. In their adult stage tortoiseshells act as pollinators; their preferred flowers include thistles, goldenrods, milkweed, and lilacs.

Tortoiseshell have roughly a 4 - 6 cm wingspan, and wing patterning is the same for both male and female butterflies. Their body is brown and appears hairy. They can be identified by the dorsal (upper) side of the wings (visible when spread) have a wide orange submarginal band that transitions to a pale yellow on the innermost section of the band. There are black marginal borders around the wings that contain small blue crescent shaped markings on the back of the hindwing. The most medial section of the wing is black adorned with two bands of red on the forewing. The ventral (under) side of the wings (visible when closed together) are a dark purplish-brown. The ventral submarginal band is a tan colour. Edges of the wings are scalloped, and the forewing is squared off at the tip.

If you have additional knowledge/information about Milbert's Tortoiseshell, how to identify them, or good resources about the Aglais genus, please feel free to share!

REMINDER
May Community Pollinator Walk (weather dependent)
Saturday May 27, 2023, from 1:00pm at Weaselhead/North Glenmore Park
Meet at the Weasel Head Natural Area Parking lot, off 37 St SW
Register for the walk here

We hope to see you there!

Hello Everyone!
I hope you're all having a nice spring so far! Keep up the great work, we appreciate all the observations that have been uploaded to the project.

May 2023 Stats
Observations made: 228
Research grade identifications: 213
New members joined: 39

As mentioned at the beginning of the month, we are giving out monthly prizes to members of the project who upload observations of different plants and pollinators! We have two winners to announce; the April winner is @brianavdb who came out to our April Pollinator Walk and submitted observations to the project; the May prize winner is @rwr for submitting over 10 different insect species this month! Message me to claim your prize. Thanks for being great community scientists!

Upload observations during the month of June to have a chance to win the next prize - upload as many different insect observations as you can; bees, flies, beetle, butterflies, moths, we want to see them all! Prizes include native plant seeds from ALCLA and Wild About Flowers, beeswax food wraps, eco-cloths from Mystical Metis, and other prizes!

Stay tuned for information on our next Community Pollinator Walk event (June 10) and Pollinator Week Activities (June 19-24)!