Seeley Lake

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Ranatra fusca “Brown Waterscorpion” Nepidae

Lake Inez, Lolo National Forest, MT
May 23, 2017
Robert Niese

There’s something genuinely unnerving about insects viciously preying upon vertebrates, and waterscorpions are superbly specialized for this terrifying task. They sit near the surface of the water, head down, with their elongated, raptorial front limbs outstretched, waiting. Their long paired “tails” remain in contact with the water’s surface like a snorkel, allowing them to breathe while fully submerged. When some unlucky fish or tadpole swims too close, they snap them up like a mantis and immediately stab them with their sucking mouthparts. Their saliva both subdues and begins to digest their prey, allowing them to suck out the animal’s insides. On a completely unrelated note, this individual looks worse for wear, which led me to discover that adults actually overwinter in lakes and ponds here in Montana – not an easy task considering that most bodies of water freeze-over completely at some point. So apparently they’re indestructible AND hyper-specialized predators. Thank goodness they’re only five inches long.

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Phleum pratense “Timothy” Poaceae

Seeley Lake, MT
September 13, 2014
Robert Niese

Timothy grass has been introduced throughout most of North America and is commonly found along roads and trails here in western Montana. It flowers late in the summer and by fall its inflorescence dries out and it begins looking quite sedge-like. It is easily distinguished from other similar grasses by its double-pointed, horn-like spikelets.

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Gyponana sp. “Common Green Leafhopper” Cicadellidae

Seeley Lake, MT
September 13, 2014
Robert Niese

These leafhoppers are extremely abundant in North America but are next to impossible to identify beyond genus using external characteristics alone. These species tend to feed on the sap of conifers, and considering that this little guy was found in one of Montana’s most famous larch forests, I’m gonna guess he’s a larch specialist.

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Larix occidentalis “Western Larch” Pinaceae

Seeley Lake, MT
September 13, 2014
Robert Niese

 

Larch cones are simply beautiful. Two small, winged seeds hide beneath each scale, waiting to be dispersed on the wind as they fall to the ground when the cone matures. Each scale also bears a single long, pointed bract, giving the cone a delicate, yet spiky appearance. This particular cone also bears many resin crystals which may have been produced by damage from seed predators such as Red Crossbills. If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Seeley Lake region in the late summer or early fall, you would not be disappointed. These deciduous conifers transform into golden spires that light-up our mountainsides in a spectacular patchwork of fiery pillars scattered among rich, evergreen firs and pines. It is unlike any fall scenery anywhere else in the world.

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Mushroom, Letharia, and Linnaea

Seeley Lake, MT
September 13, 2014
Robert Niese

 

Mushrooms are those sorts of organisms that are hopeless to identify without taking samples back home to reference later. This little guy was just too perfectly placed for me to have the heart to pick it. Again, late summer in the Larch forests around Seeley Lake has proven to be excellent for mushroom hunting!

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Suillus grevillei “Greville’s Suillus Bolete” Basidiomycota

Seeley Lake, MT
September 13, 2014
Robert Niese

 

Here’s another species of bolete in the easily recognizable Suillus genus that grows in the Larch forests around Seeley Lake. Again, this species of Suillus is an ectomycorrhizal symbiont with Larch. (I should note that not all members of this genus are associated with Larch, but when you’re hunting for mushrooms in a Larch forest, you tend to find Larch symbionts). This species, unlike the others I’ve posted so far, has a slimy or viscid cap. This slime is known to cause gastrointestinal problems for those adventurous enough to attempt to eat these fungi, so be sure to remove the outer layer prior to preparation. Unfortunately, Greville’s Bolete is said to have no flavor and a generally mushy consistency when cooked, so I just wouldn’t recommend it.

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Suillus cavipes “Hollow-stemmed Suillus Bolete” Basidiomycota

Seeley Lake, MT
September 13, 2014
Robert Niese

Here’s another bolete from my late summer mushroom-hunting extravaganza in the Larch forests around Seeley Lake. This species, another easily-recognizable bolete in the genus Suillus, is also an ectomycorrhizal symbiont with larch trees (Larix). This species has a dry, very scaly cap that tends to be dark brown in color. Like other members of this genus, it also has angular pores that appear to radiate from the stipe. The best way to confirm the identification of this species, however, is to cut open its stipe and verify that it’s hollow. Unlike other members of this genus, S. cavipes is far more palatable and has a pleasant earthy taste when dried, but, like other Suillus boletes, tends to be slimy when cooked. Here, S. cavipes is growing among Twin-flower (Linnaea borealis), Canadian Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), Prince’s Pine (Chimaphila umbellata), and, of course, Western Larch (Larix occidentalis).

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Suillus ochraceoroseus pores, by Robert Niese

Suillus ochraceoroseus “Rosy-ochre Suillus Bolete” Basidiomycota

Seeley Lake, MT
September 13, 2014
Robert Niese

I’m only just getting around to identifying the half dozen species of boletes I encountered while camping in Larch forests around Seeley Lake last summer. These fungi are all edible (although not always palatable and often infested with fly larvae) and comparatively easy to ID correctly. This genus is most readily recognized by its angular pores that radiate out from the stipe like cells on a leaf. Nearly all members of this genus are ectomycorrhizal symbionts with conifers here in the PNW. This species in particular is almost always found under Larch trees (Larix) in the late summer and early fall. Its cap is dry and scaly and tends to be rosy in the middle and orange-yellow (ochre) towards the edge. Apparently this species is best when dried, but is not often eaten because of its acrid or bitter taste.

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Scleroderma citrinum “Scaly Earthball” Basidiomycota

Seeley Lake, MT
September 13, 2014
Robert Niese

Earthballs are relatively common puffball-like fungi that form specialized relationships with the roots of many conifers here in the PNW such as Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine. Recent research suggests that these fungi may help young trees colonize abandoned mining sites that have been contaminated with heavy metals such as copper and arsenic.

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Satyrium saepium “Hedgerow Hairstreak” Lycaenidae

Seeley Lake, MT
July 26, 2014
Robert Niese

An adorable coppery hairstreak that rears its young on our abundant Ceanothus velutinus, or Snowbrush, here in Montana. Snowbrush grows best in open, brushy areas like those created after a fire or in a clearcut. And where there’s Ceanothus you’ll find these adorable Hedgerow Hairstreaks.