Several females emerged from soil nests located within a few feet of a flowering barrel cactus with an outside temperature of 94 degrees F.
Male and female were courting on a stick. Images turned 1/4. The female attempted to deny his advances several times but he remained at a safe distance each time and continued to try to attract her.
~ 1 mm whitish non-metallic body with light blue eyes. Had long white setae coming off the last tergite, patterned wings and body; black outlining all whitish body segments on mesosoma and metasoma and legs. Clear whitish color bead like anelli (could be pedicel) and 1 long club-like possibly fused funicle and clava. Found on the surface of rainwater in a bucket. Dried off and jumped more than flew away. ID'd by expert, Bob Zuparko on Hymnopterists Forum. Hyperparasitic on parasitoids (hymenoptera) of scales according to BugGuide. Bob Zuparko shared, "In Gibson et al., 1997, the genus was listed as a hyper of Diaspididae, Coccidae, Psyllidae and other Homoptera, while 1 species was a primary of Conchaspididae."
Fell from roost, placed indoors in a dark room until sunset then released.
All nestled together in a clump of Oak leaves.
ID provided by R. Gagne
Reared from galls on Desert Ironwood, Olneya tesota.
Adult emerged 9 days after larvae exited the leaf gall:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/88486346
Length approx. 2 mm.
Pupae in net-like cocoon
Can anybody ID these bees? They were feeding on palo verde blossoms in April 2022 in eastern Pinal County.
This bee was piercing the base of the flower and drinking nectar through the holes. Fun to watch.
Flew away after the photograph and not one that I encountered while sampling.
Flew up into Red Cedar from other side of trail. Location made it hard to get a good photo, but I got one.
Also under bark of old trees that moved down the wash to this point.
Caught one napping; body ~1 mm long
Jelly texture
Hybrid - Ambrosia ambrosioides x A. salsola. Just checking up on an old friend.
Found on downed cottonwood by Agua Fria river
Clear Creek area, San Benito County, California
Adult emerged from apparent l-tridentata-fringed-cup-galls from this observation. First five photos through glass. Fifth photo includes exuviae. Last four are from December 17 - looks to be on its last legs.
Young Asphondylia galls? Two occurrences on the same plant; marked with tags to revisit later. Later observation here.
Host Euphorbia melanadenia; possible Cecidomyiidae gall?
Observation is for the hitch hikers behind the eye;
Carrizo Plain, San Luis Obispo County, California
Santa Barbara County, California.
At Kisimangeda Tented Camp. Photo by Chris & Nani Schmeling
With exit hole and exuviae
Did I cry with happiness when I saw this gorgeous creature? Maybe :) I've been looking for one for so long!
Ventura County, California
Climber in Acacia woodland
Mixed hardwood/pine woodland.
The litter of pups outside the burrows.
All of the flowers were blooming in the South side of the mound.
my first Caliscelid! keys here. swept from grasses, 2x
Female ant cricket from Santa Barbara County, California. These crickets are closely associated with ants. They copy the movement rate of their adopted ant hosts and take on the odor of the colony until the ants accept them as members. In the colony, they lick ant secretions, prey on ant eggs, solicit regurgitated food, and feed on prey brought in by the ants.
2 adult females on arizona rosewood. both were much darker than the fresh summer specimens of last year, which I presume is indicative that these are overwintering adults
White, powdery forked fungus on rotting log along trail.
I just had to go back this week and find one in flower.
Indians Road area, Los Padres National Forest, Monterey County, California
Along road to the old ranch town of El Potrero and Gujademi in the Sierra. The white trunks and growth pattern are diagnostic.
Salt Point State Park, Sonoma County, California
Androstephium breviflorum, Cactus Plain, southwest of the Buckskin Mountains, west-southwest of Battleship Peak and northeast of Bouse, 34.0497 -113.9010, La Paz County, Arizona, 17 Feb 2017.
Tyrotama?
Summerland Gardens is set for demolition in 2018. Urban renewal. :-(