Seen This Week: Flowers, Fungi and Bugs

Wild basil with insect visitor, Schenley Park, 15 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

22 June 2025

This week I saw flowers, fruiting fungi, and insects in Schenley and Frick Parks. The flowers are urban pioneers, the fungi are native, and the insects are mostly mysteries. Here’s the story in photos:

  • Urban pioneer plants: When in doubt I used the Picture This app to identify them.
  • Lots of wet weather has encouraged fruiting fungi in Schenley Park. Google Lens tells me they are:
  • Insects:
    • Spotted lanternfly nymphs on Devil’s walking stick/Japanese aralia
    • Galls on shagbark hickory leaves. This tree was infested in Frick Park.
    • Spittlebugs on wingstem in Frick Park.
Common nipplewort, Frick Park, 18 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Galinsoga, Schenley Park, 15 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Flowers of oriental bittersweet, Schenley Park, 15 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Oriental lady’s thumb, Schenley Park, 15 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Google Lens says this is Blushing amanita (Amanita rubescens), Schenley Park, 15 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Oak bracket fungus or weeping polypore, at base of oak in Schenley Park, 15 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Spotted lanternfly nymphs on Japanese aralia, Schenley Park, 15 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Shagbark hickory leaf galls, an infested tree in Frick Park, 18 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Spittlebugs on wingstem, Frick Park, 18 June 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

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