Country Bugs, City Bugs

We took a trip to San Francisco recently; it was not a bug-tourism trip but nevertheless a few bugs squirmed their way into the experience!

We finally made it to Pinnacles National Monument (west side) for a quick look-see . . . It Is Awesome. And there were lots of insects. However I did not bring the camera on the short hike we took. Anyway, on the way down the winding 9 mile road back to semi-civilization my helpful husband spotted this tarantula crossing the road. This likely genus Aphonopelma since all of California's native tarantulas are. The males go off wandering in autumn in search of, what else, females. This one was running quickly toward the roadside grasses, making for some fuzzy photography.

Restrooms in parks are great places for bugs usually, but in the women's at Lake Santa Margarita all I saw was this moth with glassy wings clinging to the wood siding above my head.












So, we made it to our hotel room in the heart of the Shining White City, and found this leaf-footed bug clinging to the sixth floor window. That was a pleasant surprise.

Later we took in the view from the balcony as people crossed the street from the Irish pub on the left corner to Starbucks and back. A panhandler in a red scarf was bugging people for money, and then finally scores on a blonde woman in a colorfully striped sweater while the building security guard watches.

I love traveling.

Walking on Senecio

Senecio mandraliscae is an easy plant to grow and kind of fun, as demonstrated by this katydid nymph walking across the tips of a prostrate branch in my garden. When this senecio gets too big or lanky, I just whack off (that is a technical term, folks) the stem and plant it. Strip the cylindrical leaves from the bottom two or three inches of the cut stem, then let the stem dry for a day or two. Stick it into soil and voila, more senecio fun for you and the buggies.

I do believe this katydid is scudderia furcata, fork-tailed bush katydid.

Mantis in the Milkweed

One of the many predators hanging out in the milkweed forest in my front yard is this golden-eyed California mantis. She is a really beautiful dark color variation, but terribly shy. Here she is peaking out from behind a nearby buddleia plant. Lots of predators live in the milkweed because lots of insects feed on milkweed and therefore feed the predators.

Its ironic, since milkweed has gone to the evolutionary effort to produce milky latex and toxic juices to discourage insects from feeding on them, but a large number of bugs have adapted to be able to feed on them. My milkweeds get heavily used by plant-feeding insects but grow back fast and continue to support a vibrant and diverse community of insects.