My favorite two flowers, or flower categories, when it comes to photographing the bugs they attract, are the daisies and the various species of milkweeds. My first bug-on-daisy of the year, taken a few days ago by the side of Golden Eagle Avenue, is the one above with some sort of fly on it. I've photographed this type of fly in years past, but have never identified it. It looks similar to those hard-biting horse flies and deer flies, but this one has never seemed interested in me, so maybe it's a pollen-eater and not a flesh-eater.
A short while later, I found my first Checkered Clerid beetle of the season on another daisy. Then, around a week later, out by Oakland Camp, I found my first Goldenrod Crab Spider (white phase)
on yet another daisy at the edge of the road. This one was aware of my approaching camera and poised for attack in case I happened t be an edible insect. I teased her a little with my finger and she
darted for cover beneath the petals. To follow the action, I had to lie on the ground. It was cold, so I cut the drama short. Looking forward to many more opportunities to observe and photograph this beautiful spider, including some in the yellow phase.
As for the milkweed family, now combined with the dogbanes as Family Apocynaceae, their season is just getting started. The Purple Milkweed (above), also known as Heart-leaf Mikweed, is just beginning to bloom around Oakland Camp, and is attracting a few beetles. The Narrow-leaf Milkweed growing nearby has lots of buds but probably at least another week until blooming. I've seen the Showy Milkweed at several places around Oakland Camp and the greater American Valley. Some have barely broken ground, while others have buds. They'll be the last to bloom. The Indian Hemp have very early buds while the Spreading Dogbane have some flowers but not nearly as plentiful as in some years. It might be early yet, or they might be experiencing trauma from the recent years of drought.
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