Pollinator Posts by May Chen
Ooh, I can recognize that square-headed black wasp now – it is an Aphid Wasp, Pomphredon sp. (family Crabronidae). It is in the same patch of California Mugwort, Artemisia douglasiana where I first saw it
This afternoon I decide to walk the section of Skyline Trail south of Siesta Gate. There are the usual hover flies foraging on the Golden Yarrow, Eriophyllum confertiflorum. This one is a female Diamond Spottail,
At Siesta Nose, the Naked Buckwheat, Eriogonum nudum is in bud, ready to break into bloom. The iridescent blue beetles are already on the plants! There was a big outbreak of these Flea Beetles, Altica
Ooh, all the berries on the Osoberry, Oemleria cerasiformis have fully ripened! The 1/2 inch fruit of Osoberry, numbering up to 5 per flower, start out tan to pale orange, transition through pink to reddish purple, then
A black beetle is resting motionless between the flowers of California Phacelia, Phacelia californica. Not wanting to disturb the beetle, I tag the plant with a piece of red yarn. I’ll check on the beetle
The Painted Lady caterpillars on the Cobweb Thistles are not faring well. Most of their nests on the leaves have been breached. The silk webbings have been torn open, and the caterpillars are missing.
A tiny beetle seems to be scavenging for pollen on a Sticky Monkeyflower, Diplacus aurantiacus. A Soft-wing Flower Beetle (family Melyridae, subfamily Dasytinae)? Dasytinae is a subfamily of Soft-wing Flower Beetles (family Melyridae), historically
Most of the small insects visiting the Sticky Monkeyflowers, Diplacus aurantiacus today are the Masked Bees, Hylaeus sp. (family Colletidae). These were hardly seen earlier in cooler weather. Hylaeus (family Colletidae) are shiny, slender,
The Red-backed Jumping Spider, Phidippus johnsoni (family Salticidae) runs for cover as soon as she senses my approach to the California Phacelia inflorescence she is sitting on. Then, all of a sudden, Spidey turns
Ooh, what a treat to see a sparkling jewel of a bee foraging on the California Phacelia flowers, Phacelia californica. It is a Mason Bee in the genus Osmia (family Megachilidae). Osmia tends to have
Entering Skyline Gardens from the Steam Train entrance this sunny morning, I am greeted by a blooming Cobweb Thistle, Cirsium occidentale by the steps. There seems to be some small insects in the flowerhead. That’s
A female Snakefly, Agulla sp. (family Raphidiidae) is perched on the flower buds of California Bee Plant, Scrophularia californica. Snakeflies are a group of predatory insects comprising the order Raphidioptera. They are a relict
In the dappled shade along Skyline Trail, the fruits of a female Osoberry, Oemleria cerasiformis are ripening in a delightful assortment of colors.The 1/2 inch fruit of Osoberry, numbering up to 5 per flower, start out
What a surprise and delight to see my old friend, the American Lady caterpillar. It is back on its host plant, the California Everlasting, Pseudognaphalium californicum, the same one with the collapsed caterpillar nest. The
A robust Deervetch, Lotus corniculatus (family Fabaceae) that has grown through the asphalt of the road near Siesta Gate is blooming gloriously. A Yellow-faced Bumble Bee, Bombus vosnesenskii is working through the flowers with gusto.
A few small bees are flying around, visiting the California Bee Plant flowers. Occasionally they would land on the foliage and spread eagle against the leaves to bask in the sunlight – a rather endearing
It’s been a while since I last explored the stretch of Skyline Trail from the Steam Train entrance. I decide to make a visit this afternoon. A Soft-bodied Plant Beetle, Dascillus davidsoni (family Dasciilidae)
1:07 pm. Just about 50 steps uphill from Siesta Gate, I spot a parasitoid wasp moving around on an inflorescence of California Phacelia, Phacelia californica. Having observed a female lay eggs only ten days
Further up the hill, I find another red-and-black wasp. This one is considerably larger, and colored a deeper red than the Braconid wasps I have been observing earlier. It is a female, as evidenced by
Sticky Monkeyflower, Diplacus aurantiacus is blooming gloriously along Skyline Trail overlooking the fog-shrouded Siesta Valley down below. Hey, a day doesn’t go by now when I don’t find an Ant-mimic Plant Bug nymph,
It is still foggy in the hills when I get to Diablo Bend around noon. The Silverleaf Lupine, Lupinus albifrons is producing a healthy crop of pea pods, despite the low number of bumble bee
I have not expected the place to be so foggy and cold when I arrive at Siesta Gate at 9:30 am . Will I see anything in this fog? Will photography be possible? A Convergent
2:30 pm. A Small-headed Fly, Eulonchus sp. (family Acroceridae) is sheltering in a flower of the Sticky Monkeyflower, Diplacus aurantiacus. As far as is known, all Acroceridae are parasitoids of spiders. Not just any spiders,
Waiting for the clouds to clear, I don’t get to Siesta Gate until 2:30 pm. A loud buzzing around a California Phacelia, Phacelia californica alerts me to the presence of a Digger Bee, Anthophora sp. (family