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Scientific name: Mentha pulegium

Living condition:Wild Mint grows along riverbed because it enjoys the sandy and moist texture of the soil. Mint also thrives with sun and shade. In the sun mint often gets more dry while in the shade it becomes more soft to the touch. The mint grows in wet areas but not directly in water, so it will be found near sloughs, and lake and river edges.

Food chain: deer, mice and other rodents, mosquitoes, ants, flies, fleas, wasps, hornets, cockroaches, and moths.

Region: grows in western, southern, and central Europe; Asia; Iran; and Ethiopia. It is naturalized in North America.

Sources: science direct.com

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Scientific Name

Packera glabella

Region

Native to Northern Michigan as well as the rest of the United States. This flower is very adaptable and enjoys anywhere with other weeds and sunlight.

Living Conditions

This plant enjoys the sunlight but also enjoys shade. It is found in grassy areas which are mainly dry. The flowers attract bees, grasshoppers, ladybugs and other small insects.

Food Chain

Bees enjoy pollinating this flower but they are not utilized by many other species.

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Scientific name: Verbascum

Living condition: It prefers full sun and dry soil. Mullein needs space. The plant grows from 6 to 10 feet tall.

Food chain: Certain species of thrips, stinkbugs, weevils, and leaf bugs will eat mullein leaves

Region: Native to Europe, northern Africa, and Asia

Sources: Cabi.org

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Scientific Name

Stachys byzantina

Region

This plant is native to Northeast North America and grows in shaded and sunny areas. They are native to Northern Michigan.

Living Conditions

This plant absolutely adores the sun. It is known for its soft texture and will always try to branch out the leaves to maximize sunlight absorption.

Food Chain

Many animals steer clear of this plant as it has a very bitter texture and lacks nutritional value.

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Scientific Name

Orconectes rusticus

Region

Invasive to Northern Michigan waters. They are native to Ohio and Kentucky, but have spread to several Great Lakes states and beyond. They have been (and continue to be) transferred to and around Michigan.

Living Conditions

The most alarming thing is that this is not a native species. This Crayfish belongs to other fresh water streams outside of duck lake. They enjoy the cool waters and calm flows but they don't belong here however, we are still lucky to have been able to observe it.

Food Chain

The problem with invasive species is they don't exactly fit the puzzle as they are not apart of the same Michigan puzzle. These animals eat small plankton, weeds, and sometimes even smaller animals like tadpoles and fish.

https://mymlsa.org/michigan-crayfish-understanding-our-native-and-invasive-species/

https://mymlsa.org/michigan-crayfish-understanding-our-native-and-invasive-species/

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Scientific Name
Craspedacusta sowerbyi

Living condition: In its native range, it typically inhabits shallow pools along the Yangtze River, sometimes coexisting with a related species, C. sinensis, which occurs in the upper river valley
Food chain: The jellies eat zooplankton, which is also a food source for native larval fish. In turn, the jellies are often eaten by turtles and crayfish
Region: In its native range, it typically inhabits shallow pools along the Yangtze River, sometimes coexisting with a related species, C. sinensis, which occurs in the upper river valley
Sources: https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?SpeciesID=1068

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Scientific Name

Coccinellidae

Region

Ladybugs are happy in many different habitats, including grasslands, forests, cities, suburbs, and along rivers. Seven-spotted ladybugs are native to Europe but were brought to North America in the mid-1900s to control aphid populations. Since then they have been a normal sighting when on nature walks.

Living Conditions

Ladybugs enjoy sunlight as well as plants where they can rest and find mates. They eat plants like mint, geraniums and parsley. I liked this picture because it was in a location where they are not normally found.

Food Chain

Ladybugs are an important link in the insect food chain in our own lives, they help with agriculture and as said previously, they help control the aphid population. They voraciously feed on insects that are considered pests, such as Aphids, so they're a friend for both gardeners and farmers. They are sometimes eaten by lizards and or very rarely birds.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/group/ladybugs/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/group/ladybugs/

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Scientific Name

Actias luna

Region

These animals are native to Northern Michigan and produce food for birds, and they help cultivate land through their excretion. They are found in Canada, The United States, and some places in Europe (deciduous and temperate forests).

Living Conditions

Luna moths in their larva stage are predominately active at night (nocturnal), but sightings during daylight hours do occur. I am incredibly happy to have caught this moment.They enjoy river banks as well as forested areas (commonly deciduous woodlands).

Food Chain

These animals are eaten by birds and other bigger moths but they eat small minerals within the soil, plants and when they are moths they eat other small insects and plants.

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/moths/luna_moth.htm

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/moths/luna_moth.htm

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Scientific Name

Elodea

Region

It is typically found in wet areas and although the giant reed may be in part native to Michigan, in recent years the plant has become more aggressive growing in many of the small lakes and even sometimes along roads.

Living Conditions

It uses sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to create food. For this reason, seaweed must grow near the ocean's surface, within the reach of sunlight, to survive, and there must be an abundance of carbon dioxide in the water.

Food Chain

This plant is a primary producer of food for other organisms and animals, algae is a food source for animals known as primary consumers. Some of which include; peepers, tadpoles, and small plankton.

https://www.chesapeakebay.net/S=0/fieldguide/critter/common_waterweed

https://www.chesapeakebay.net/S=0/fieldguide/critter/common_waterweed

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I looked high and low and could not find out what type of plant this is.