📜 EwA Week Highlights: Two Falcons, Two Morphs and Lots of Japanese Beetles

[Mike McGlathery]

EwA Highlights June 29, 2024 Hello everyone! Thanks for reading the June 29th EwA highlights. We are quickly closing in on 200,000 total observations on our iNat biodiversity projects!  📸 Matt G. observed these two peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) in Somerville on Friday. I know I’ve showcased an observation of a peregrine falcon in this part of Somerville before in the Highlights, and I’m glad to see they’re still in the area. EwA iNaturalist Record (© matthewgage · Somerville, MA · June 28, 2024)  The dimorphic jumping spider (Maevia inclemens) has an interesting, distinctive trait: the males of the species have two drastically different forms. The gray morph, which is striped white and black, is pictured here. The other morph has a dark body and white legs, as well three tufts on its head. The two morphs make up roughly even proportions of the population and have completely different courtship displays. EwA iNaturalist Record (© Joe MacIndewar ·Stoneham, MA · June 23, 2024)  I might’ve been wrong about that bumble bee prediction last week. This week, EwA’s most-observed species was the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica), an invasive species to the United States that can be a significant pest of both agriculture and ornamental plants. A variety of biological controls are in practice for this species, from parasitic tachinid flies to a bacterial pathogen.  EwA iNaturalist Record (© Claire O’Neill · Cambridge, MA · June 24, 2024)  📊 Thanks to everyone for your great biodiversity records this past week, totaling 1,079 observations of 546 distinct species. If you’re curious about the records from this week that have been validated by the iNat community so far, you can find them » here. 🏆 Running tally: To date, we have recorded 197,226 observations of 11,234 distinct species! Check out our EwA umbrella project, see the details per site/observer, and more » here. 📅 EwA Upcoming Public Events Ewa Field Events » Check the EwA Summer [ Event details and registration » ] Don’t miss some great opportunities to follow the rhythm of the season in our local habitats and in the local wildlife! Space is limited for all our field events. Wildlife ethics is important to us and we seek to avoid putting the pressure on natural habitats which large gatherings unavoidably do. We are asking our audience to register-and-commit (or cancel when you know you can’t come) to avoid no-shows. EwA Fieldwork (and Resources) It’s a great time to join our monitoring programs. Check EwA’s Volunteer Program Calendar 📅  to know when things happen. And if a session is of interest to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to get the rendezvous location. 📅 EwA Sites Map | 🌱 Site Protocols and Guides · Field Rosters · Field Notes » All here! | ℹ️ More about EwA’s Citizen Science Program » Here ❓ Do you have any questions? Don’t be shy. Just email me or reply to this thread.  That’s all for this week—hope you have a good one! -Mike