Planned events have been cancelled during the COVID-19 Emergency. To keep us all healthy, respect the rules of SOCIAL DISTANCING:
Stay at least 6 feet from others.
Keep dogs away from others as well.
Wear face masks when near others.
For announcements of future events at Arlington’s Great Meadows, please sign up to the Google group through the Contact page. You will then receive news and updates about our events, including weather-related cancellations and reschedulings. This is a very low volume moderated list, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
- AGM Rapid Response Crew at Work
On Monday local steward Holly Samuels reported a tree down across the path from Fottler to Brandon.
On Tuesday morning our rapid response stewards (Greg Shenstone and David Markun) came by and cleared the path.
Now it’s all clear again!
- Natural Histories from Arlington’s Great Meadows – Common Organisms – The Common Drone Fly
As of December 2024, iNaturalist has documented 674 species submitted by 122 observers at AGM, a mix of native, introduced, and invasive plants and animals. https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/arlington-s-great-meadows
Of these 674 species, few are considered rare. Finding a rare organism is exciting, but increasingly unlikely in our suburban area. Most of AGM’s residents are common.
So the question is, why?
Here is one of AGM’s most common inhabitants, the Common Drone Fly, Eristalis tenax, also common worldwide. What is the secret of its success?Not what it seems
At first glance, it can be mistaken for a honeybee, which is no accident. It’s a Batesean mimic, a common strategy used by defenseless insects to avoid predation by resembling another insect, in this case the honeybee with its painful sting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batesian_mimicry
A closer look at E. tenax reveals its fly identity — big eyes and tiny antenna, a thick “waist”, and two wings instead of four, as in bees and wasps. Males have larger eyes that meet at the top of the head, perhaps as an aid to finding females. E. tenax is a “flower fly”, also known as hover flies or syrphid flies. Like E. tenax, many are mimics of bees or wasps. They are also known for their exceptional flight, able to hover in mid air on nearly invisible wings, and disappear in a moment.
E. tenax is also common because its larva are not fussy. Larvae of of E. tenax live in polluted water such as drainage ditches, sewage, and other places where water is rich in organic matter the larva feeds on. Consequently, this medium has low oxygen content — a problem, because oxygen is required for the larva’s growth and survival. It has adapted by utilizing a siphon on its hind end (“rat-tail”) to access oxygen at the water’s surface, giving it its common name, “rat-tailed maggot”.
Complete metamorphosis
Like all flies and many other insects, E. tenax has multiple incarnations throughout its life, known as complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa and adult. This radical yet ancient strategy for utilizing required resources at each stage of life is possible because of their relatively simple body plan and essential because of seasonal availabilities of resources and conditions for survival. For larvae, it’s all about eating — growing as quickly as possible. The pupal stage is a sort of super-charged puberty, completely rebuilding its body in its transition to adulthood. The adult fly is all about dispersal and reproduction, and its diet is mostly limited to nectar from flowers, made possible because of the more substantial diet of the maggot — as if in childhood, one ate only dinner, and in adulthood, only dessert.
The easy life
Like bees, the flower nectar-seeking habit of E. tenax and other flower flies makes them important pollinators. Bees need to collect pollen for their offspring and devote much of their time to raising their young and in the case of social bees, maintaining their colonies. Not so for the flower flies. Once the eggs are laid, the fly’s work is done.
References
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/arlington-s-great-meadows
https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/livestock/rat-tailed_maggot.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eristalis_tenax
https://www.syrphidae.com/name.php?id=0000ffcf-2e29-45b1-8da2-ed13eebbb650
https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/17482/521.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=yInformation provided by FoAGM volunteer Andrea Golden
- Ongoing Boardwalk Repairs
Volunteers with the repaired and capped post in the foreground (Photo by Greg Shenstone – 11/8/24)
The Finger Marsh boardwalk near to the bikeway across from the Waldorf School was constructed twenty years ago and has been showing signs of age with its somewhat wavy appearance. This is because some of the support posts have rotted out. Fortunately, this is not an extensive problem and can be remedied with some restorative carpentry. One section was repaired a few weeks ago.
Then just last week another section was repaired. The first step was to fill the cavity in the rotting support post with epoxy to protect and restore it. Once that hardened a team of stewards jacked up the boardwalk platform and put in new support braces. This will make a safer walking experience and hopefully will last for a while. Although other repairs will likely be needed as the structure ages.
Thanks to Greg Shenstone, Bruce Neumann, and David Markun.
- Brandon Road Restoration Project – Fall 2024
Invasive removal and native plant restoration work continues at AGM next to Brandon Road. High school students led by Holly Samuels (Lexington Conservation Steward and nearby resident) continue the Buckthorn/Honeysuckle/ Burning Bush removal marathon. This will provide a healthier, more diverse environment, improve the wildlife habitat and also opens up a great view of the wetland meadows. This work will continue up the trail to Fottler Avenue where the removed small trees will be laid on cardboard to suppress unwanted seed germination and provide some wildlife habitat. (FYI – Trees marked with red tape are the ones being saved.)
Students removing invasive saplings with weed wrenches
Full dumpster of the collected material with a meadow view
- Explore Arlington’s Great Meadows: Sunday October 20, 10:00 to Noon (the Rain Date)
Sponsored by the Friends of Arlington’s Great Meadows (FoAGM)
Walk around Arlington’s Great Meadows. See areas that are rarely visited and learn enough to never be (really) lost there again.
Total distance is three+ miles of moderate walking on dirt paths and the bikeway.
We’ll walk in dry upland areas and cross lower wetland areas on boardwalks. David White of FoAGM will be the leader and will point out areas of interest along the way.
Please Wear: Appropriate outerwear and footwear. Also insect repellant for ticks and mosquitos.
Location: Meet at the public parking area at Lexington Meadows. From Maple Street, turn onto Emerson Gardens Road and follow it to the end where Bryant Road meets it. One can also park on Emerson Gardens Road. (See Map online or below.)
For more information contact David at info@FoAGM.org. The 20th is the rain date!