More stuff of my backyard

Here's a very small snail! I wish I knew experts in every field of biology, but probably even the most well-informed malacologist would say "dunno. subadult, terrestrial gastropod. shell coils on right hand side."



This is clearly some kind of orange-flowered perennial milkweed, planted by people who owned the house before us. When I google "orange milkweed" I get hits for Asclepias tuberosa also called "butterfly milkweed" (a little redundant, no?) which occurs in 3/4 of the US, but is on the endangered list in several New England states. Anyone actually know what it is?

100 Species #83: Red-legged grasshopper; #84: Lamb's ear.

This red-legged grasshopper Melanoplus femur-rubrum is on a leaf of lamb's ear Stachys byzantina that Alexis transplanted from a perennial bed to the side yard.

The red-legged grasshopper is a common herbivorous insect that feeds on plants in places that are "prevalent in areas that are infrequently but regularly mowed," which describes my yard quite accurately. That quote is from this grasshopper's 365 urban species entry, at #257.

Lamb's ear is sturdy, adaptable plant native to Eurasia, specifically Iran and thereabouts. It is cultivated for its foliage, which is densely covered in soft hairs. It has invasive tendencies and can be found at the sites of abandoned gardens and residences. Sometimes people confuse it with mullein, which has similar hairs, but is not as soft. Both plants produce flowers on a central spike, but mullein's are yellow while lamb's ear flowers are pink or purple.