Jared Gorrel
Lamp Staff
Halloween approaches yet again, and as such, it is time for this nature columnist to discuss the strange and the odd animals and plants of Illinois. Now, when one thinks of strange creatures, bats, snakes, and spiders come to mind. However, I have decided to make a list of strange creatures and plants none of you have likely heard of, but that live in our state regardless. Some are rare, some are common, and some are creepy.
- Wheel Bug – Named for the spiny crest on their back, wheel bugs are a species of assassin bug, so named because they kill other insects. They are at the top of the food chain among insects, and finding one is a good sign of an ecosystem’s health. Wheel bugs prey upon pest species like tomato hornworms and Japanese beetles, so they are quite beneficial. That being said, wheel bugs are capable of leaving scars with their painful bites. Like many of the animals and plants on this list, it is best to look but not touch a wheel bug. These can occasionally be seen on campus at the bird banding station.
- American Paddlefish -Illinois has a number of interesting fish, but the paddlefish is easily the oddest-looking of them all. In addition to having what resembles a canoe paddle attached to their heads, paddlefish also have a skeleton mostly made of cartilage, just like a shark. Paddlefish are considered to be a primitive bony fish, an intermediate between cartilaginous fish like sharks and bony fish. Unlike most sharks, however, paddlefish eat only microscopic plankton. Despite this diet, paddlefish grow quite large, often over five feet long and over a hundred pounds in weight. The paddle itself is covered with sensory receptors, allowing the fish to detect plankton and other objects in the water.
- Spoonleaf Sundew – While most Illinois plants are content with sunlight and soil, there are a few carnivorous plants in this state, particularly in the Chicago area. The Spoonleaf Sundew is one of these. Like all sundews, this plant uses the sticky hairs on its leaves to trap prey, usually small insects. Enzymes in the plant’s leaves then break down and digest the insects. Spoonleaf Sundews only live in certain wetlands in northeastern Illinois, and as a result are State-Threatened here in Illinois.
- Common Striped Scorpion – Yes, there are scorpions in Illinois. No, they are not in your backyard. Scorpions, in this state, are restricted to a few bluffs in the southwestern part of Illinois, and are listed as State-Endangered for their rarity. There is only one species, a timid little arthropod with the name of Common Striped Scorpion. Though it does have a stinger, the sting is no worse than that of a bee, and equally harmless.
- Indian Pipe – These unusual woodland plants have no chlorophyll, the green stuff that enables plants to photosynthesize. How, then, do they grow? Indian Pipe plants parasitize fungi, and only emerge from below the ground to flower. As Indian Pipes require a healthy forest to have a large enough population of fungi to parasitize, they are naturally quite rare. (It is this author’s intention to spend his life researching plants like this which parasitize fungi.)
- Doll’s Eyes – Right up until late summer, Doll’s Eyes appears to be a plain, unassuming plant growing quietly in the woods. In August, however, it grows berries that resemble the plant’s namesake. These small, white berries have a single dark spot at the end, and a red stem, making them perfectly resemble eyes. In addition to being quite creepy, Doll’s Eyes also are extremely deadly if eaten, with a toxin that causes heart attacks.
- House Centipede – Imagine a spider with twenty extra legs, and you have the house centipede. As its name implies, it lives in houses, where it hunts spiders and insects, especially household pests like silverfish and carpet beetles. Finding a house centipede indoors generally means there are a number of other insects also around the building, likely pests. Thus, a house centipede usually serves as the natural exterminator. Despite its creepy appearance, the house centipede is fairly helpful. House centipedes are also quite intelligent, having different attack strategies depending on the prey. For instance, if attacking a wasp, the house centipede Unlike most of the animals and plants on this list, these have been seen inside Lincoln Land.
Jared Gorrel can be reached at [email protected]
