Vinalhaven Sightings: robber

Welcome to the Vinalhaven Sightings Report

August 1 – 15, 2026

Thanks to U and Maine Coast Heritage Trust for the support!

‘Secretes spores and toxic mucus when laying eggs’

green frog

Highlights – Insects, featuring Predatory Stink bugs, Robber Fly, Primrose Moth, & ‘Horntails, Horntails, Horntails!’, Leucistic Least Sandpiper, Green Frog, Spotted Salamander larvae, Flowers, and so much more!

Business: vinalhavensightings@gmail.com

sea lavendar

Thinking about sharing? Never been a better time, than right now! – That’s right kids! It’s good to share – so send in your stories, sightings and photos to the email above and have your name in lights! Or at least on the screens of a bunch of like-interested people. ‘People’ like to learn about/from what you are seeing – so send stuff to the email above. If not for ‘you’, do it for ‘them’.

Tiit Trick - click on photos to enlarge

We are also collecting email addresses; we are making a list; we are checking it twice! So, send email addresses to the address above to get yourself or others on this exclusive list! All the cool people are there.

backlit least sandpipers

Sightings – Shorebirds – or ‘Things happen early around here/Honeymoon is over’…

Just as Yellow-rumped Warblers and Hermit Thrushes are feeding offspring from round 2, many shorebirds that breed way up north are passing through – migrating if you will – on their way south to overwintering zones. Some shorebirds will stop and pause on Vinalhaven - maybe even put on a little weight – before heading on their way. These are the good times, ‘salad days and days of moldy mayonaise’ (FZ).

least sandpiper

Here’s a photo or two of 2 Least Sandpipers in the Kintner Marsh portion of the Basin, right below the pull-off.

2 least sandpipers in this shot

Beth Gilford over ‘Pocus Point way’ has been seeing her share of Black-bellied Plovers at the point there. ’34 Black-bellied Plovers, a Great Blue Heron, and 4 Cormorants’ was one message. And then the next day – ‘50 Black-bellied Plovers! No Joke!’ Fantastic! Thanks Beth!

Check the ledges in the Basin and the shores of State and Geary’s beaches for shorebirds. Pleasant River as well! There are shorebirds to be seen, and you never know who might show up!

leucistic Least Sandpiper
photo by John Drury

John Drury sent in these photos of a Leucistic Least Sandpiper that’s been spending time on Seal Island for a week plus. Leucistic definition please!

leucistic Least Sandpiper coming in for a landing
photo by John Drury

Leucistic - A partial loss of pigmentation in a human or other animal, resulting in white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, fur, or feathers but not the eyes.

Survival
photo by John Drury

‘Almost albino’ in a sense. Hard to miss in a way - I bet a Merlin could spot this one a mile away, or further if a mile isn’t far enough to be impressive. It’s tough being a ‘least’ of anything, but thinking strictly ‘chance of survival’-wise this one may be on the ‘lesser side of least’. Lesser chance of survival. Made it this far though! Good Luck on your way! Safe travels.

Cesspool – Salamander larvae and Green Frog craziness –

green frog

How many times have you heard this … ‘Hey man, you know that little cesspool right by the middle mountain parking area. Well, it’s loaded with frogs’ … and been tricked into going all the way up there only to not see any frogs. Well, ain’t no gaslighting here…

spotted salamander larva

..with water levels down the cesspool frogs are stacked! For reals and no foolin’. I mean, not literally, but when I went to do my ‘single scoop’ looking for Spotted Salamander larvae (it took two scoops this year!) I counted 25 Green Frogs just long the edge of the pond closest to the lot. I could have looked a lot harder but opted for ‘little to no effort at all’ in my frog survey. These were ones ‘in the way’ of me scooping!

Anyway, I’ve sprinkled photos of these green frogs throughout this VSR. See what you see…and this common tern clip from the Basin

Insects we trust …

Stink Bugs Multitasking
photo by Janet Ghores

‘Multitasking’ – ‘Who’d a thunked’ that Predatory Stink Bugs would be role models for efficient usage of time. Well, Janet Ghores (a role model in her own right) sent in this photo of a pair of Stink Bugs actively, well, making new Stink Bugs! ‘Racy’ for sure, but the ‘hot action’ capture here is only half the story. Or maybe even as little as a third! But more likely half.

glasswort/sea pickle

Anyway - How can you tell these are Predatory Stink Bugs, you ask? Well, a ‘closer’ look (‘closer’ not necessary) shows either the male Stink Bug, or the female Stink bug (one or the other) has a ‘Milkweed Tussock Caterpillar’ (Euchaetes egle) tight in its grasp. What’s more, the Stink Bug that’s ‘holding’ is actively ‘suckin’ that cat dry’ (KOC reference), for a whopping 2 activities at the same time!

pitch pine and star

And two good ones at that - feasting and mating. Classic multitasking! Not classic in the ‘Slink-pod’ kind of sequence - ‘sex before food’ - but maybe even one better. Literally ‘sex while food’, or rather ‘food while sex’ in that Charlie Parker kind of sequence (please tell me everyone has read Miles Davis’s autobiography – a must read!). Anyway - Bugs man, I tell ya. Multitaskers. Bless their little hearts. Thanks Janet!

bee mimic robber fly and prey
photo by Janet Ghores

WE HEART ‘Mimicry’ - Janet Ghores (again, the Janet Ghores) was also kind enough to send in an email with the subject line ‘Bee mimic robber fly eats a flower beetle in the milkweed patch’, with an attached photo. Nothing more, nothing less – no message included – no message needed – the subject line says it all. Let’s dip our toes into the world of Robber Flies with the help of Donald Stokes – ‘lil Donny to some – from his bestseller ‘Guide to observing insect lives’ ….

robber fly and prey - different angle
photo by Janet Ghores

‘Robber flies are a family (Asilidae) of insects in the order Diptera, or flies. The adults prey on other insects, usually catching them in midair and then sucking out their juices. Many look like bees and wasps; you must look closely to recognize them as flies. They have long legs with which they capture and hold prey. They are extremely common and often beneficial in controlling insect pests.’

another shot
photo by Janet Ghores

Wow – lot to unload here – including the word ‘pest’ (judge much Donny?). Ha ha! Well, the one in Janet’s photos certainly looked like a Bee (mimicry!).

Robber Flies hunt from a perch (a leaf, a twig, a ground) and have incredibly ‘mobile heads’ to track flight patterns of insects flittering by. From there, the Robbers fly up and inspect anything (‘I mean anything’ – Frank Zappa) within sight. In the air the fly determines if the object is not food – a leaf, a twig, a seed! - or if it should be pursued. Well, not ‘pursued’ per se. Here’s more from Donny ….

robber fly and winged ant prey
my backyard in St Geroge
8/18/26

“…how the robber fly intercepts the flight of its prey. This is quite the ability, for the fly rarely chases its prey, but rather intercepts it midair, so the fly must judge the speed, trajectory, and distance of its prey. Some robber flies have been observed to compensate for discrepancies in the prey’s speed by arriving at a spot in the path of its prey, hovering there for an instant until the prey passes, then capturing it. The prey is caught in the legs of the robber fly in much the same way that Dragonflies catch prey, and it’s paralyzed when the fly, still in the air, sticks its mouthpart into the back of its prey and injects a paralyzing chemical….’

So much going on here! Thanks for sharing Janet!

Primrose - plant and moth
photo by Beth Gilford

More mimicry please! – Beth Gilford sent in this photo of a Primrose moth (Schinia florida). Rumor has it that there are two moths in this photo, but the ‘rumoree’ clearly has better eyes than me! See what you see? And check a primrose today! Thanks Beth!

red belted conk guttation
photo by Kris Osgood

Red-belted Conk – Guttation – Kris Osgood sent in this photo of a ‘young’ Red-belted Conk mushroom that is shedding excess water (in a summer like this?) through the process of ‘Guttation’, or the ‘shedding of excess water’. Ha Ha!

fresh dye makers

This photo is a good reminder that mushrooms of the same species can take on drastically different looks – with some individual mushrooms changing dramatically over time (a day, a week, a year). Like this Dye Maker’s Polypore that is yellow and as fresh as a whistle.

older and iron-claded

And then this one, slightly older (maybe from spring?) that an Ironclad Beetle is macking on in the Basin. Good to revisit mushrooms over the course of days to see how they change. If that is what you are into of course….

ironclad beetle

Horntails - They are the whole package. The real deal. Too legit to quit.

white horned horntail
photo by George Kendrick

Alright – so hopefully some of you got to see the photo of a White-horned Horntail that George Kendrick sent in and was then posted in the last VSR. If you haven’t seen it – look at it now! A repost photo! Seldom happens, almost never two weeks in a row. Nice.

Well, as can be so true, sometimes you see what you hear about – and that’s what the VSR is all about really. Hope somebody sees a Green Frog, somebody should. Anyway – ‘Such’ was the case with my crossing paths with a Horntail while recently working in the Basin preserve. I saw this female horntail shaking quite a bit on an exposed spruce root.

this green frog had a funky eye

Didn’t stay for too long – long enough for a couple of clips – but from her ovipositor it appeared that she was looking to do some exploratory drilling, in search of a spot to lay an egg or several. And such is the case with Horntails.

Black and Red Horntail

This female was slightly less white, and much more reddish than the White-horned Horntail photo and turned out to be a ‘Black and Red Horntail’ (Urocerus cressoni). The first two horntails ever (I think) to be posted in the VSR– VNMs all around! Maybe it’s the ‘Summer of the horntail’ you say? Premature for sure, only time will tell…. but still kinda rootin’ for ‘em …

… because Horntails got it all! Let’s start with the female in the clips. She’s looking to get that ovipositor into the sapwood or heartwood of the tree. Here’s how Wikipedia says it’s done –

razorbill dad and youngster
photo by John Drury

Oh yeah - one more thing first – sometimes they are called ‘wood wasps’ even though they are not wasps. It’s good old-fashioned mimicry for safety, survival at its best! Lumberjacks have a special name for them too, but you’ll have to look that one up on your own. (psst – it’s pretty funny!). Back to Wiki…

‘The wood wasp ovipositor itself contains two interlocking valves. Each valve is covered with teeth that are backward facing, with the teeth of one valve catching onto the wood to provide resistance, and the other valve moving forward and taking a slight step. The second valve then catches the wood to provide continued resistance as the first valve moves forward. Thus, by quick oscillation, the valves alternate in providing resistance and moving forward, the process itself leads in the ovipositor drilling almost an inch into the sapwood with minimal force being applied and without the ovipositor buckling or breaking.’

Ovipositors aren’t just for laying eggs anymore! Drill, baby, drill! But wait – there’s more!

great spangled fritillary face

Symbiosis - Horntails may drill several holes before it finds the ‘perfect one’ and lays a single egg in it. Along with the egg, a female Horntail also deposits spores of specific symbiotic fungi (Amylostereum spp. and related genera) into the wood. The fungi decomposes the wood and the Horntail larvae feed on nutrients left by the fungi (as well as the fungi) in the decomposition process. So, the larvae live in the wood and feast on the fungus for two years while the fungus is actively spread and thrives. Mutualistic symbiotics – horntails, you rascals!

Great Spangled Fritillary
'underwing'

This move of ‘strategically placing spores’ is called ‘symbiotic innoculation’ – great name for something. It can only happen because the Horntails have a special appendage for carrying the fungal spores and it’s called a ‘Mycangia’ – which literally means ‘fungus vessel’.

fresh 'alder tongue' mushroom
fungus 'attacks' seeds

Upon emerging from the stump or root or log, the freshly matured adult gathers spores from where it ‘larvae’d at’, but really – here’s what we’re talking about. Thanks Wiki!

last years' 'alder tongue'

‘Mycangia of the wood wasps (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) …. (are) Different from highly diverse types in bark and ambrosia beetles, wood wasps only have a pair of mycangia on the top of their ovipositor. Then when females deposit their eggs inside the host plant, they inject the symbiotic fungi from mycangia and phytotoxic mucus from another reservoir-like structure.’

‘Secretes spores and toxic mucus when laying eggs’ – wouldn’t that make a great shirt! First, the bottom line about the phytotoxins –

‘…in short, the phytotoxic mucus is a cooperative product of the horntail–fungus symbiosis, serving to protect the larvae’s food source and reduce competition, but it can also harm plants in the surrounding area…’

Prohibiting/poisoning plants from tapping into the freshly decomposing log means less competition. Personally, I get less competitive every day.

frog. moth. spider exoskelton - shed?

The spores of the fungi being used to ‘symbiotic inoculate’ the wood all belong to the family Amylostereaceae which happens to be in the order Russulales! They fall under the Russula ‘wide (order) umbrella’ – which is a good order to fall under!

ridges tell you its a green frog

Russulas have a history - Without the ‘parasitization of Russulales’ it would be a world without Lobster Mushrooms and Ghost Pipes – russulas are involved with both things. I mean, there’d probably be something else in their places, of course.

Russulas do take a beating being readily parasitized and all that, so it’s nice to see the order in a healthy, mutualistic kind of relationship. And with Horntails no less! My new favorite insect group!

do you know this stump?
it on the Basin platform loop...

Oh yeah – so Horntails are named for a prominent ‘cornus’ on the back of its abdomen (can be seen above the ovipositor for moments during the videos.). They are hymenopterans, in the family Siricidae, one of two families (previously thought to be the only family) that are living representative in the superfamily Siricoidea. A superfamily whose ‘heyday’ was back in the Paleogene and Mesozoic times. The family Anaxyelidae (incense cedar wood wasps) is the other family in the ‘superfamily’ and is made up of one single species only found in western North America. But that’s another story, and out of range, regardless.

it's on the 'upper' section of the loop
away from the water

Horntails as Prey – Gets even better - Horntail larvae are a main/important host for parasitoid wasps to lay eggs in/on. We’re talking about those big ol’ Ichneumons and Ibaliid wasps, the latter happen to be ‘solitary koinobiont endoparasitoids’. Take that!

which roughly translates to

it has a nice red-belted conk on it
and a Great horned Owl pellet on top
looked like raccoon fir...

A type of parasitoid that allows its host to continue feeding, growing, and developing after parasitization, only killing the host later in its own maturation. Parasitize is specific to one species host, with strictly internal eggs.

Roughly.

I’m telling you – these Horntail got everything. Mimicry, symbionts, Russulales!, they are an old school family with toxic mucus and a connection to koinobiont endoparasitoids. A lifestyle worthy of a closer look.

bladderwort at armbrust hill

Anyway – that’s enough about horntails. How about some flowers?

from above

Plants are nice. We like ‘em, especially carnivorous ones. Here are three crossed paths with recently on island.

Common Bladderwort – lots of bladders at the cesspool, but for flowers I had to head up to Armbrust Hill. Plenty of flowers up there.

bladder

And bladders too. That’s the carnivorous part of the local Bladderworts, underwater triggered suction traps that loosely look like bladders. They can look dark when filled with underwater insects and critter prey. Many a mosquito larvae has met its fate at the bladder of a bladder wort, I suppose. Thank you bladderwort!