What in the Woods Is That?

Play our biweekly guessing game!

Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.

Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).

Holey Maple

This fallen sugar maple leaf was one of many, discovered in close proximity, marked with odd rings of faded color – and a few holes. What’s happening here?

Answer

Those holes were made by the caterpillar of the maple leafcutter moth (Paraclemensia acerifoliella), which hides itself within pieces it has chewed from the leaf, eventually spinning a cocoon to overwinter in the pupal form. For more on the maple leafcutter, check out this Outside Story essay by Bryan Pfeiffer.

This week’s contest winner was George Ainley