Skip to Navigation Skip to Content
Decorative woodsy background
November 30th, 2023 What in the Woods is That?

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!).

What in the Woodpile?

Reader Frederick Thurber found this mass of tough, fibrous material stuck firmly between two logs in his woodpile. What is this?

What in the Woodpile? Image

Answer

These are bee moth cocoons, which we identified with help from Charley Eiseman, author of Tracks & Sign of Insects & Other Invertebrates. In the book, Eiseman notes that the larvae of this non-native species (Aphomia sociella) “live gregariously in nests of bees and social wasps, feeding on nest materials, stored food, and waste products. They have also been found in mouse nests, bird nests, and human dwellings. When mature, they form soft but extremely tough, elongate cocoons in a densely packed mass.”

For readers interested in learning more about these and other invertebrates, we recommend a visit to Eiseman’s website.

This week’s contest winner was Donna Beaudin

© by the author; this article may not be copied or reproduced without the author's consent.

Visit the What in the Woods is That? archive…