We're having a really good crop of Western Pennyroyal around Quincy this year. It seems to be one plant that is responding favorably to drought conditions. Whenever I see the Pennyroyal blooming, I eagerly look forward to the arrival of the elegant Red-shouldered Ctenucha moth. So far, I have found other insects on the Pennyroyal.
In the photo below I found a Common Checkered Clerid beetle buried deeply in the cluster of flowers. I actually spread them a little to be able to photograph the beetle.
Nearby, I followed a Pale Swallowtail butterfly around the area for quite a while and got a few photos of it landing on Pennyroyal.
Then I consulted my blog archive and found that the Ctenuchas don't usually arrive here until July. The photo below was taken July 27, 2010. Gosh, it seems like yesterday, but it's been four years. So,
the whole month of July I'll be jumpy with anticipation. This is the type of critter that tempts me to get into video.
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