Elm sawfly

Today, the exciting natural history activity was a trip to the landfill—a time to strike a blow for sustainability by recycling more than I actually threw away, and, as a reward, a hike. The problem was that it had been threatening to storm, so a trek up nearby Lantern Hill was ill-advised. Instead, I explored an old meadow across the street from the LH trailhead. It's always an exciting spot, and, with a pair of Viceroy butterflies, which mimic Monarchs, greeting me, I had high hopes of spotting something even more intriguing. I wouldn't have to wait long for this dream to come true. Atop a small plant, I noticed this remarkable creature: dark body and wings, a rather intimidating face with large jaws, an eye-catching white spot on the abdomen, and almost lurid antennae. It must have just come out of metamorphosis, since it almost refused to move. Great for me, since I was able to capture my fill of photographs of this Darth Vader of insects that turned out to be an Elm Sawfly. Clearly recycling virtue rewarded.