Eastern Canada Sept-Oct 2017 Part 5
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Eastern Canada Sept-Oct 2017 Part 5
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Some Miscellaneous Images
Giant Spider Sculpture In Downtown Ottawa

Maman: This giant spider sculpture over 30 feet tall stands in front of the National Gallery in Ottawa, Canada. It was created by artist Louise Bourgeois as a tribute to her mother. The name "maman" is French for mother. Obviously a female (mother) spider because it carrys 26 marble eggs in its underbelly. The sculpture depicts a cobweb or cellar spider (family Pholcidae), a common spider at my home in Twin Oaks Valley, San Diego County. Cobweb spiders belong to the order Araneae along with most spiders. They are incorrectly called "daddy long-legs." The true "daddy long-legs" or "harvestmen" belong to the order Opiliones. An insect that is incorrectly called daddy long-legs is the common crane fly (Tipula planicornis) .

Harvestmen superficially resemble spiders, but they actually belong to a different order (Opiliones). Spiders belong to the order Araneae. They are also called "daddy long-legs," but this name is also used incorrectly for crane flies (Tipulidae) and cellar spiders (Pholcidae). Unlike spiders, they have no fangs and do not inject venom. In addition, their abdomen is fused to the cephalothorax. They typically have only two eyes on a single turret-like tubercle at the top of their head region. The second pair of legs are longer than the others, and are used like tactile antennae. Harvestmen are typically scavengers that feed on dead insects, spiders and pillbugs (isopods). Apparently the first species to be described were seen in the fall during harvest time.

Pileated Woodpecker In Downtown Toronto

The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the largest woodpeckers in North America. It is native to the eastern deciduous forest of the eastern United States and Canada.

CN Tower: World's 3rd Tallest Free Standing Structure

Originally built by the Canadian National (CN) Railway in 1966, it was once the tallest free standing structure in the world. In 2009 it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and the Canton Tower in China. The CN Tower rises 1,815 feet (including broadcast antenna). By comparison, the Eiffel Tower in Paris is 1,063 feet (including broadcast antenna at top).

  See EarthCam Live View From Top Of CN Tower  

Some Colorful Autumn Shrubs & Vines

Vivid red pinnate leaves of smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), one of the easiest roadside shrubs to identify. Poison sumac (Rhus vernix) is now placed in the genus Toxicodendron along with poison oak and poison ivy. The latter shrubs have resin ducts containing the insidious allergen urushiol that can spoil a road trip if you are hypersensitive and get it on your skin.

Chemical structure of saturated 3-pentadecylcatechol, one of the urushiol catechols found in poison ivy (Toxicodendron) resin canals, but not in smooth sumac (Rhus). Killer T-cells attack and destroy these molecules as well as neighboring skin cells. This is a very complicated cell-mediated immune resonse.

  Poison Oak: More Than Just Scratching The Surface  

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

Red palmate leaves of Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), a member of the grape family (Vitaceae). A common vine in the eastern United States and Canada. The specific epithet "quinquefolia" refers to 5 leaflets.

Montmorency Falls Near Quebec City, Quebec

Montmorency Falls on the Montmorency River where it drops 276 feet over a vertical cliff into the Saint Lawrence River. They are 98 feet higher than Niagara Falls!

Lobster Traps Off The Coast Of Bar Harbor, Maine

The numerous white dots (white arrow) in the dark blue water are lobster traps. Maine is famous for its delicious lobsters! The bright red pigment in the exoskeletons of lobsters, crayfish and crabs is carotenalbumin, including fat-soluble carotenoid pigment called astaxanthin conjugated with protein. The bright red color shows up when the lobster in boiled in water because the pigment separates from the protein.

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal (Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal). I have been inside very few churches during my lifetime, but this must be one of the most elaborate and beautiful!

During this trip I took over 1000 images using my Nikon D-3200, Sony HX50V, and a few with my iPhone 6. I only used a fraction of all my images on this report. Upon arriving home I took several macro images of Canadian ants with my Nikon D-90. Since I was recovering from a 2-week bug (virus), I had plenty of time to sit around writing html code while looking up species and information from the trip.

W.P. Armstrong, 30 October 2017