Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI. Today we have an insect that people often mistake for a fungus. Meet Woolly Alder Aphids ( Prociphilus tessellatus ).   From a distance, Woolly Aphids do look like some sort of fluffy, fungal mould on the branch of a tree. But take a closer look and you’ll see that those fuzzy clusters are actually dozens – sometimes hundreds – of individual insects crowded together.   The

You can probably think of examples where a famous and showy family member outshines their equally talented kin. If you’ve heard of...

On PEI, autumn is for Asters. These beautiful and often colourful flowers can be found in literally every Island habitat right now: sand...