Making More Bugs, clarification

 Here's another view of 'plant bugs' that appeared in my last post.  This time they're mating on Sierra Currant.  I want to explain the name.  Plant Bug is a name that may be casually applied to any number of unrelated bugs that are often seen on plants.  However, it's also a more specific name applied to pentagon-shaped bugs in the Family Pentatomidae, which is the case with the ones I've pictured here and will show up again in Part 3 of this series.

The Small Milkweed Bug sown here is not just a small bug that appears on Milkweed.  In this case it is specifically Lygaeus kalmii, and is nearly always found on Showy Milkweed, Asclepias speciosa, although I have occasionally seen them on Narrow-leaf Milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis.

Note the butt-to-butt mating position all these bugs assume.  That raises the question o communication.  We humans tend to rely a lot on the visual sense for our communication, but with insects there can be smells that we can't smell, sounds that we can't hear, and perhaps senses that we haven't discovered.  The next set of photos will be of insects mating in positions more familiar to humans, for what that's worth.  It's all interesting.  And to some extent inspired by a cute little field guide I have called Six-legged Sex.  

Making More Bugs, Part 1

 Plume Moths on Milkweed.

 Some form of Hemiptera on Daisy.

 Small Milkweed Bugs on Milkweed

 Plant Bugs on Daisy.

 Cabbage Whites on Oregon Grape.

Possibly Harlequin Bugs on Daisy. 
I've gotten behind on posting my findings.  Lots of exciting things happening as new species of wildflowers bloom and attract new pollinators, and all this punctuated by the occasional surprise snake, lizard, frog, deer, or fox.  So far now bear or Mountain Lion sightings.  Hear daily reports from campers of Beaver sightings.  There will be three parts to this series on insects mating.  If I get questions or comments asking for more science, I'll do my best to respond.  But, meanwhile, just enjoy seeing our local biodiversity.

Risking Life and Limb for Wildflowers

 My wife and I drove to Chico this afternoon via the Feather River Canyon.  I had my camera on board, but not really much time to stop.  Nevertheless, I stressed my peripheral vision in hopes of spotting blooming wildflowers that compelled me to stop.  In several places I spotted Blazing Star and Hooker's Evening Primrose, but between curves and lack of space to pull over, I decided it was too dangerous to stop.  However, I promised myself that on the way back I'd drive slower and get a few photos.  I haven't seen the two flowers mentioned since last summer and forget that they close up in the afternoon.  Just as I gave up the idea of doing photography in the canyon, I spotted a shiny green bush with lots of red blossoms.  I wondered, could it be the Spice Bush which I hadn't seen for a couple of years?  I drove through the tunnels, doubled back, and doubled back again, trying to find a safe place to park.  I did drive by the bush slowly enough to confirm that it was indeed Spice Bush.  The photo above is a bud, and the one below is in full bloom.

 The last photo is of the impressive seed capsule.  All three were taken in the same bush.  I regret that I didn't think to stand back a take a photo of the whole bush.

I could feel the wind of the 18-wheelers speeding by and hoped CHP wouldn't cite me for unsafe parking.  But I got my photos.  As we drove toward home, I began thinking of the truth of a quote in my little pocket notebook that I copied from the Preface of Wings in the Meadow by Jo Brewer.  It's a book I almost bought in Chico, but decided instead to enter it in my notebook for future consideration.  The quote was by John C. Downey and it reads "...the beauty of any living thing is only as profound as the interest of the observer."  He could have been talking about me and the Spice Bush.

Gilson Creek Area, Part 2

 This is the second set of photos from my recent exploration of the area between the North end of Oakland Camp and the mouth of Gilson Creek, about 3/4 mile to the West.  More and more species of wildflowers are coming into bloom and the insect and spider visitors are arriving soon afterwards.  First on today's list (above) is the Douglas's Spiraea which graces the banks of Spanish Creek through camp and beyond.  This happens to be a very hardy bush which many locals, including me, have incorporated into their landscaping.  Actually, at home I've planted the Mountain Spiraea, but both species are hardy and bloom for a long time.

 My favorite Milkweed, the Showy Milkweed, Asclepias speciosa, is beginning to bloom all around Quincy and is already attracting beetles, bees, and butterflies, but I have yet to see my favorite, the Red Milkweed Beetle, Tetraopes basalis.

 We have two local species of Pennyroyal and I believe this one is the Mountain Pennyroyal (below).

 One of our many local members of the mint family, Lamiaceae, is the Self-heal.  It doesn't have much of a fragrance, but has the square stem and characteristic blossoms.

 St. John's Wort is abundant on many Quincy area roadsides and definitely near all three tributaries of Spanish Creek in the Oakland Camp area.  We also have the closely related Klamath Weed, but I haven't seen that one blooming yet this season.  Will discuss the distinction when both are blooming.

 This Crimson Columbine was blooming under the huge White Alders that shade the mouth of Gilson Creek.  They are also blooming around Tollgate Creek and Berry Creek.

Plant of the Day

 Lest any of my readers think I've lowered my standards, I want to mention the above photo is not a studio shot.  It was taken in my front yard.  The sun was shining on the globe of seeds of Yellow Salsify and the shed in the background was in the shade, so the contrast allowed the background to be black.  The Yellow Salsify, Tragopogon dubius, are blooming all around the Quincy area at this time, and I never tire of looking at them.  Soon, many of them will be hosting colonies of aphids that will be "herded" by little brown ants.  I'll have more to say about that intriguing ecosystem when it happens.

 Meanwhile, when the Yellow Salsify blooms in Quincy, I'm reminded of the Purple Salsify that blooms in the coastal counties where I lived before.  The photo below was taken in Leggett.

Both species are also known as Oyster Plant and Goatsbeard.  The roots are edible, although I've never tried them. 

Quite a few species of flowers are blooming along the 5 trails leading out of Oakland Camp that I explore every week during the summer.  Tomorrow I'll begin posting the showiest ones.

Gilson Creek Area , Part 1

 I'm about to begin another season of guiding nature hikes, so today my son and I scouted several of the trails I'll be using.  I have often mocked people who take most of their pictures from the front seat of their cars, but I came across a situation where I had to do just that.  As I was getting ready to park the car and set out on foot, my son spotted two lizards on neighboring stumps.  They were both Fence Lizards, or Blue Bellies, a male on the left and female on the right.  They were obviously communicating.  They were about 15 feet from the car, so I got out the telephoto and got a slightly blurry picture.  As soon as we began to roll, the female took off.  They probably got together again real soon, judging from the intensity of their pushups when we approached.

 Our first parking place was near the point where Spanish Creek leaves the camp and makes a 90-dgree turn toward the West.  There were lots of species of flowers blooming all around us.  First, the Wild Hyacinth (above), a lily, then Grand Collomia (below), a close relative of the Phlox that have appeared in this blog often.

 I've taken hundreds of photos of Salsify.  Each one presents a different characteristic or has a different insect or spider guest.  I guess I'm always looking for the best photo yet, so I usually take a few shots every time I see a patch of them.  Also called Oyster Plant, apparently the roots are tasty when boiled. 

 Then there's the Orchard Morning Glory, or Bindweed, depending on whether you feel it is beautiful or a nuisance.

 On this Morning Glory about to bloom, a Dimorphic Flower Longhorn beetle stood out like a little red beacon.  This is a female.  The male of the species is solid black.  Also, when the femal matures, it generally has a few more black spots in the red.

 The Narrowleaf Milkweed is just beginning to bloom as the Heartleaf Milkweed, pictured here last week, has already wilted and produced pods.  They'll be in my next post.  There are five differenet Milkweeds on this area and all five are now blooming.

 This nice Yerba Santa bush is clinging to an embankment above Spanish Creek.  It's in the Waterleaf family and makes good tea.  It's also a favorite landing place for Swallowtail Butterflies, but today they wouldn't sit still.

 There was a bumper crop of Spanish Clover in all the open areas we visited today.

 Finally, the nice specimen of Scarlet Gilia in the same spot where I've photographed it for the past three summers.  This is also in the same family as the Phlox like the Collomia above.

Part 2 tomorrow morning.

Rattlesnake Mimic

 My son and I were exploring a field full of Milkweeds when I spotted a Gopher Snake in the grass.  It stayed so still I thought it might be dead.  Then, when I got within a foot, it unleashed its Rattlesnake imitation.  Not only does the coloration resemble the Western Rattlesnake found around here, but when disturbed it will also his, coil up, rattle it's tail and spread the rear part of its jaws to make its head more triangular.  It has no rattle, so when the tail vibrates in dry leaves, it sounds very much like a rattler.

We played around with the snake for a few minutes since there were no easy escape routes.  I got photos of it in several interesting positions, then picked up for my son to take a few photos.  When I released it, it crawled off and found cover about 20 feet away.  When we found it, it was pretty exposed to any bird of prey or other potential predator and was probably protected mostly by its adaptive coloration and by remaining still.  Unfortunately, this snake's act is so convincing that many of them are killed by people mistaking them for Rattlesnakes.  And some people hate all snakes.  But as predators on small mammals and birds, they are a pretty important part of the food web.