A reprieve from the heat today and I’m not complaining. 🙂
Lizardtail (Oenothera curtiflora) is what I call this plant and so did Shirley. 😉 However many folks that use iNat will probably use the common name of Velvetweed. 🤷🏻♀️But whatever name you use, it is a pretty cool plant. It Is a host for several of my favs!
The Stilt Bugs (Berytidae) are phytophagous (feeds on plants). Some in this family are host specific. The thin legs makes stilt bug a good common name, eh.
The Clouded Crimson (Schinia gaurae) caterpillar uses the Lizardtail and other plants in the Oenothera genus as host plants.
While looking at the above cat I noticed two pretty pearl green eggs. Maybe more Clouded Crimson on the way? I do not know if they are that species or something else.
Another animal you can find are the Plant Bugs (Miridae). This particular one was pretty small. Just look for little almost transparent thing moving. LOL.
Not many flowers were blooming. The White Lined Sphinx cat I saw a few days was chowing down on them. No sphinx cat today.
Crab Spiders (Thomisidae) seem to be about on everything. 🙂
Second Clouded Crimson (Schinia gaurae) cat! All six of its ocelli (eyes) are visible here.
Three cats of varying sizes! Today’s cats were a little different than the usual colorization I normally see. Today’s were lacking the thin black bands.
And so all of this was on just a couple of plants. Plus I had only barely stepped out the door.
I love this plant! I have at least one coming back. I hope more will resprout when we “graze” half our tiny prairie this winter to let some more stuff come up with more light.
That closeup of the Clouded Crimson is spectacular! It also has a wonderful name. Good article on land degradation, which goes far back into the ancient world, at that time mainly through overgrazing.
Those bumble bees! Wow!
Impressive for sure!
I’ve always called it lizardtail too.
I guess only us oldies will be calling it that. LOL.
I love this plant! I have at least one coming back. I hope more will resprout when we “graze” half our tiny prairie this winter to let some more stuff come up with more light.
🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼
That closeup of the Clouded Crimson is spectacular! It also has a wonderful name. Good article on land degradation, which goes far back into the ancient world, at that time mainly through overgrazing.
I’ve always called it Lizardtail Gaura because of the pond plant called Lizardtail.
The eyes are really neat on the cat. Thanks for the close up.
Hmmmm, interesting. I’m finding actually, common names have started be more confusing as iNat grows. 🤷🏻♀️