Pollinator Posts by May Chen
Serendipitously I find my way to the raised bulb bed in the botanic garden. There aren’t many things in bloom right now. The most eye-catching are the attractive flowers of Shooting Stars, Primula sp. (formerly
This is the first clear, sunny day after the deluge from the atmospheric river that lasted days. I sprint out the door and head to the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Gardens after breakfast.
Hello, who’s this draped over a stem of Coyote Brush? It appears to be a Camel Cricket, a nocturnal insect in the family Rhaphidophoridae, order Orthoptera. I’m not sure if the motionless insect is asleep
Taking advantage of a warm sunny day, I walk Skyline Trail south of Siesta Gate today, the section that I didn’t cover yesterday. My focus is on the California Bay Laurel, Umbellularia californica, hoping to find
Counting on no rain today, I set out to explore the northern section of Skyline Trail, hoping to see some early blooms. Soon after entering the cattle gate at the Steam Train entrance, I
There are several species of mosses within this small area along the trail. See the dark patches that look like someone has spilled grease on the mosses? Actually the dark patches are not mosses. They
On this overcast winter day after a series of rains, I meet with a couple of friends for a short walk at Leona Canyon Open Space Regional Preserve up in the Oakland hills. The restored
To avoid the muddy trails after the rains, I walk the paved road at Skyline Gardens this morning. It is overcast and cold. In the distance, Mt. Diablo appears as an island floating in a
A colony of little honey-colored mushrooms have sprouted from the old wood chips along the paved road. They are likely to be Twiglets, Tubaria sp. (family Tubariaceae), often with the partial veil adhering to the margin.
It wasn’t until I came back from a walk this afternoon that I noticed the bumble bees in my garden, buzzing around the blooming Manzanitas. Most of them are Black-tailed Bumble Bees, of various sizes.
The mosses on the tree trunks are a vibrant green this morning. We had almost an inch of rain at Skyline Gardens yesterday. With high hopes of seeing termite swarms this warm, calm morning, I
With my eyes glued to the ground to avoid stepping on the termites , I discover a fresh hole at the edge of the trail, about the diameter of a penny. It appears that soil
Skyline Trail at Siesta Nose is littered with termite wings. What happened? I spot an occasional termite alate on the ground twisting and turning, contorting its body to the extreme. Is it having difficulty launching
There seems to be more insect activity on the mature Coyote Brush, Baccharis pilularis along Skyline Trail near the Steam Train entrance than anywhere else in the garden right now. I wonder why? Maybe less
I have sad news. When I check on our Pale Swallowtail caterpillar B2 this afternoon, I find its lifeless body still clinging to a leaf of its host Coffeeberry. B2 has been sick for a
It’s a clear crisp fall morning at Skyline Gardens. Our Pale Swallowtail caterpillar B2 is still on the same Coffeeberry stem, about 5 inches from the branch tip. At least it has emerged from
A Common Sickleleg, Asemosyrphus polygrammus (family Syrphidae) visits a Coyote Brush in bloom. Little information is available about this species of hover fly, except that the larvae are rat-tail maggots. Rat-tail maggots are the larval stage of
Our Pale Swallowtail caterpillar B2 has disappeared from its previous perch on its Coffeeberry host plant. It looks like it has eaten part of the leaf at the tip. It’s good to know that B2
Our Pale Swallowtail caterpillar B2 is no longer on the stem of Poison Oak it was on yesterday. It’s going to be a challenge finding this adventurous caterpillar on the move. Pale Swallowtail Papilio
A Funnel Weaver Spider (family Agelenidae) is resting on its horizontal web right outside its funnel retreat on a Coyote Brush, Baccharis pilularis. This is a rare sight, as these fast and elusive spiders are hardly
We had a sprinkling of rain last night, taking out every bit of pollution from the air. Aah! The mosses and lichens on the oak tree trunk have plumped and greened up with the moisture.
One of the most common flies in the garden, the Woodlouse Fly, Stevenia deceptoria (family Rhinophoridae) visits everything that is in bloom. I encounter these parasitoid flies more often than I see their host, the pill bugs.
What difference a day makes! We have gone from stifling heat to chilly overcast skies overnight. Not a good day to observe insects, I know, but the caterpillars would still be there! I decide to
9:05 am. Uh oh, where’s B2? Staring at its silk pad on the Coffeeberry leaf I have a sinking feeling. B2, our Pale Swallowtail caterpillar is not mature enough to go off to pupate yet.