tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34803595589904625852011-11-17T05:47:08.002-08:00Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.comBlogger11411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-26082075997350014212011-11-05T00:19:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:26.967-08:00

I found this brown mantis almost a month ago at the arboretum, at my final public bug safari tour of the year. I was hoping I would see at least one more mantis there today, and there might still be one or two, here and there, but I didn't find any. So this may be my last one for the year. She's a pretty one, though.Look at the beautiful mottling on her wings and abdomen. I'll miss the sweet

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-53434684941504069442011-11-04T23:56:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:27.011-08:00

Undaunted by what passes for inclement weather here in SoCal, the monarch caterpillars are beginning to boom at the arboretum. Their peak season here will last through December or January, or till the milkweed runs out.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-35081757178146568922011-11-04T23:48:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:27.098-08:00

A milkweed bug takes its chances shedding its skin in between rain showers this morning. Not that it had a choice. I'm pretty sure when it comes to molting, when you gotta, you gotta.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-41545739552168369242011-11-04T23:44:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:27.159-08:00

One of my earliest blog friends and followers is Gilly in New Zealand.  Although she can appreciate my bug stuff, her heart is really with the birds.  And especially right now, with her Paradise Shelduck, Daisy. This is what Daisy looked like when she first came to Gilly's bird rescue in January.   You can't see it in this picture, but her right wing was badly injured and had to be

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-62549704813663449042011-11-04T02:17:00.000-07:002011-11-04T02:38:02.004-07:00

 Albert Einstein in 1921Born 14 March 1879Ulm, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire Died 18 April 1955 (aged 76)Princeton, New Jersey, United States Residence Germany, Italy, Switzerland, United States Citizenship Württemberg/Germany (1879-1896)Stateless (1896–1901)Switzerland (1901–1955)Austria (1911–1912)Germany (1914–1933)United States (1940–1955) Fields Physics Institutions Swiss

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-66097767798120043462011-10-29T11:17:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:27.236-08:00

The tarweed plants are starting to die back for the winter. They are still full of grasshoppers.The next two photos are a few weeks old, but nice camouflage shots.This guy blended in nicely with the blue-gray leaves. He was close to being ready to make his final molt. You can see his puffy wing pads. His adult wings were are under there.This one was on my dying tomato plant.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-16709147033292631812011-10-29T11:07:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:27.353-08:00

I noticed this shy little bug recently on a flower at the arboretum.  I teased it out onto the branch where I could get a better look. I was able to identify it as a species of Ceresa, a Buffalo treehopper. Some other Ceresa species have not only a humped back, but buffalo-like "horns" as well. But this one was smooth.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-84604758174917586542011-10-26T21:15:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:27.377-08:00

Well, this one's pretty easy. How about this one? I was in Jerry's truck in the driveway, and I noticed the katydid in the neighbor's bushes. Can you see her?

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-87728246858063858822011-10-26T21:08:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:27.412-08:00

Earlier this month, I found this caterpillar. Maybe a geometer moth. I tried to match it on BugGuide but couldn't find one just like it.A Gulf Fritillary caterpillar on a passion vine, on a sunny October day.A big fat hornworm, the same kind I grew this past summer. But when this fellow burrows underground, he will stay there over the winter.A tiny yellow sulphur caterpillar.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-90273339527634588832011-10-26T20:48:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:27.441-08:00

I noticed a few clusters of these cute little beetles munching on the leaves of the Chinese Elm in my back yard. Pantomorus cervinus

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-92093026515443017572011-10-26T19:24:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:27.538-08:00

I am still seeing some nice orb webs. Especially when we had a foggy morning. I like how this spider is holding onto the strands of her web in several places. The Same spider as the previous photo, eating a bee. This is a good location for her web. She has been catching a few bees every day.   This might be a black widow, but I couldn't see if she had an hourglass marking. Her home was very

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-48388972853675336912011-10-26T13:43:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:27.663-08:00

Holy cow, it's been a long time since I've had to drag out the old catchup bottle, but I think I really need to now. I've spent the last several weeks taking pictures of a few bugs here and there, thinking, "Meh, don't feel like posting this right now", and "Who really cares anyway?" and other apathetic sentiments. (apathetic sentiments? Is that an oxymoron?)  But today I got a little kick in

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-79507994766179663962011-10-05T15:33:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:27.813-08:00

Last weekend I was at my parents' house, and I noticed that the sago palm in their back yard had quite an infestation of torpedo bugs, (Siphanta acuta.)I took lots of pictures of them, but none of them really came out very well.  I chalk that up to several factors:  it was breezy, causing the leaves to sway, the leaves were surprisingly pokey, making it hard for me to get up close, and I had a

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-36640735069991347222011-10-04T09:57:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:27.935-08:00

A few weeks ago, I posted about my walk through the park, and how some of the vegetation along the creek had been cut down.  And I posted pictures of a lovely big brown mantis that I brought home.  At the time, an anonymous person commented about how I should not have taken the mantis.  So I did some checking and, you know what?  Anonymous was right (dang it!)  You need a permit to collect

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-65125775955451812752011-10-02T21:28:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:28.047-08:00

She may be small herself, but this little female brown widow has three males in attendance. They are all living on a succulent plant on my front porch.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-75865805920011233502011-09-28T22:31:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:28.148-08:00

These might have been cloudless sulphur caterpillars. Then again they might have been another sulphur. I'm not sure. They look different from previous cloudless sulphur cats that I posted here and here, but they tend to vary in their colors and spots as they grow, so I don't know. To further complicate matters, I wasn't able to get enough pictures of them. The first time I saw them (at the

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-4872182111778865712011-09-28T22:16:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:28.268-08:00

bashful: hiding behind a leaf, more or less brazen: mating upon a pomegranate for all the world to see

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-34209756498691614152011-09-25T21:32:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:28.375-08:00

I've been hanging around, taking a few pictures here and there, but not really feeling like blogging much. Things are happening beyond my little sphere of bug stuff. Nothing really bad, but enough that it distracts me from sitting down to go through my bug photos and post them. But hopefully I'll be getting back to it soon.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-90156392128389388542011-09-11T15:50:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:28.486-08:00

Summer was a long time coming this year. But fall is just around the corner. I went for a walk in the park this morning. The creek area that was so full of life earlier this summer has been partially mowed down. The cottonwood shoots are gone, along with about half of the other plants growing in and along the creek. There are still frogs, although not as many as before. This was a "big" one at

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-84404301359634930982011-09-11T14:58:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:28.511-08:00

I had my first spider zen moment here, but while that one was so perfectly posed, this one to me seems more relaxed and at one with his universe.  OK, maybe he's just sleeping, but I think this male Araneus is enjoying what may be his last days of bachelorhood and, in fact, the last days of his life. This is my favorite spider picture so far this week.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-24025293368105849582011-09-11T14:46:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:28.542-08:00

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-12501363839063934272011-09-11T14:44:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:28.654-08:00

Here is my modest participation in International Rock Flipping Day. Nothing too exciting. Nothing I haven't seen before. a little darkling beetle  fossil-like white exoskeletons of sow bugs A black widow, with a small neighbor spider, perhaps another Theridion?Honestly, this is not the best time of year for looking under rocks at my house. Early spring would be better.  But at least there's

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-66372331894229796992011-09-10T15:20:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:28.757-08:00

I'll be back soon with my favorite spider picture of the week. In the meantime, here's a queen caterpillar.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-69405489055172273302011-09-10T15:16:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:28.882-08:00

The spider in these pictures is the same individual as the one on my blog header.  (For those of you that get Bug Safari in a reader, you may want to click over and see it.)  Anyhoo, in this shot, like the header photo, she was pretty fat.This shot was from yesterday. She is skinny now, and guarding an egg case.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-30106501295829547882011-09-10T15:06:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:28.996-08:00

This is the spider that has been making her web near my front porch for the past couple of weeks. The same spider whose web I rolled up into a tiny ball of silk as I pondered whether or not spiders really eat their own webs. Every evening, I have tried to take a few moments and watch her at her meticulous work. These pictures are not the sharpest, being hand held, with my little camera, at

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-47326803405205286692011-09-10T14:56:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:29.096-08:00

This is the spideriest time of year, and the spiders are at their most hideous and magnificent. So I can't resist them. Yesterday morning, as I stepped out on my back porch my eye caught an insect flying across the yard, its wings illuminated against the sun. I couldn't tell what it was at that distance, but my gaze followed it as it landed...right into a spider web!It was a bee, and it was

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-35598250808668180252011-09-08T12:57:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:29.202-08:00

This Sunday, Sept. 11 will be the 5th annual International Rock Flipping Day. So after you have had time to reflect on the solemn anniversary of a terrible day 10 years ago, why not change things up by going out in your back yard and turning over a rock or two, to see what's under there?More information here.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-45912385526567660472011-09-08T08:13:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:29.298-08:00

Remember my fork-tailed Furcula caterpillar? Well here he is, all grown up after 21 days in the cocoon. And easily identified to species. So now that I know him on a first and last name basis, it's time to say goodbye. I got this rather owlish-looking shot of the face when the moth spread its antennas and the wings started fluttering. Moments later, it flew away.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-41650320189005184312011-09-07T23:07:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:29.399-08:00

I have these tiny spiders living on the brickwork of my front porch.  They build their tiny webs in the recesses of the mortar between the bricks.  They have very round abdomens with a white "moustache" on top of a mottled pattern.Yesterday, I noticed that one tiny spider mama had a new bunch of super-teeny tiny pink babies.  And what was even more interesting was that they seemed to be feeding

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-3692932374637521442011-09-04T10:37:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:29.503-08:00

Commomly called the torpedo bug. Finding out the scientific name, Siphanta acuta, somehow had the side effect of getting the Lion King song "Hakuna Matata" stuck in my head.  But it doesn't take much to get a song stuck in my head.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-42633930472490356512011-09-04T10:14:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:29.622-08:00

These shiny green beetles, Cotinis mutabilis, seem to be everywhere lately. In fruit trees, to be sure, but they are also flying everywhere else, and they are low and slow. Their choice of resting spot seems to change as they age, from up in the trees near their food, to pretty much wherever they land. Often they end up shrubs very close to the ground.Makes it easy to see them up close and

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-46836047040930992542011-09-02T15:12:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:29.734-08:00

I've heard that they do.  And I've seen spiders appearing to be eating their webs. So last week, when I was at the arboretum, pointing out to visitors a huge and beautiful garden spider spinning her web between two trees, I didn't hesitate to say yes when a lady asked, "Is it true that they sometimes eat their webs?"Now, I'm not so sure. I have been doing a fair amount of spider-watching lately.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-29058959892493165472011-09-02T15:06:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:29.849-08:00

It sounds like some kind of cute bath product for kids, but soapberry bugs are another name for the seed-eating hemipterans (true bugs) like the boxelder and red-shouldered bugs that we often see in large numbers at the arboretum. Soapberry bugs even have their own website with lots of pictures and information about them.And the soapberry bug people have deemed one of my photos of a

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-40254772972998791152011-09-02T14:40:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:30.045-08:00

This would have been an anise swallowtail butterfly. For some reason, it was unable to fully emerge from the chrysalis.Nature can be tough sometimes.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-44956055857282107702011-08-19T13:40:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:30.306-08:00

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-58322807414615699672011-08-19T13:37:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:30.478-08:00

The trail began here, where I noticed a pair of dead bees laying side by side on a broad leaf.A few inches above them was another leaf, and another dead bee. I knew what must be lurking nearby, so I looked farther up on the plant, directly up from the bees, and sure enough, there she was.A Green Lynx spider, with her latest victim.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-87701437187102291152011-08-18T19:46:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:30.624-08:00

Is it just me, or does a mantis seem to look you right in the eye? And not only that, depending on the position of its head, or my position relative to its head, the expressions seem to change. I can see it in these photos, and I captioned each one based on the expression I saw:beguilingmischievouswaryattentiveperkycrafty (like a fox)Oh, and by the way, those little black dots in the eyes? The

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-46564312044026881592011-08-18T19:32:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:30.748-08:00

It's been ages since I posted photos of praying mantids. But now that they've reached what I like to call "the fun size", I made the effort to take some pictures.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-27884235654888774972011-08-18T19:24:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:31.085-08:00

This morningStemapods crossed for luck. The caterpillar actually kind of folded them up against himself as he was building his cocoon. Here's a little video of him in action.And here's the finished product! I'll update when the moth comes out.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-35848303476573635252011-08-18T09:58:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:31.382-08:00

The late summer heat has the hemizonia patch at the arboretum in full bloom, or maybe just a bit beyond.  It's also in full stink.  This plant is nicknamed "tarweed" with good reason.  It has an unmistakable aroma that entices from afar, but becomes less pleasant once it gets on my hands and my clothes.  But I continue to venture into the smelliness to get a closer look at the bugs!Just like last

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-21771646191231522772011-08-17T23:23:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:31.580-08:00

Early this morning, I came upon a life and death drama on a small scale.  A sowbug killer spider (Dysdera crocata) was trapped in the web of a brown widow spider, (Latrodectus geometricus).  Sow bug killers live under rocks and eat isopods, (you know, "roly-polies".)   In a small corner of my patio, the big orange spider was probably creeping along the base of the wall hunting for one of the many

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-56351996287204797272011-08-16T18:34:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:31.774-08:00

Last week, I was concentrating on the south end of the park.  This morning I was at the north end.   I can't cover it all in one go. I'm too slow, and there is a lot of ground to explore.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-21904093092429677912011-08-16T17:57:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:32.041-08:00

Found her while sweeping my bug net over the grass at the park. I thought she had a pretty, tapestry-like pattern on her abdomen.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-21994110680055012332011-08-13T19:49:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:32.221-08:00

There are some cottonwood sprouts growing in and along the creek. I don't know if they are from seeds, or from the roots of nearby trees, but there are a lot of them, and I know they are likely to be mowed down at any time.I don't know how I managed to see this caterpillar, or several of his relatives, but they are living and feeding on the cottonwood leaves.I had never seen this kind of

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-14025492011866475902011-08-13T19:07:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:32.398-08:00

I live just a few blocks from a county regional park.   It has acres of grassy lawn, 3 baseball diamonds, 3 playgrounds, a lake, and paved walking trails.  My favorite trails are the unpaved ones that lead to the furthest reaches of the park, where not so many people go, and the signs warn of coyotes and rattlesnakes.  This is where I collected my tree frog eggs in the spring, and where I later

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-36397030664186696962011-08-11T07:50:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:32.564-08:00

In answer to Tracie's question about whether the female green lynx "gets skinny after bearing children," yes she does!I looked back through my old posts, sure that I must have posted a picture of a skinny spider-mama, but I couldn't find one on the blog. I did have one on my computer, though. From November 2003!After she lays her eggs, she will stay with the egg case and guard it. Even after

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-36809447546810657382011-08-10T08:26:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:32.697-08:00

If I'm not sure of the gender of a particular bug that I've found, I usually default to "he".  I collectively call bugs "these guys", knowing there may well be girls among them.  It's usually good enough for me. But when I'm certain of the sex, I will try to specify male or female.Take this guy, for example.  He's a male Green Lynx spider.  I can tell he's a male because his body is smaller and

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-58568345520638450932011-08-09T14:51:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:32.820-08:00

I actually started out looking for a little praying mantis that I'd seen on my oregano plant recently. I didn't find him, but I did notice a little green caterpillar that blended in amazingly well with the little flower heads, now setting seed. Can you see him in there? I'll give you a hint: There's an ant on him.OK, here he is close up, and still with his entourage. (or should I say

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-67380809360863799052011-08-09T14:32:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:32.936-08:00

This was on my oregano. Last week's pink and white spider is here, in case you missed it.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-21794062203874713082011-08-09T14:20:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:33.058-08:00

For several days now, I have been checking mornings and evenings, and sometimes in between, for the emergence of the moth that was once my tomato hornworm. This morning, there he was!  A Carolina Sphinx moth, Manduca sexta.I managed to pry him off of the screen top and he settled on the floor of the cage with his wings so beautifully spread to reveal the orange spots.Looking a bit disheveled

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-12507146532058274432011-08-07T23:02:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:33.176-08:00

This is a Quillaja brasiliensis tree at the arboretum.  I sure do like the starry little flowers it makes.Just another example of nature making its own art.The bees like it too.A bee for every flower, and a flower for every bee!

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-23712685217202217242011-08-07T11:44:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:33.283-08:00

I am always ready to see something new, and this week I saw two new-to-me bugs! I spent quite a few hours at the arboretum this past week, scouting for bugs for our bug safari tour that we had yesterday.First, I found this pretty little crab spider. I'm pretty sure it's genus Mecaphesa.Then, I saw this moth on the side of the pavilion classroom. I had never seen it before, and then I saw 2 more

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-12153034039006499922011-08-07T11:27:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:33.391-08:00

The chocolate and vanilla swirls on this pretty owlet moth make me want a hot fudge sundae.I will add an ID when/if I find one, but it's an armyworm or cutworm moth, most likely.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-17848319672205241672011-08-07T11:24:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:33.500-08:00

Ever see these things around your house? They look like little gray seeds, laying innocently among the dirt and stuff on your porch or patio.They have tiny caterpillars inside.This is the larva of the case bearing moth, Phereoeca uterella, and right now I am finding them around my house. From their BugGuide page: The larval case is silk-lined inside and open at both ends. The case is

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-83612578314513121492011-08-02T09:45:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:33.611-08:00

Last week, I had a chance to go to Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and see their Butterfly Pavilion. Inside the large screened-tent enclosure were lots of local butterflies. One in particular, the Pipevine Swallowtail, is more localized than local. They manage to keep a small population going with a few Aristolochia californica, California pipevine plants.This is a very cool-looking

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-45922100394177057622011-08-02T09:24:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:33.720-08:00

In my front yard the other day, a robber fly, Mallophora fautrix with a bee it had caught.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-35878594508493229632011-07-24T18:43:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:33.818-08:00

I saw a couple of these moths flying temptingly just beyond my reach, but managed to get a few pictures, and an ID. Ctenucha moth.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-46075677487722655282011-07-24T18:39:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:33.919-08:00

On a dewy morning along the boardwalk at Moonstone beach.And a dry one nearby.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-38465339995849005612011-07-24T18:36:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:34.025-08:00

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-26400208898013650822011-07-24T18:33:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:34.128-08:00

I didn't even realize it when I took this picture, but there is a caterpillar resting in the spokes of this horsetail plant. It seems to have too many prolegs for a lepidoptera, so it might be a sawfly larva.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-66859341498509094832011-07-24T18:26:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:34.231-08:00

This was a pretty good-sized beetle. (It would have been shrimpy next to that prionus beetle, though!) It was hard getting a good shot of it in the dark. If you look carefully, you'll see little brown ovals around his head. I'll warn you now, there's a yucky shot coming up.******This beetle is beset with parasites. Ticks? Mites? Something like that. Icky.Update!  Thanks to this post by

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-7255409571239858502011-07-24T15:46:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:34.333-08:00

Of course, I brought along my humble black light and my sheet, figuring there would be a good spot to set it up outside out rented guest house. The best option turned out to be replacing the bulb of their back deck light with my black light bulb, and draping my sheet just beneath it.This is it. Tacky, but effective.There were plenty more moths nearby, but not on the sheet.I have several shots

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-3772835508811455962011-07-24T15:26:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:34.436-08:00

There were a few together on this one little plant.They were busy eating the bright yellow flowers.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-50314189494067217212011-07-24T15:20:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:34.538-08:00

Very close to where we stayed in Cambria is the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. Its trails run from the forest to the ocean (which sounds far, but actually, part of the magic of this place is that the forest is so close to the ocean!)Poison oak abounds. Made for a lot of walking with my hands very close to my body.One of the first bugs I found was this very large prionus beetle, laying right in the

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-66496967002292989602011-07-14T22:27:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:34.638-08:00

Here's a little peek at my tomato hornworm pupa.I really wanted to dig him up and show him to you, faithful readers. But he was very upset at being disturbed and was twisting and writhing terribly at being exposed, so this was as far as I got before I re-buried him.  Here is an excellent photo from alletahg's Flickr page of what I just can't show you right now.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-57942734218520800612011-07-14T22:10:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:34.745-08:00

...as an ornamental plant and a caterpillar host plant :)I don't know what possessed me to plant oregano. I haven't really used much of it in the kitchen. Meanwhile, it's growing like crazy and made beautiful flowers. So even if I don't cook with it, I have a lovely herbal bouquet!I was delighted to find this caterpillar, most likely from a moth, on the flowering stem.Love the color match!

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-13318357055850546862011-07-09T22:52:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:34.854-08:00

This little geometer moth was in my house, on the stained glass panel on my front door.Another view after he fluttered to a different spot.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-76107369901980974802011-07-09T22:48:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:34.964-08:00

These little suckers (as in: they suck the juices out of other bugs) have always been hard for me to photograph because they always see me coming and duck around the back of the stem or leaf they're on. It doesn't help that they're also very small and delicate, so all in all, this picture came out pretty good.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-64035773790726010122011-07-09T22:00:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:35.067-08:00

My tomato hornworm has gone under the soil to pupate, but before he did, I took some pictures.Aaah! Look at his jaws!Measuring him the morning before he went underground.Contemplating one last leaf. (and he ate it, too.)I have a thing for caterpillar prolegs. Look at the velcro-like grippers on those things! (The better to hang on to the tomato plant, dearie.)And when they don't have a tomato

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-78480234237221732532011-07-03T22:49:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:35.366-08:00

My hornworm continues to eat and grow, and now he's reached the huge, bloated size that simultaneously fascinates me and makes me gag a little. It doesn't help that, as big as he is, he absolutely hates being messed with, which makes it hard to take pictures of him. Whatever he's doing, (well, he's pretty much just EATING,) he will stop when I approach him. If I dare to try and re-position him

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-17498562374060178442011-07-03T22:21:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:35.508-08:00

I saw this cute little pink inchworm in my neighbor's rose this morning. Look how he's all stretched out to the max, his head in the nutritious pollen, his tiny rear prolegs stretched out waaay behind him.A different inchworm in a similar position, taken last week. And this one has some kind of other little bug that looks like it's checking out his toes, but he doesn't seem to notice. So why

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-23190562243665798772011-07-03T21:58:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:35.628-08:00

There she was, perched smartly on top of a sage flower. Then, off she flew. I waited for a moment, because these bugs have a tendency to fly around a little and then land back in the same spot. Sure enough, she came back to a flower just inches away. It looked like her mouth was moving. After I took her picture, I could see that she was chewing on a little bug of some kind. Guess she just

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-76078210056235276782011-06-29T14:47:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:35.740-08:00

A few of the leaders of our summer camp decided it would be fun to hand out little prizes to the kids, and they stocked up on all kinds of cheap doodads from the dollar store. Of course this one immediately caught my attention.How cute is this? It's a mini bug-house you wear on a wristband. I wonder if it would fit on my wrist?Love the silly artwork on the package.  It has no actual watch parts

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-28819528446223176102011-06-29T06:52:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:35.839-08:00

The kids found this bug at camp the other day, and it was a new one for me. It's a rough stinkbug, genus Brochymena.  I brought it home to ID and take pictures of it.You can see its mouth, a long piercing-sucking "needle".  Like all true bugs, it pokes its mouth into the food and sucks the juices out.  It was very unhappy in the little container that I brought it home in, and had no food.  I

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-20020263025224997582011-06-26T21:57:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:35.943-08:00

It didn't take me long to identify this as a Southern Purple Mint Moth, Pyrausta laticlavia.   Hmmm... We're not in a southern state, I think it looks more pink than purple, and it's probably feeding on something other than mint, so what's in a name?

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-56977088080851669782011-06-26T21:47:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:36.045-08:00

Two weeks old, and he's already getting big and fat. Don't worry, he'll get even bigger and fatter before he's done.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-30359296039406041682011-06-26T21:45:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:36.151-08:00

I've been pretty busy the past couple of weeks. I'm right in the middle of summer camp at the arboretum. The few bug pictures I've managed to take have just been sitting on my computer. Hopefully, I'll have more posts soon! Hope everyone's summer is off to a great start. Thanks for stopping by!

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-32842208045991899112011-06-15T21:23:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:36.284-08:00

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-54207318163054042742011-06-14T11:39:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:36.386-08:00

They are three weeks old. I think they must almost be ready to fly.Here's a brief video from the other day, when the mama was feeding them. They're as big as she is now. I can't imagine what a hard job that must be for a little bird.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-15803513512012526452011-06-14T11:29:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:36.518-08:00

He's about 3 days old now.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-26736693186885136982011-06-13T22:45:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:36.627-08:00

I have been waiting since Novemberber for my giant swallowtail chrysalis to hatch. I got to the point that I felt it might happen at any time, and I began to leave the net butterfly cage open, so that if it did come out some time when I was not there, it could be free to fly away. And that's what it did over the weekend.Hard to tell, but this is just the empty shell.  Here's what it looked like

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-48061271608809903482011-06-11T17:57:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:36.767-08:00

More from my arboretum pre-hunt. Larval lepidoptera of one sort or another.No name for the caterpillar or the flower bud, but they are a perfect match.The hemizonia plants have sprouted, and the caterpillars have returned to eat them.There are still a few monarch caterpillars to be found.Inchworm. (Maybe half-inch. He was pretty tiny)Fat green looper.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-66071932115027257832011-06-11T17:48:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:36.889-08:00

We are having what we call "June Gloom" here in SoCal. Cool overcast days. Maybe some drizzle. The sun breaks through, oh, maybe 2PM or so. Not the best bug-finding weather. The butterflies are all sleeping somewhere. Even the bees are less abundant. But there are still insects to be found. Yesterday, I did a little advance scouting for today's bug safari tour at the arboretum. Here's

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-41669777789293329672011-06-11T17:16:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:37.005-08:00

Ever see one of these? The first time I saw one was when we first moved to Fullerton. I thought it was some kind of slug. In fact, I called it a "mystery slug". It wasn't until years later that I found it online and learned it's a flatworm. A land planarian, Bipalium kewense. They live in dark, moist places in the garden, under rocks and such. And they eat earthworms. You can find more

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-57965729239724144122011-06-06T21:38:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:37.111-08:00

Their eyes are open now.And their beaks are getting longer.  It's hard to say exactly how big these babies are, but their little bodies are packed tightly into the nest with their heads poking out.  They're probably at least half or two-thirds the size of their mama now.I'm afraid to get close up to the nest anymore. I don't want to scare them. So I'm taking most of the pictures through my

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-91774839255495583642011-06-06T21:29:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:37.220-08:00

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-85655911037930991792011-06-05T11:25:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:37.320-08:00

Thanks to Bug Girl for alerting me to these free downloadable Bug Bingo cards.   I'm passing it along because it looks like a fun activity for kids, and could be the beginning of  many backyard bug safaris to come!

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-36723597014553558292011-06-03T19:53:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:37.431-08:00

Photos taken yesterday, babies were 11 days old, (I think):This is kind of a weird angle, huh?  They're too big to fit those beaks in the nest anymore, so they keep them pointing up now.And, as you will see, Mama hummer is still ramming the food down into their little gullets. But the babies are a lot bigger than they were in my first video.Oh, and in answer to LyndsayB, the nest is in a

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-13568057862100961912011-06-03T18:32:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:37.554-08:00

There were a number of these beetles in the rotten logs. Maybe half an inch long, and faster than the centipede. This one only stopped when he thought I couldn't see him against the inside of the container lid.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-70986311186618570712011-06-03T18:28:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:37.671-08:00

He did everything he could to hide from me.The only way I could get a picture of his whole self was to put him in a container where he had no place to hide, and hope he would hold still for a few seconds.I'd say he was about 1¾ inches long and very fast moving. I have not had good luck with little centipedes. They seem to die very quickly when removed from their dark, damp hiding place. So

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-50874348181772992462011-06-03T18:16:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:37.777-08:00

I needed some well decomposed logs to prepare for a hands-on activity during our upcoming summer camp at the arboretum.  My own personal little stash is just about gone, used up over the years in my demonstration of "how the rainforest recycles itself".So some of my arboretum friends have provided some old rotten logs for me, and in one box-full yesterday I was lucky to find some buggy stow-aways

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-79840708460197054902011-06-01T09:05:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:37.928-08:00

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-52413009669914255092011-05-31T19:35:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:38.036-08:00

Look how much they've grown since the day they hatched.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-34760939012206470412011-05-31T19:31:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:38.205-08:00

I didn't know it until I looked it up, but this is a carpenter bee. It's tiny, not like those big black ones that usually come to mind when I think of carpenter bees. Maybe only about 1/4 inch long.  I'm pretty sure this one is Ceratina arizonensis.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-80779321166450009802011-05-31T19:24:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:38.313-08:00

When I came across this funny looking little bug, looking down on it's fat bottom, I thought it was a spider trying to hide from me. I didn't have my glasses, so I couldn't really see it very well.I had to rely on my camera to focus where my eyes could not. Viewing the image on the screen of my camera, I was still mystified. What's with those wings? Surely it can't actually fly. I tried to

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-62575256665943544512011-05-31T19:09:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:38.415-08:00

Another trip through the Thorn Forest, another little spider. This is a male western lynx, I think.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-5952779816747779492011-05-26T07:56:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:38.529-08:00

Her beak is so long. The babies are so tiny. How does she do it??I was able to capture this video through my bathroom window. Again, the camera is up higher than my head, and I can see through the little LCD screen on the back of the camera, rather than looking directly out the window. I'm pretty sure the hummingbird doesn't notice, or at least is not bothered by the appearance of a little

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-67080112945098227912011-05-25T21:07:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:38.636-08:00

It's been a long, slow spring. Finally, the bugs of summer are beginning to show themselves at the arboretum.In the thorn forest, under the kapok tree, there are tiny green creatures to be found.A little green lynx, as vivid as the leaf it's sitting on.It was here that I finally saw my first baby mantids of the season at the arboretum.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-36438435683354546892011-05-25T20:56:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:38.738-08:00

We have lots of these deceptively cute but highly invasive little flowers popping up along the edges of the trails in certain parts of the arboretum.When the flowers die, they leave round seed heads that explode into tiny, fluffy, cottony seeds.Lots of seeds.I saw a cute little stinkbug nymph on one dead flower head.and lots of super-tiny seed bugs on another.

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480359558990462585.post-82877049944126885042011-05-24T21:22:00.000-07:002011-11-08T23:35:38.913-08:00

This was taken this morning. You can see their crops were full. The crop is like a pouch in the throat that the mama bird packs with food. So it looks like they're being fed OK. I found a website all about hummingbirds, and according to what I read, the mama bird still spends a lot of time sitting on the nest to keep these tiny, naked babies warm. This definitely goes along with what I have

Debianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02099954046097588008noreply@blogger.com0