otus-scops: Callophrys rubi / La Thècle de la ronce / l’Argus…
Wednesday, August 14th, 2019Callophrys rubi / La Thècle de la ronce / l’Argus vert
Mai 2019.
Causse Méjean, France.
Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/187010289571.
lies: Sometimes when I’m birdwatching Important Update:I didn’t want to bother this butterfly at…
Wednesday, May 8th, 2019lies:
Important Update:
I didn’t want to bother this butterfly at the time, and shoving my phone at it to snap the photo was already potentially bothersome, so I left it alone without waiting to get a look at the upper surface of its wings. But it has come to my attention (thanks to a helpful user on bugguide) that this was probably a Silvery Blue, which means this is what I would have seen had I waited:
Image by Wikipedia user D. Gordon E. Robertson.
Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/184713242331.
Sometimes when I’m birdwatching
Monday, May 6th, 2019bugkeeping:Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus
Monday, April 22nd, 2019Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus
Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/184366659127.
bugkeeping:Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus
Monday, April 22nd, 2019A Sweet Story
Sunday, March 17th, 2019Once upon a time (November 2017), I came upon a large hive covered in lovely stripey friends, and I took a photo. Unfortunately, I was still new to my camera, and I didn’t realize until I uploaded the photos that my focus depth was off. Oh no!
I uploaded my photos to iNaturalist, identified the friends as honeybees, and went on my way. Except, I was told that this was not a honeybee nest, and the bees had likely made this hive a temporary home while searching for a new one.
Unsatisfied, I returned the next day, determined to get better photos of the nest. I got them.
They weren’t bees temporarily taking up residence in an abandoned paper wasp nest. They were Mexican Honey Wasps, who make a big, elaborate paper nests. And also, honey. Yes, wasps that eat honey. Oh yeah, and they also eat pest insects that damage food crops, and it’s believed that these wasps were responsible for pollinating avocados before honeybees were introduced from Europe.
But anyway, I’m digressing.
I don’t see these wasps very often. Besides on that nest, I haven’t really seen them elsewhere.
Until earlier this week. Guess who visited my garden?
I have an Elderberry bush baby growing (it’s not even a year old yet). And it would appear that Elderberry plants have nectaries–those little knobby things where the leaves attach to the stem by my fingers are the nectaries. Think of nectaries as little plant nipples that let insects drink nectar direct from the tap. Ants and wasps can’t get enough of them. While I was taking these pictures, I had two other wasp species wandering through this bush for the nectaries!
But that wasp up there?
Going to town on the nectaries here?
Mexican Honey Wasp
I’m going to be so excited if their nest ends up being in my yard! They’d be smart to put one in there! So many bugs for them to eat! So much delicious nectar!
I love my yard. I’m at 989 species right now. So close to 1,000.
March 17, 2019
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/183515269366.
Sometimes when I’m birdwatching
Tuesday, December 25th, 2018nanonaturalist: This handsome man stole my heart! Tarantula…
Tuesday, December 18th, 2018This handsome man stole my heart!
Tarantula Hawk wasp, seen at Lake Travis outside Austin, TX
August 4 / Posted October 2, 2018
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/181227696067.
brooklynbridgebirds:Ruby-crowned KingletBrooklyn Bridge Park,…
Monday, December 10th, 2018Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/180987640735.
damianward:Chalkhill Blue
Friday, November 30th, 2018Sometimes when I’m birdwatching
Monday, November 26th, 2018Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) and Honey Bee (Apis…
Saturday, October 27th, 2018Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) and Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Gobernador Canyon Road, 2018-10-26
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/179485051316.
debunkshy: QueenPedernales Falls SP, TX20 May 2018
Friday, October 19th, 2018Queen
Pedernales Falls SP, TX
20 May 2018
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/179223188671.
nanonaturalist: Inktober: Day 3Day 3 Prompt: Aquatic. Model is this Mayfly nymph from Bastrop…
Thursday, October 4th, 2018Inktober: Day 3
Day 3 Prompt: Aquatic.
Model is this Mayfly nymph from Bastrop County, TX last spring [iNat link]
From @six-legs-and-more’s list
October 4, 2018 (liar!)
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/178745482806.
dendroica:Summer Azure, Celastrina neglecta (by me)
Thursday, September 20th, 2018Summer Azure, Celastrina neglecta (by me)
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/178289331257.
90377: Azuré by Marc Andreu
Monday, September 10th, 2018perpetuallytransient: Rabbitbrush Leaf Beetle (Trirhabda…
Friday, September 7th, 2018Rabbitbrush Leaf Beetle (Trirhabda nitidicollis)
These look very similar to the Coyote Brush Leaf Beetles (Trirhabda flavolimbata) that I see a lot around here.
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/177843986567.
90377: Bend under the weight by Marc Andreu
Thursday, September 6th, 2018emerald-of-the-eight:A lovely green hairstreak butterfly…
Monday, July 9th, 2018A lovely green hairstreak butterfly [Callophrys rubi] found in Castle Point Borough, England, by photographer
Paul Scott. Fun fact: the genus Callophrys is Greek for “beautiful eyebrows”.
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/175727605186.