Still at the base of mesa, we slowly made our way along. We did not want to miss anything! 🙂 But of course, there will be plenty more to discover each time we visit.
Leaning into it!
A Harvester Ant crossed the Whitlow Wort.
A few Black Daleas (Dalea frutescens) still have the occasional bloom!
The Skunk Sumac had buds!
Also spotted on a sumac, the Sumac Flea Beetle (Blepharida rhois). As the name implies, it was small coming in at about 6-8 mm.
The Maximilian Sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani) leaves looked a little crazy so I went in for a closer look. And I was glad I did…
Two of these huge black planthoppers (Poblicia fuliginosa) were on the Maximilian Sunflower. I was able to catch one to bring home to view closer. It was wide and about 16mm long. Indeed, I thought it was a moth at first until the first one shot off the plant!
One lone red fruit left on the Plains Nipple Cactus (Escobaria missouriensis). In our area, this is the only cacti with red fruit.
Making our way back up to the car, we found a patch of Eryngo. The animals certainly liked this plant. A lady Lynx spider had made her egg case! Interesting that the case was flat on one side.
Did you know that some crab spiders can change color? Apparently they can change to fit their surroundings but not as fast as a chameleon. The process can take up as long as 2 day to 21 days. They are also venomous but can not pierce human skin.
Another critter enjoying the nectar of the Eryngo!
And like the climbing dodder, we climbed the hill to the car!
Flat sided egg case really makes you wonder.
Another resident for your countertop zoo! Great articles. The one about consciousness is a bit mind-blowing (pun intended 😉).
I liked your pun 🙂
Wow! Really great stuff! Beetle looks like art. We have seen several lynx moms with egg cases here too recently at parks.
Preparing to overwinter maybe?