Pollinator Posts by May Chen

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.

I love the open vistas at Inspiration Point in the Berkeley hills, but invariably my attention is drawn to the human impacts on the landscape.  Why has this large Coyote Brush, Baccharis pilularis next to

It’s 11:40 am when I reach our Pale Swallowtail B2’s coffeeberry.  I have a terrible time locating the caterpillar as it is hidden in dappled shade at this hour.  I am glad that its home

To avoid the heat, I take my walk in the Reinhardt Regional Park in the shade of redwood trees this morning.  Near the entrance a perfect orb web over the Nine Bark by the paved

Brush clearing is probably still going on at the Skyline Gardens, so I decide to go for a walk at Inspiration Point instead. Before I even step through the entrance gate, I put my hands

Some of the larger, older Coffeeberry shrubs are still holding on to their ripening berries.  I don’t see much fruit set on the younger shrubs. Why? A male Western Calligrapher, Toxomerus occidentalis (family Syrphida) has landed on

Hey, our Pale Swallowtail caterpillar B2 on the Coffeeberry leaf has turned around to face away again.  It looks rather elongated today, with the white marking on the back stretching apart and fading.   It’s

What a cutie!  Our Pale Swallowtail caterpillar B2 has turned around on its home leaf on the Coffeeberry shrub to face the front, giving me a better look at its false eye-spots.  The fake eyes

A crisp, cool morning at Skyline Gardens. Our little Pale Swallowtail caterpillar B2 no longer resembles bird poop today.  Its brown body has acquired a faint blue cast.   Pale Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon Lucas, 1852

Our little Pale Swallowtail caterpillar B2 is almost completely green today, just as Alan has predicted! Pale Swallowtail Papilio eurymedon Lucas, 1852 | Butterflies and Moths of North America A large orb web is strung

Ooh, our Pale Swallowtail caterpillar B2 is still on its home leaf, basking in the sun!  Its silk pad on the Coffeeberry leaf has dried out nicely.  It amazes me that the little thing can

The air has been scrubbed clean by the light rain early this morning.  It’s exhilarating to see the garden refreshed after the long, parched summer. Arriving at the Coffeeberry shrub, Frangula californica, it’s a delight