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!).

Sticky Situation

Reader Jude Eldridge shared this photo (taken by her husband, Bill Duffy) of flies stuck to the underside of a beech leaf. What’s happening here?

Answer

These are “zombie flies,” affected by fungal spores. The spores land on a fly, where they grow into its brain, effectively directing the fly to change its behavior, climb to a high place, and attach itself there. The fly dies, new fungal spores become airborne, and the process repeats itself. For a more thorough explanation, check out this description from the University of Minnesota Extension.

This week’s contest winner was Julia Ledo