Kip’s Comments - June 15, 2023

Story Details

So often I learn things during my outdoor explorations. Today was another case of a woodland education.

Dotting quite a number of nettles were shiny little round balls. My first thought was I had found some sort of moth or butterfly eggs. However, with the wonder of the Internet I learned that I had found nettle galls.

Nettle galls are formed by the wood nettle gall midge - a very small/tiny insect.

As I read this information I took notice of the specification of the “wood” nettle versus stinging nettles. Until today I thought I was being affected by stinging nettles when it may well have been wood nettles. I am still researching the differences and to learn if either are native to Iowa.

Now the “balls on the nettles” story has been explained.

Galls on Nettles - Image 824066

A second story from my trek was a feather I found on nettle leaves not far from the galls. I doubt there is much to this story since there was not a large collection of feathers to suggest a predator/prey interaction. Instead I would guess a bird simply lost the feather as it flew through the timber.

Unless I learn differently, the feather story has been explained and is now closed.

Feather on Nettles - Image 824026