Minnesota Seasons

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.


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.
				Photo by Luciearl

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

Mushrooms, lichens, 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.

472
Destinations

2,089
Species*

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

What’s New

Recent Uploads

Alfredo Colon uploaded 3 photos of slender smoothtail 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of thick-legged hoverfly 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of hoverfly (Platycheirus spp.) 10/12/2019.

Dan W. Andree uploaded 2 photos of Brown Creeper 1/11/2021.

Dan W. Andree uploaded 2 photos of plains cottonwood 1/7/2021.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of eastern band-winged hover fly 10/12/2019.

Avi Birds uploaded 1 video of Black-crowned Night Heron 1/7/2021.

Avi Birds uploaded 1 video of Common Raven 1/7/2021.

Avi Birds uploaded 1 video of Great Egret 1/7/2021.

Avi Birds uploaded 1 video of House Sparrow 1/7/2021.

Avi Birds uploaded 1 video of Mallard 1/7/2021.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of orange-legged drone fly 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of yellow-shouldered drone fly 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 3 photos of black-shouldered drone fly 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of root maggot fly (Hydrophoria lancifer) 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 3 photos of soldier fly (Stratiomys norma) 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of bee fly (Villa lateralis) 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of swift feather-legged fly 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of blue-green bottle fly 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of tachinid fly (Thelaira americana) 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of tachinid fly (Xanthomelanodes arcuatus) 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of quadrate snipe fly 10/12/2019.


	December

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of flat-footed fly (Agathomyia sp.) 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of early tachinid fly 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of common green bottle fly 10/12/2019.

Mike Fellows uploaded 1 photo of harebell 12/23/2020.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 3 photos of tachinid fly (Archytas apicifer) 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of marsh fly (Dictya sp.) 10/12/2019.

Kari uploaded 1 photo of Scarlet Cup 12/23/2020.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 4 photos of flutter fly (Toxonevra superba) 10/12/2019.

Luciearl uploaded 1 photo of Violet-toothed Polypore 12/18/2020.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of lucerne moth 10/21/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of aphid (Uroleucon sp.) 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 4 photos of ferruginous tiger crane fly 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of eastern calligrapher 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of transverse flower fly 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of American hover fly 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of bristle fly (Leskia similis) 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of silver-spotted skipper 10/30/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of Dryad’s Saddle 10/27/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 4 photos of Black Knot 10/27/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of Artist’s Conk 10/27/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of Turkey Tail 10/27/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of omnivorous leafroller 10/30/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of copper underwing 10/21/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 4 photos of common eastern physocephala 10/12/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of little white lichen moth 10/21/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of dark-spotted palthis 10/21/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of dark-banded owlet 10/21/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of vagabond crambus 10/21/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of elegant grass-veneer 10/21/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of common grass-veneer 10/21/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of signate quaker 10/21/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of oak besma 10/21/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 2 photos of firefly (Family Lampyridae) 12/11/2020.

Luciearl uploaded 2 photos of Trumpeter Swan 12/10/2020.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of yellow-dusted cream moth 10/21/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of belted springtail 10/20/2019.

Dan W. Andree uploaded 1 photo of oblong running spider 12/6/2020.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of minute seed weevil (Ceutorhynchus sp.) 10/20/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of plant bug (Paraxenetus guttulatus) 10/20/2019.

Dan W. Andree uploaded 2 photos and 1 video of regal fritillary 12/6/2020.

Dan W. Andree uploaded 1 video of American Redstart 12/6/2020.

Dan W. Andree uploaded 1 video of Rough-Legged Hawk 12/6/2020.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of plant bug (Agnocoris rubicundus) 10/20/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of plant bug (Hyaliodes harti) 10/20/2019.

Kate Clover uploaded 2 photos of Phomopsis gall on hickory (Phomopsis sp.) 12/2/2020.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of common eupithecia 10/21/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of alfalfa plant bug 10/20/2019.

Alfredo Colon uploaded 1 photo of late long-horned caddisfly 10/21/2019.

New Pages

1/16/2021

slender smoothtail

1/14/2021

thick-legged hoverfly

1/13/2021

hoverfly (Platycheirus spp.)

1/12/2021

parajulid millipede (Tribe Aniulini)

1/10/2021

eastern band-winged hover fly

1/9/2021

Black-crowned Night Heron

1/8/2021

orange-legged drone fly

1/7/2021

yellow-shouldered drone fly

1/6/2021

black-shouldered drone fly

1/4/2021

blue-green bottle fly

1/3/2021

tachinid fly (Thelaira americana)

1/2/2021

tachinid fly (Xanthomelanodes arcuatus)

1/1/2021

quadrate snipe fly


	December

12/31/2020

flat-footed fly (Agathomyia spp.)

12/30/2020

early tachinid fly

12/27/2020

tachinid fly (Archytas apicifer)

12/26/2020

marsh fly (Dictya spp.)

12/25/2020

soldier beetle (Podabrus rugosulus) name changed to wrinkled soldier beetle

12/24/2020

hoverfly (Chalcosyrphus chalybeus) name changed to violet leafwalker

12/24/2020

hoverfly (Helophilus hybridus) name changed to woolly-tailed marsh fly

12/23/2020

flutter fly (Toxonevra superba)

12/22/2020

Violet-toothed Polypore

12/21/2020

lucerne moth

12/19/2020

omnivorous leafroller

12/18/2020

copper underwing

12/17/2020

little white lichen moth

12/16/2020

12/16/2020

12/15/2020

12/14/2020

12/13/2020

12/13/2020

12/12/2020

12/10/2020

yellow-dusted cream moth

12/9/2020

belted springtail

12/8/2020

Minnesota Springtails

12/8/2020

minute seed weevil (Ceutorhynchus spp.)

12/7/2020

plant bug (Paraxenetus guttulatus)

12/6/2020

plant bug (Agnocoris rubicundus)

12/5/2020

plant bug (Hyaliodes harti)

12/3/2020

alfalfa plant bug

12/1/2020

late long-horned caddisfly


Next Up

1	hoverfly (Eupeodes subg. Metasyrphus)	Alfredo Colon
2	broad-headed marsh fly (Helophilus latifrons)	John Valo
3	longlegged fly (Condylostylus nigrofemoratus)	Alfredo Colon
4	longlegged fly (Dolichopus spp.)	Alfredo Colon
5	gnat ogre (Holcocephala abdominalis)	Alfredo Colon
6	fruit fly (Trupanea actinobola)	Alfredo Colon
7	spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)	Alfredo Colon
8	bee-like robber fly (Laphria canis)	Alfredo Colon
9
10
11
12
13
14	lupine bug (Megalotomus quinquespinosus)	John Valo
15	shield-backed bug (Homaemus aeneifrons)	John Valo