That is awesome Ann!!

It's fun!
Now who's going to take the next verse?

Insect folks, don't forget to tune into Nat Geo Wild tonight at 8pm!

I went over to the neighbor's property to take some photos for the Plant ID thread. It rained and it was kind of cloudy so not too many butterflies to take pictures of. Other insects were cooperating, though. One exciting thing I found is that it appears the Air Potato Beetle has found our neighborhood! They released a bunch of them a while back, but I hadn't seen any. I could find any of the beetles, but it's pretty obvious they've been eating the Air Potato. Now, I just need a Skunk Vine Beetle.



I was checking the Elephant's Foot plants because they just started blooming and they're pretty popular with the pollinators. Where I go hiking, it's one of the last flowers that blooms so I learned to look for it. I found several insect friends on it today!









I don't know who this guy is, but I liked him the best. Please don't tell me he's something I shouldn't have put my hand that close to. The camera was having trouble focusing and the wind kept blowing the stem around.



Even the lovebugs were getting in on the action!



Out front there were a lot of what I just call honeybees on the Spanish Needles. They all looked the same, but one had pollen baskets that were far more orange. So he's my favorite.

Melanie: Well done and ALL good pollinators!

Melanie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, except for the &%$#@&% lovebugs. But I guess the yanks can see what the little creeps look like and be happy they don't have to deal with them.

I always enjoy seeing that much diversity in such a small area. Makes me feel better about the planet.

I do except for Lovebugs. Hate them!

Yuck, I just looked up "Love Bugs"! We do not have any here. THANK GOODNESS!!!

The elephant foot plants are pretty! The beetle on them is a Delta Flower Scarab, I had one not too long ago. I think they're pretty too.

I had to look up air potatoes, too! so glad we don't have to deal with them either

Lovebugs don't bother me too much. They don't sting and they only come out in May and September here. The car washes kind of depend on them for business because they can take the paint off your car. The last few years it seems like there haven't been nearly as many. I know the weather can affect their populations so I hope that's all it is. Now to go look up my beetle...

Some b-likes -

I like the b-likes. Nice catch in that 3rd photo. It looks like the sulphur is doing a great job of blending in with it's surroundings.

that one in the middle is a bee, one of the native types, can't tell which kind but it's a cool bee to have

just in time for salvia week, this volunteer seedling started blooming--

surprise, surprise it's some kind of beautiful not-purple, rosy color! (some might say pink)
what a lovely cross my beefriends made for themselves

It sure is a beautiful color.

I've got a few to share from my wanderings today.

Here's a green spider.



This guy was sitting on my Firebush. I wasn't sure I liked the look of him, but I left him alone.



This thing was all about my Mexican Flame Vine.

That is a beaut of a wasp on that flame!

and yikes, the legs on that spidey! nice shot!
don't know about your beetle, but those are some mighty fine long, striped 'horns'

jumping spidey and fossils

I like fossils.

Wasp


Mating mantis