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.

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Destinations

1,940
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

Scott Leddy uploaded 1 photo of Edwards’ hairstreak 3/24/2020. Jolene Burgess uploaded 1 photo of sword-bearing conehead 3/19/2020. Carolyn uploaded 1 photo of honey locust 3/19/2020. Bill Reynolds uploaded 2 photos of Horned Lark 3/9/2020. Alfredo Colon uploaded 3 photos of *meadowhawk (Sympetrum* sp.) 10/16/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 3 photos of eastern hornet fly 10/8/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of eastern hornet fly 8/19/2019. Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of hangingfly (Bittacus spp.) 10/7/2019. 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.


New Pages

3/31/2020	Regal Meadow Addition
3/27/2020	Baylor Regional Park
3/26/2020	Edwards’ hairstreak
3/25/2020	Vermillion River WMA
3/22/2020	Somerset WMA
3/18/2020	Plover Prairie Addition
3/15/2020	Minnesota Destinations by County
3/15/2020	Victory WMA
3/13/2020	Prairie WMA
3/12/2020	Swan Lake WMA, North Star Unit
3/11/2020	Spruce Creek WMA
3/11/2020	White Bear WMA
3/11/2020	Discovery WMA
3/10/2020	Buck Family Memorial WMA
3/10/2020	Tiedemann WMA
3/9/2020	Woodbury WMA
3/9/2020	Prairie Creek WMA, Engeseth-Rinde Unit
3/8/2020	Prairie Creek WMA, Koester Prairie Unit
3/8/2020	Edward Velishek Memorial WMA
3/8/2020	Big Woods Heritage Forest WMA
3/7/2020	Carver Highlands WMA, Middle Unit
3/7/2020	Carver Highlands WMA, North Unit
3/7/2020	Carver Highlands WMA, South Unit
3/6/2020	Bill Freeman WMA
3/3/2020	Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Forstrom Unit
3/3/2020	Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Gislason Lake Unit
3/2/2020	Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Brenner Lake Unit
3/2/2020	Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Cramlet Unit
3/1/2020	Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Flickertail Prairie Unit

2/29/2020	Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Harris Trust, et al. Unit
2/29/2020	long-beaked sedge
2/26/2020	meadowhawks (Sympetrum spp.)
2/26/2020	Hampton Woods WMA
2/24/2020	eastern hornet fly
2/23/2020	one-sided wintergreen
2/22/2020	hangingfly (Bittacus spp.)
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


Next Up

1	bumble bee (Bombus spp.)	Alfredo Colon
2	four-lined hornet fly (Spilomyia sayi)	Alfredo Colon
3	river birch (Betula nigra)	John Valo
4	common tan wave (Pleuroprucha insulsaria)	Alfredo Colon
5	early buttercup (Ranunculus fascicularis)	John Valo
6	aphid (Uroleucon spp.)	Alfredo Colon
7	cursed crowfoot (Ranunculus sceleratus) cursed crowfoot (Ranunculus sceleratus var. multifidus) cursed crowfoot (Ranunculus sceleratus var. sceleratus)	John Valo
8	buffalo treehopper (Stictocephala spp.)	Alfredo Colon
9	garden lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis)	John Valo
10	coppery leafhopper (Jikradia olitoria)	Alfredo Colon
11	lupine bug (Megalotomus quinquespinosus)	John Valo
12	false milkweed bug (Lygaeus turcicus)	Alfredo Colon
13	shield-backed bug (Homaemus aeneifrons)	John Valo
14	green cone-headed planthopper (Acanalonia conica)	Alfredo Colon
15	Rock Shield Lichen (Xanthoparmelia sp.)	John Valo
16	leafhopper (Gyponana subgenus Gyponana)	Alfredo Colon
17	Dinner Creek SNA	John Valo
18	oleander aphid (Aphis nerii)	Alfredo Colon
19	Mississippi Oxbow SNA	John Valo
20	spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata)	Alfredo Colon
21	few-nerved cottongrass (Eriophorum chamissonis)	John Valo
22	stink bug (Family Pentatomidae)	Alfredo Colon
23	purple pitcherplant (Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea)	John Valo
24	two-striped planthopper (Acanalonia bivittata)	Alfredo Colon
25	autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)	John Valo
26	planthopper (Acanalonia spp.)	Alfredo Colon
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Prevernal Season

Prevernal is an ecological season. It does not correspond to any calendar season. Also called pre-spring, it fits between snow-covered winter and the wildflowers of spring. In Minnesota, it begins about March 1, as the weather warms and the snow melts, and lasts until about May 1. Deciduous tree buds begin to swell. Migrating birds fly from winter to summer habitats.