Goodness, another too hot day, eh. Shone is the past tense of shine. It is something that reflects lights or someone who stood out because of excellence.
Blue Sage (Salvia azurea) is a great late summer plant. Ours is doing well despite the lack of rain this year.
Grasses have started to bloom like this Side Oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)!
A close up of the red anthers and the white stigmas!
A very (10-12mm) small black moth on Frostweed!
A flash of white catches my eye on the ragweed!
After moving to several different ragweed plants, it settled down. Even letting me manipulate the ragweed to my advantage.
It was a Flower Moth (Schinia chrysellus)! It was a new one for me. The host plant is broomweed (Amphiachyris dracunculoides, syn. Gutierrezia dracunculoides) which we do have some on our prairie.
Beautiful creature! Its wings really shone in the sun!
Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)!
The anthers were brightly shining!
A Hackberry Emperor decided to be in the spotlight too. LOL
Keep looking!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know.
14 Comments
The moths are gorgeous. Never seen either. The black is fascinating. Indian grass is one of my favorites. Nice outing
Looks like the flower moth has a fur stole, fur belt and more fur fringe at the base of its skirt, ha ha.
I’m with you Suzanne. Prairie grasses taken at a angle to have sky behind it is so glorious.
Kathy, unfortunately I won’t – I’m tuning in to the virtual portion on Friday. On Saturday I already have a long-standing obligation. I wish NPSOT would plan farther ahead and set dates for the symposiums at least six months out.
Suzanne, with this being their first one back after covid, they didn’t have much lead time. Then with such short time they couldn’t get availability and had to go with a date different than usual. They used to do 3rd weekend in October but master naturalists stole that weekend from us. They used to start planning 2 years ahead but covid disrupted things. Sorry Mary, didn’t mean to hijack your blog.
We are supposed to have temps in the mid to upper 90’s this week and only get about a 10 degree advantage in the mountains. So ready for fall to get here.
The moths are gorgeous. Never seen either. The black is fascinating. Indian grass is one of my favorites. Nice outing
Thanks! 🤗
Everything about the photo of indiangrass against that amazing sky is stunning. Love the close-up of the flower moth too
Thank you 😊
Looks like the flower moth has a fur stole, fur belt and more fur fringe at the base of its skirt, ha ha.
I’m with you Suzanne. Prairie grasses taken at a angle to have sky behind it is so glorious.
Someone should tell the moth, it is too hot for fur…ha ha!
That’s for sure!
Hey Suzanne, will you be in Alpine? I’m so excited to be back in Big Bend learning about that ecoregion.
Kathy, unfortunately I won’t – I’m tuning in to the virtual portion on Friday. On Saturday I already have a long-standing obligation. I wish NPSOT would plan farther ahead and set dates for the symposiums at least six months out.
Suzanne, with this being their first one back after covid, they didn’t have much lead time. Then with such short time they couldn’t get availability and had to go with a date different than usual. They used to do 3rd weekend in October but master naturalists stole that weekend from us. They used to start planning 2 years ahead but covid disrupted things. Sorry Mary, didn’t mean to hijack your blog.
All fine and it explained NPSOT reasons. 😉
We are supposed to have temps in the mid to upper 90’s this week and only get about a 10 degree advantage in the mountains. So ready for fall to get here.
And fall is tomorrow, but no cool down until Monday in Wise. Only supposed to be 87. Indeed that is sight better!
The moth wings look like raised pattern velvet!