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!).

Leaf Me Alone

On a recent walk through the woods, we saw what appeared to be a leaf crawling across another leaf. What is this?

Answer

This is a maple looper moth (Parallelia bistriatis). This species is common in northeastern forests, although the moth often goes unnoticed because of its remarkably good camouflage. Despite its name, the maple looper’s caterpillar has a variety of tree hosts in addition to maples, including birch trees.

This week’s contest winner was David Ackerman