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!).

Insect Intrigue

Reader Ken Hatch found this small, green, spiky thing on a leaf near the White River in central Vermont. What is it?

Answer

This is a buffalo treehopper nymph. While the adults have oversized heads that are, say some, reminiscent of buffaloes – thus this treehopper’s common name – the nymphs resemble “mini dragons,” at least according to the BugLady, who wrote this post about buffalo treehoppers on the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s website.

This week’s contest winner was Michael Wilson