Lettuce Lake Hike Entomology Society at USF

Image: Lettuce Lake Park wetlands. Photo credit by Samantha Jayson from Flickr.

The Entomology Society at USF's first nature hike. The hike took place at Lettuce Lake Park in Tampa, Florida on Saturday September 23, 2023 at 10 AM - 11 AM. Lettuce Lake Park is adjacent to Hillsborough River. Entomology Society members embarked on a scenic wooded trail to experience intimate encounters of insects, either native or invasive to Florida's ecosystem. 

Biological Findings
The park contains a 3,500-foot boardwalk to visit pine flatwood communities and hardwood hammocks. Lettuce Lake host informative sessions on gopher tortoises populations and how they impact the environment as one of Florida's keystone species. The gopher tortoises informative sessions are located at the Native Plant Garden Center. The Native Plant Garden Center is sponsored by Tampa Audubon Society, Suncoast Native Plant Society, and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation & Conservation Department.

The identified Lettuce Lake Park bug hike insects:

• American Bumble Bee (Bombus pensylvanicus)
• Florida Bluet (Enallagma pollutum)
• Giant Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio cresphontes cramer)

The identified Lettuce Lake Park bug hike plants:

• Caesar Weed (Urena lobata)
• American Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)
• Firebush (Hamelia patens)

For other observations, please visit iNaturalist.

Image: Entomology Society at USF members taking a group picture near the Live Oak Parking.

Image: Walking on nature path.

Image: Visiting the boardwalk.

Image: Swallowtail capture.

Image: Educational butterflies.