I inhaled a couple as I walked down to
the lake on a warm, damp afternoon not long ago. Tiny, fluffy, bluish-white wisps
floated in the fading sunlight. Like a swarm of gnats, only slower and more ethereal,
the air was filled with fairies. I didn’t gain any magical powers when one got
caught up my nose, but my curiosity was piqued.
My first encounter with these tiny
creatures was while scooping up a pot of water for supper in the Boundary Waters
of northern Minnesota. My paddling partner, a more experienced USFS Wilderness
Ranger, called the flying insects “fuzz-butts.” Who was I to argue?
Years later on a hike I found whole
colonies of similar beings, covered in white fuzz and clinging to alder
branches like lint on your favorite pants. This flightless version had several
ants tending them busily. Someone in the group produced a likely name: woolly
alder aphids.
Just like most aphids, woolly alder
aphids suck plant juices from a host. The alder plant harvests sunlight, water,
and air; the aphids harvest the alder’s sap; and then the ants harvest sugary
honeydew secreted by the aphids. In return, ants provide the aphids some
protection from predators.
All the aphids in a colony are
flightless female clones of their mother – until the days grow short. A single
generation with females AND males occurs before winter, and the eggs from that
generation will overwinter. Winged generations, like the flock of fairies I
just saw, sometimes happen in response to food shortages. By flying to a new
host before laying eggs, the parents give their offspring a fresh start.
Both flighted and flightless aphids cover
themselves in a white woolly covering made of wax, which makes an excellent
defense against predation. Getting just a dab of it in my nose was enough to
make me hold my breath when walking back through the flock of fairies!
The feathery wax doesn’t seem to
improve flying efficiency, though, and I caught several flying aphids on my
fingers with quick sweeps through the air. The next challenge was getting the
macro setting on my camera to focus on the tiny creatures. You can see my
photos on the Museum’s Facebook page. They show much more detail that I could
see with my naked eye! I love when photography can help us notice new things.
Whether you believe in fairies or not,
these tiny creatures sure add an air of mystery and beauty to any sunset by a
lake. Let me know if you have seen them too!
