Minnesota Seasons

Minnesota Seasons

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Destinations

These are locations in Minnesota where native plants, birds, and other wildlife can be viewed. With very few exceptions, these destinations are open to the public. Visitors can share their own photos, videos, plant and wildlife sightings, and other observations.


Species

Plants

Native, naturalized, invasive, or simply planted—any plant growing outside of cultivation in Minnesota. More than 800 plant pages include photos, a description, a multi-sourced distribution map, and a list of sites where the plant has been found.

Insects and Arachnids

Insects and arachnids found in Minnesota. Species pages include photos, a description, a list of sightings by MinnesotaSeasons.com, visitor sightings, and distribution maps.
				Photo by Norm & Peg Dibble

Wildlife

Birds and bears, snakes and squirrels, toads and turtles—wildlife found in Minnesota. Wildlife pages include photos, a description, and a list of sightings, as well as distribution maps for amphibians, mammals, and reptiles.
				Photo by Luciearl

Fungi and Lichens

Lichens, mushrooms, and other fungi found in Minnesota. Fungi and lichen pages include photos, a description, a list of sightings by MinnesotaSeasons.com, visitor sightings, and distribution maps.

Wallpapers

Download free high resolution wallpapers (screen backgrounds). These are photos of destinations featured on MinnesotaSeasons.com. The wallpapers are grouped by ecological season. Each wallpaper is optimized for the screen resolutions used most often on desktops, laptops, and tablets.

427
Destinations

1,934
Species*

* Species pages may represent a species, subspecies, variety, genus, family, or other taxonmomic group, or an unidentified organism. Using the word “taxon” here would be more accurate but less widely understood.


What’s New

Recent Uploads

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of hairy-banded mining bee 9/25/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of birch catkin bug 8/19/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 4 photos of *long-horned bee (Melissodes* sp.) 9/25/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of long-horned bee (Melissodes sp.)** 9/20/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 11 photos of jagged ambush bug (Phymata americana) 9/25/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 4 photos of locust borer 8/31 and 10/20/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of bristle fly (Leskia similis) 8/29/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of *common scorpionfly (Panorpa* sp.) 10/30/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of common scorpionfly (Panorpa sp.) 10/20/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 8 photos of common scorpionfly (Panorpa sp.) 10/12/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of common scorpionfly (Panorpa sp.) 8/14/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of common scorpionfly (Panorpa sp.) 8/13/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of black-sided meadow katydid 8/14/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 5 photos of squash vine borer 8/14/2019 and 8/15/2019. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of brown stink bug 1/28/2020. Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of four-banded stink bug hunter wasp** 8/8/2019 and 8/12/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of leafhopper (Penthimia americana) 1/20/2019. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of northern walkingstick 1/23/2020. Kirk Nelson uploaded 13 photos of Tony Schmidt Regional Park 1/23/2020. Kirk Nelson uploaded 11 photos of Roberts Bird Sanctuary 10/30/2019. Jim S. uploaded 1 photo of marbled orbweaver 1/22/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of stone centipede (Order Lithobiomorpha) 6/18/2018. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of leafhopper (Latalus ocellaris) 1/20/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of unknown moth 10/6/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of jagged ambush bug (Phymata americana) 9/25/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of podzol mound ant 8/12/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of two-striped grasshopper 10/20/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of *wedge-shaped beetle (Ripiphorus* sp.) 10/20/2019. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of Leconte’s haploa 1/20/2020. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of Blanding’s turtle 1/20/2020. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of eastern tiger salamander 1/20/2020. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of tri-colored bumble bee 1/19/2020. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of pincushion moss 1/17/2020. Luciearl uploaded 2 photos of True Tinder Polypore1/15/2020. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of spongy oak apple gall wasp 1/14/2020. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of Sinewed Bushy Lichen 1/14/2020. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of unknown damselfly 9/6/2018. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of spotted spreadwing 9/6/2018. Margot Avey uploaded 1 photo of Barred Owl 1/12/2020. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of Sinewed Bushy Lichen 1/8/2020. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of Bristly Beard Lichen 11/4/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of unknown milliipede 6/18/2018. Luciearl uploaded 2 photos of Boreal Oakmoss 1/4/2020. Luciearl uploaded 2 photos of Smooth Axil-bristle Lichen 1/4/2020. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of northern red oak 1/4/2020. Anna Lehmicke uploaded 1 photo of black and yellow mud dauber 1/4/2020. Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of Unknown Lichen #04 1/2/2020. Luciearl uploaded 2 photos of Unknown Lichen #02 11/4/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of Unknown Slug 9/1/2018. Kirk Nelson uploaded 4 photos of Banning State Park 1/1/2020. Luciearl uploaded 2 photos of Bottlebrush Frost Lichen 1/1/2020. Luciearl uploaded 2 photos of Hooded Sunburst Lichen** 1/1/2020.


New Pages

2/21/2020	hairy wood mint (Blephilia hirsuta var. hirsuta)
2/19/2020	hairy-banded mining bee
2/18/2020	Minnesota Bacteria, Viruses, and Other Pathogens
2/17/2020	birch catkin bug
2/16/2020	brook trout
2/15/2020	long-horned bee (Melissodes sp.)
2/13/2020	linden wart gall midge
2/12/2020	locust borer
2/11/2020	Thompson County Park
2/11/2020	bristle fly (Leskia similis)
2/10/2020	common scorpionfly (Panorpa sp.)
2/9/2020	Jensen Memorial WMA
2/8/2020	black-sided meadow katydid
2/7/2020	Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park
2/4/2020	American fly honeysuckle
2/3/2020	Springbrook Nature Center
2/3/2020	Minnesota Fishes
2/1/2020	squash vine borer
2/1/2020	Kensington Rune Stone Park

1/31/2020	Neal WMA
1/30/2020	brown stink bug
1/29/2020	four-banded stink bug hunter wasp
1/28/2020	Twin Valley WMA
1/27/2020	leafhopper (Penthimia americana)
1/26/2020	hairy honeysuckle
1/25/2020	Tony Schmidt Regional Park
1/25/2020	Roberts Bird Sanctuary
1/24/2020	pincushion moss
1/22/2020	stone centipede (Order Lithobiomorpha)
1/22/2020	leafhopper (Latalus ocellaris)
1/19/2020	spiny baskettail
1/17/2020	Boreal Oakmoss
1/16/2020	oak gall wasp (Amphibolips cookii)
1/16/2020	larger empty oak apple wasp
1/15/2020	Unknown Damselflies
1/15/2020	spotted spreadwing
1/11/2020	reversed haploa
1/10/2020	Bristly Beard Lichen
1/8/2020	Unknown Centipedes and Millipedes
1/7/2020	sunflower tortoise beetle
1/2/2020	Unknown Snails and Slugs
1/1/2020	Japanese barberry


Next Up

1	hangingfly (Bittacus spp.)	Alfredo Colon
2	one-sided wintergreen (Orthilia secunda)	John Valo
3	eastern hornet fly (Spilomyia longicornis)	Alfredo Colon
4	liverleaf wintergreen (Pyrola asarifolia ssp. asarifolia)	John Valo
5	four-lined hornet fly (Spilomyia sayi)	Alfredo Colon
6	autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)	John Valo
7	common tan wave (Pleuroprucha insulsaria)	Alfredo Colon
8	river birch (Betula nigra)	John Valo
9	meadowhawks (Sympetrum spp.)	Alfredo Colon
10	early buttercup (Ranunculus fascicularis)	John Valo
11	aphid (Uroleucon spp.)	Alfredo Colon
12	cursed crowfoot (Ranunculus sceleratus) cursed crowfoot (Ranunculus sceleratus var. multifidus) cursed crowfoot (Ranunculus sceleratus var. sceleratus)	John Valo
13	buffalo treehopper (Stictocephala spp.)	Alfredo Colon
14	garden lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis)	John Valo
15	coppery leafhopper (Jikradia olitoria)	Alfredo Colon
16	lupine bug (Megalotomus quinquespinosus)	John Valo
17	false milkweed bug (Lygaeus turcicus)	Alfredo Colon
18	shield-backed bug (Homaemus aeneifrons)	John Valo
19	green cone-headed planthopper (Acanalonia conica)	Alfredo Colon
20	Rock Shield Lichen (Xanthoparmelia sp.)	John Valo
21	leafhopper (Gyponana subgenus Gyponana)	Alfredo Colon
22	Dinner Creek SNA	John Valo
23	oleander aphid (Aphis nerii)	Alfredo Colon
24	Mississippi Oxbow SNA	John Valo
25	spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata)	Alfredo Colon
26		John Valo
27	stink bug (Family Pentatomidae)	Alfredo Colon
28		John Valo
29	two-striped planthopper (Acanalonia bivittata)	Alfredo Colon
30		John Valo
31	planthopper (Acanalonia spp.)	Alfredo Colon
32		John Valo
33	bee (Clade Anthophila)	Alfredo Colon
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Hibernal Season

The hibernal ecological season corresponds to the winter calendar season. In our area it is characterized by cold temperatures, a usually snow-covered landscape, and an absence of migratory bird species. Deciduous trees are bare and fallen leaves begin to decay. Migrating birds have settled in winter habitats. In Minnesota the hibernal season usually begins about December 1 and lasts until about March 1.

Snow Cover
The average date for the first one-inch snow fall in the Twin Cities is November 18. The average date for “permanent snow cover” in the Twin Cities is unknown but is probably mid-December. Permanent snow cover here is defined as at least one centimeter of snow cover that lasts at least one month.

Temperature
On average, cold temperatures arrive in the Twin Cities on December 3. On that date the average high temperature is below freezing.