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| Isabella Tiger Moth (Wooly Bear) Caterpillar ~ Polyphemus Moth |
| Do you ever think about how Monarch butterflies migrate, but other species don’t? How do butterflies survive our Ohio winters, and where do they come from in the spring? For many species, the answer is below your feet – down in the leaf litter! Many of the butterflies and moths that we admire during the summer spend their winters down in the leaves that have fallen from our trees and other plants. Most don’t migrate, but instead continue their life cycle all summer until they reach an environmental cue that tells them to stop for the year. The individuals that are developing at that point in the year find safe refuge in the soil or leaf litter and stay there as pupae, insulated by the leaves until warmer weather returns next year and they finish their development into adults. Others, like many of our larger moths, only perform this cycle once or twice a year, and burrow under the leaves and topsoil as early as the middle of summer to overwinter as cocoons. |
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| Freshly Emerged Black Swallowtail in Spring ~ Leaf Litter over Woodland Stonecrop |
| Lepidopterans aren’t the only ones who need fallen leaves either. Fireflies spend up to 95% of their lives as larvae, living for 1-2 years in the leaf litter and soil. You wouldn’t know it at first glance, but firefly larvae are predators and one of your best friends as a gardener. The larvae eat many other invertebrates that we consider to be pests, including snails and slugs. Leaf litter, and the soil it becomes, provide the critical habitat that fireflies need to survive. The list doesn’t end there either. Box turtles, woodland salamanders, and many other species need leaf litter for food, shelter, or both. So how do we, as landowners, manage fallen leaves? Ideally, leaves should be left where they fall. This is the best way not to disturb the animals that may be hiding within them. If you do need to move them, rake them into your garden beds to provide both habitat and natural mulch to fertilize your plants long-term and suppress weed growth. It’s also best to leave the leaves intact and unshredded. If you shred the leaves, you will compromise any cocoons or similar organisms sheltering in them. To help keep leaves in your flower beds, you might consider constructing a low wattle, or fence made from the fallen branches in your yard to prevent the wind from blowing the leaves into your lawn. Keep in mind that while woodland plants love the extra natural mulch, many meadow and prairie species prefer less plant duff on their roots, so take a moment to consider which of your garden beds would accept the additional leaves the best. So, next time you go outside and see the leaves that have fallen from your trees, shrubs, or perennials, think about the animals that call those leaves home and see if you can come up with a plan that benefits both your needs as a landowner and the needs of the wildlife we so admire. They’ll continue their life cycles and provide all of the important services that our ecosystem needs to function, like pollinating plants, feeding hatchling birds, and even providing pest control, all while also providing awesome nature experiences for us and the generations to come. |
October 2024 Newsletter
