Red - August 25

Meadowhawks (Sympetrum) dragonflies are aptly named for their hunting habitat and speed. These are freshwater species that prefer open meadows for the darting forays after small flying insects. Adult males are striking ruby red.

The presence of this hunter wasn’t sufficient to deter a common denizen of the salt marsh from attack. The eastern salt marsh mosquito (Aedes sollicitans) can easily make any visitor to it haunts miserable. These mosquitoes are usually present in large number and attack in swarms, day or night. Although handsomely covered with stripped pattern, fully blooded mosquitoes look like little red gemstones ingesting approximately their own weight in blood (i.e. the equivalent of a full grown man drinking a 20 gallon smoothie).

In bug world, red can also mean “danger, poison!” Argus Tortoise Beetle (Chelymorpha cassidea) is cute looking lady beetles alike. However, it belongs to a different family, leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae). Similarly to lady bugs, the red color of Argus tortoise beetles warns potential predators, mostly birds, that this particular morsel is inedible. The beetles contain toxins derived from its host plants from the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae). The plants produce indole alkaloids toxic to animals. Hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium) is found on the upper edge of the marsh and probably serves as food sources for Argus Tortoise Beetle.