Forest ranger Frans Kapteijns shares his knowledge of nature every week. Anyone can submit questions via [email protected]. This time Frans pays attention to, among other things, a beautiful yellow dragonfly with a flat belly, a look-a-like longhorn beetle, very beautiful flowers on an exotic tree and yellow bulbs. Part one of this Stuifmail was already published on Saturday.
Beautiful flowers
Jos van der Heijden sent me a photo of beautiful flowers and leaves. He would like to know the name of the tree on which these beautiful flowers are located. Coincidentally, a good friend of mine knows many strange trees. He came up with the name Japanese dogwood. This tree species did not originally occur here, but only in China, Korea and Japan. In addition to this Japanese dogwood, there are more than sixty other types of dogwoods. In fact, these are not trees, but belong to the shrubs. They are not very fast growing shrubs, taking years to reach a height of about six meters. The scientific name of this Japanese dogwood is cornus kousa. Cornus means horn and this refers to the extremely hard wood of the branches and their horn-like shape in winter. The name kousa refers somewhat to the fruits of this shrub. They look a bit like zucchini. Personally, however, I think the striking fruits look more like raspberries or strawberries. What is true is that they are deliciously edible. Before fruiting, Japanese dogwoods have beautiful white flowers in the spring. In Japan you can mainly find this shrub in the wild in the mountain forests of the main island of Honshu. Also in China and Korea on the edge of forests and in mountain forests. If you have such a shrub in your garden, it is important not to do too much to its growth form, other than pruning away the dead wood. If you have a Japanese dogwood in your garden, you will also benefit from the medicinal power of the fruits. The ripe fruits support kidney and liver function, have an anti-inflammatory effect and regulate blood sugar levels.
Is the dragonfly that was sitting against the mesh of the aviary a flat-belly?
Anja Seijkens had a real dragonfly stuck in the mesh of the aviary. Fortunately, she was able to free the dragonfly. She was able to take a picture of it. Then she found out that the dragonfly is a flat-bellied dragonfly. I think Anja’s photo shows a flat-bellied female. Flat-bellied dragonflies are large dragonflies. Their very wide abdomen makes them even appear very large. The fore and hind wings have dark spots in the base. The veins in those dark spots are strikingly yellow. In the case of newly developed flat bellies (see this video about the emergence of a dragonfly) both males and females have a striking yellow to orange-yellow color on the abdomen. The females retain that basic color, but males change color and have a completely blue abdomen.
You mainly encounter flat bellies from the end of April to the beginning of September. Recently emerged flat-bellied birds do not stay near the water for a longer period of time, but can then be found along forest edges and wooded banks. When they become sexually mature, they return to the water where the males take up their own space. They maintain their domain by regularly patrolling from that spot/their lookout post. If a female enters such an area, the male grabs the female by the neck. If she is ready to mate, one will be created mating wheel. After mating, the females lay eggs in the water. The male guards the female by flying close to her.
Which beetle was on the mesh?
Désirée de Bakker has only recently met Stuifmail and comes up with a vague idea of a type of beetle that looks beautifully glossy green. She is curious which beetle it is. In Désirée’s photo you see a greenish elongated animal on a kind of mesh. I think we are dealing with an animal that belongs to the large order of beetles. The name of this beetle is beautiful buck. As the second name indicates, this insect belongs to the family of longhorn beetles. This beautiful longhorn beetle is one of the eleven native longhorn beetles that occur in our country. They owe their name to the fact that their appearance and lifestyle are very similar to longhorn beetles. The big difference with longhorn beetles is in the antennae, the feelers.
Longhorn beetles have thread-like antennae, while longhorn beetles do not have thread-like antennae, which are also very long and often directed backwards. Another important characteristic of false longhorn beetles is that they use a poisonous defense substance when they attack. Longhorn beetles don’t do that. Finally, an important characteristic is that false goats have elytra, which are strongly narrowed at the end so that the hindwings are partly uncovered. The menu of adult beautiful longhorn beetles includes pollen and nectar from various flower species. Larvae of the beautiful longhorn beetles live only on vegetable material and can only be found in dead, dry stems of various herbaceous plants and sometimes dead wood or rotting tree stumps.
What are those yellow balls in the ornamental onion?
Moniek Huisman saw all kinds of yellow balls in her alliums. She wonders what these are? I think what she saw were the seed balls of her ornamental onions. Ornamental onions are bulbous perennials that can actively flower for four years. After that period, the flowering of the ornamental onion often decreases. The original bulb planted in the ground then becomes exhausted or forms a large clump with too many small bulbs competing for space. It is best to dig the whole thing out in the autumn. Then you need to tear the clump you found and then plant it a little further apart. If seed balls are developing in the ornamental onion, it is best to remove them and let them dry in a dry room. You can then sow the seeds after autumn. Preferably even in late autumn or winter. This is because the seeds need a cold period for germination. If you would like to know more about ornamental onions, take a look at this site this link.
Beautiful photos section
In the beautiful photos section, this time a photo taken by Peter van Helmont. He saw a rare moth from the pintail family under a canopy in a garden in Uden: the striped pintail.
Nature tip
On Saturday, May 23, you can stroll through the Loonse and Drunense Dunes with our experienced forester from ten in the morning until one in the afternoon. You will then meet the shepherd and his flock. The sheep graze on heathlands where they eat away the invasive plants. This gives the heath space to grow and remains intact. A unique, educational walk in one of the largest drifting sand areas in Western Europe.
The sheep, the shepherd’s commands and the dogs that are busy keeping everything together: the flock of sheep is never boring! Did you know that the herd is indispensable to keep the Loonse and Drunense Duinen so beautiful? Our ranger will tell you more about this while you walk to the sheep herd. There you will meet the shepherd who tells all about his work and the sheep.
The starting location may still change. This depends on where the herd is in the area at that time. You will only receive an email approximately one week in advance if the starting location changes. Possible starting points are Bosch en Duin in Udenhout, De Roestelberg in Kaatsheuvel or De Rustende Jager in Udenhout.
More information:
• Registration is required and can be done via this link.
• Departure point is the parking lot at De Rustende Jager at Oude Bossche Baan 11 in Biezenmortel, see this link.
• Participation costs sixteen euros, members of Natuurmonumenten pay 11.20 euros.
• We are often on the trail for around two to three hours, depending on where the sheep herd is from the starting location.
• This excursion is aimed at adults. Older children are also welcome if accompanied by an adult.
• Wear sturdy walking shoes.
• Wear clothes that suit the weather.
• Always check yourself for ticks afterwards.
• Dogs are not allowed.