📜 EwA Week Highlights: Carbonifera Galls, Large Wasps, and Closing in on A Round Number

[Mike McGlathery]

EwA Highlights August 4, 2025 Hello everyone,  Thanks for reading the August 4th EwA highlights. EwA is closing in on 250,000 total observations on iNat–find our current total below! 📸 If you’ve been reading the highlights for a while, you’ll know I love to extol the virtues of the goldenrods (genus Solidago) and the multitude of species they support. Some of the species they host form galls, such as this one which houses larvae of the carbonifera goldenrod gall midge (Asteromyia carbonifera). Once you learn to spot these, you’ll start to see them on lots of goldenrods! EwA iNaturalist Record (© Bill MacIndewar · Medford, MA · Aug. 2, 2025) Joe spotted this great black digger wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus) in Melrose this week. These are some of the largest wasps you’ll see around New England, measuring up to 34 mm (1.3 in). The adults hunt and paralyze grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets and store them in underground burrows to later be eaten by their larvae. EwA iNaturalist Record (© Joe MacIndewar · Melrose, MA · Aug. 1, 2025)  We had yet another common bee at the top of the rankings this week: the famously-domesticated western honey bee (Apis mellifera), which is native to the Old World. EwA iNaturalist Record (© kdemary · Arlington, MA · July 30, 2025)  📊 Thanks to everyone for your great biodiversity records this week, totaling 818 observations of 467 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 248,497 observations of 12,943 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