By midsummer, the resident fish populations on salt marshes are
thriving. However, multitudes of killifish perish every time the marshes dry
out at a low tide. In those times, larger pools and ponds provide refuge for
fish, which then can migrate to the salt marsh quickly during high tides and
eat away mosquito larvae and other aquatic invertebrates. Thus, the essence of
biological mosquito control on the salt marshes is to create more and better
killifish habitat.
Atlantic eel often found in salt marsh ponds
Ponds provide refuge for fish and good hunting for shorebirds
Tis’ the season for greenheads, horse and deer flies of the
family Tabanidae. This monstrosity is one of the largest on the east coast. Mourning
horse fly (Tabanus atratus) is over
an inch long. The female mouthparts work like a saw to cut into the skin.
Fortunately, this beast attacks large mammals such as deer, horses, and cows. The
bite is described as excruciatingly painful.
Syrphid (aka hover or flower flies, family Syrphidae) are
very common on the salt marsh. Adults feed on nectar, but the larvae of some
species are predacious on aphids, while others eat fungi.
When I caught the glimpse of this “insect”, I couldn’t make
heads or tails of what it was! Turns out, it was a mating pair of the yellow-collared
scape moth (Cisseps fulvicollis)
whose caterpillars feed on grasses and sedges
 |
| female |
 |
| male |
Coccinella
septempunctata, the seven-spot ladybird, native to Europe and repeatedly
introduced to North America for aphid control makes itself at home on the salt
marsh.
