July 3rd. A stop at the point where the Air Line Trail crosses Route 207 in Hebron, CT.
Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium)...

 

...with a solitary bee. Family Andrenidae?

 

Chicory (Cichorium intybus)...

 

 

 

 

 

...with a Sweat Bee (Family Halictidae, Agapostemon virescens).

 

 

 

 

 

The Chestnut Trees (Castanea sp.) are in full bloom where the trail crosses Route 207.

 

You can't imagine the overpowering scent (unless you've smelled it before, in which case, you can't forget it).

 

 

 

Male flowers are all stamens, and...

 

...attractive to Bumble Bees (Family Bombidae)...

 

 

 

 

 

..a Horse Fly (probably Tabanus melanocerus) - check out those fancy eyes!...

 

..at least three Plume Moths (Family Pterophoridae, probably Geina sp.)...

 

 

 

 

 

...a Lesser Maple Spanworm moth (Speranza pustularia)...

 

 

 

...a mated pair of Long-horned Beetles (Family Cerambycidae)...

 

...another Long-horned Beetle (Metacmaeops vittata)...

 

...and a dark form of the Oriental Beetle (Anomala orientalis).

 

The Chestnut's female flowers are quite small and easily missed unless you search for them.

 

Also on the Chestnut, a Six-spotted Orbweaver spider (Araniella displicata).

 

July 4th. At the Route 85 trailhead, a Large Lace-border (Scopula limboundata).

 

Common Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) began flowering yesterday.

 

 

 

Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) flowers are just starting to open.

 

More Canada Lilies (Lilium canadense) are opening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tall Meadow Rue (Thalictrum polygamum).

 

Pasture or Carolina Rose (Rosa carolina).

 

 

 

Back to the Chestnut Trees near the Route 207 crossing. This one has four large healthy trunks, stump sprouted from a fifth dead trunk.

 

Nearby another tree has a single trunk but it divides into two not far from the ground.

 

It has a Connecticut State Land boundary marker on it. I also saw a seedling tree nearby.

 

With yesterday's pictures above, the pictures below, and this web page (https://www.acf.org/resources/identification/chinese-american-chestnuts/), you should be able to tell if this is an American or Chinese Chestnut tree. (Answer at the bottom of this page.)

 

 

 

Hint: note the stipules.

 

Hint: Note the bark and lenticles.

 

 

 

 

 

Bumble Bees (Family Bombidae) were the most common pollen hunters.

 

Mating Oriental Beetles (Anomala orientalis), showing more evidence of their variable coloration.

 

A very slender Longhorn Beetle (Strangalia acuminata).

 

 

 

 

 

And I'll end with a Tumbling Flower Beetle (Family Mordellidae).

 

Did you identify the Chestnut Tree?

Sorry to say, it's a Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima), not the rare survivor of the American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) blight.