Observações de anastasiawoosley

This worm was found underneath a rotten stump near the picnic area of the Westminster field station. It has an abnormally pink head portion while the rest of the body is a more darker pink to a cream brownish color. It was not alright by the fact that it’s hiding area had been disturbed. It proceeded to move underground as soon as it had realized that it's cover had been compromised. It most likely retreated to underneath the log during the small patch of rain that ensued hours prior to its discovery. It was slightly thinner and smaller than the typical earthworms that I am used to seeing.

This fern was found within some brush along the walking trail at Westminster Field Station. It has brown spots on the back of the leaves, uniform in distribution. There was a small cluster of about five ferns all growing in the same proximity. These ferns were at waist level which can be estimated at about three feet high. As one looks further down the main portion of the fern, the leaves look much browner as if they are withering. This withering could be the result of several issues including a recent lack of rain, overwatering in the last 24 hours, or the declining temperatures. The leaves are a bright green color, while being pointed in shape. The individual leaves come to a point with smaller leaves along the edges and small almost prickly edges around each leaf.

This green insect was found on the back of a car in the Applebee’s parking lot in new Castle. It had very long antennas which were most likely used to help the individual navigate the terrain. Especially because it was located in a parking lot directly adjacent to a major roadway. It did not have as strong of jumping legs as the grasshopper that I found at the field station which implies that it may not be made for more rough terrain which is probably why it was found in a less rural area. The individual had a more gold into brown body while the legs and upper part of the head were a bright green.

This moss was found at the base of a large tree at the Westminster field station. The moss has very small appendages, quite similar to cilia, this are most likely used to help the moss reach sunlight for photosynthesis. It is growing going up the tree but not necessarily connected to the tree. On the opposite side of the tree trunk, there was moss with a much lighter coloration. This most likely means that the other portion the moss was not receiving as much nutrients or sunlight and could therefore not complete photosynthesis as successfully as the moss growing upwards.

This slug was found underneath a dead tree limb that had sunken into the ground. The individual itself was brown and dark brown divided in just below the center of the slug. It had two black extremities piercing from its head, which may have been eye spots. The slug was keen on getting as far away from me as possible for having disturbed it. It retreated into the higher grass where I knew I would not be able to follow it as quickly as possible which is why there are only three pictures not necessarily at different angles.

This plant was found on another trail in front of succession plot number two at the Westminster field station. The flowers have a darker pink base with a lighter pink and white top while it is sprouting white extremities which are most likely A part of the flowers’ reproduction process. The leaves seem to perhaps be fighting off disease and several of them are covered in brown almost blue spots. The younger more healthy looking leaves are curved in shape with jagged edges coming to a distinctive point. The older more mature leaves do not make such a curve but are more narrow in shape coming to a distinct point.

This plant has a large amount of petite blue rounded fruit on it. The plant has shiny green jagged leaves which are spear shape and come to a point similar to mint leaves. This plant also has leaves that are more circular and rounded which may be a product of sexual reproduction or mutation since they come from different branches from the same plant. The base of the plant is several branches coming together at one point the branches are brownish gray in color with variation in size and shape.

These brightly colored yellow flowers half long yellow petals and only one per stem. They are all connected in what seems to be a large clumped bush almost. You can tell that the flowers have been visited by pollinators as the middle portions of several of them no longer have undisturbed reproduction spots on it while others have them prominently displayed out for an insect or other animal to help pollinate a flower. The petals were about two and a half inches long, and were quite narrow which made identification harder to accomplish.

This tree was found directly outside of the Westminster field station. The fruit are a lime green in color and are prickly to contain the more sensitive seeds that they contain, I found one that had opened up having since fallen from tree which depicts the more yellowish color to brown seeds with spores opening inside of the fruit. The leaves are long and narrow with almost wavelike points coming to one solid point. The bark is more of a gray than brown, at the base of the tree where there was some exposed area underneath the park there is a more orange/salmon perhaps better described as a clay like color. These openings in the base of the bark may be an indicator of some type of disturbance in the tree, such as some type of illness.

This is a type of fungus that was growing on a dead tree. The tops of each, for lack of a better term, mushroom top have a green color almost like the moss that was observed growing around it. The bottom half is more of a cream color with ridges that have a strange cream/pink color throughout. This growth is in clumped distribution pattern as there are different colonies of the fungus on different parts of the remaining bark on the dead tree. This specimen was found in the woods of the Westminster Field station along side one of the trails.

Some type of grasshopper with a yellow and black head and torso. The legs were more of a reddish brown color with a lined pattern on the upper part of the legs. It had a darker colored eye spot and more brown colored antennas protruding from the head. It was found resting on a gate on the edge of the butterfly garden portion of the Westminster field station. The specimen did not move that much while I was taking pictures of it which most likely means that it thought that it was camouflaged as if I could not see it, which is most likely the reasoning behind this evolutionary coloration pattern.

A small slug that was found underneath a large downed tree limb, underneath the ground surface.It had clear appendages, an orange torso and a greenish coloration in the lower half of the torso. Furthermore, it was able to expand and contract its body to create movement along the ground surface. It began moving only after I had disturbed the environment it was living under. Some type of neatly colored slug that may have been resting underneath the branch.

Found growing on a fallen stick in the trails of the Westminster Field House. I believe it is some type of decomposer which is why it was spotted on a downed limb. The mushroom like decomposer had a more uniform coloration pattern with a white surrounding edge filled with a lighter gray brown color to a more yellow brown color and the center is more sporadic, mixed with white gray and brown if not almost like a black color. Underneath the specimen there’s a strange on a sponge like pattern that has white edges and brown within each
ridge. This specific specimen was pretty small in size about the size of my thumb. Through further research the best way to characterize this specific individual would be almost like a turkey tail with the outer edges being more uniform on the middle part of the body is more sporadic such as the feathers on a turkey.

Discovered in the woods, not as large as some of the other trees in the area which indicates that it is a relatively young tree. However the lack of full leaves on all the branches may further indicate that it is closer to beginning hibernation for the winter than some of the other trees in the relative area.

Discovered in some brush along a pathway on one of the various trails at the Westminster field house. Long stem with the only flowers residing on the top. These golden flowers are in a compound form along a reaching stem.