Triptych

Photo of a male Valley Carpenter Bee collecting nectar from Narrow Leaf Milkweed blossoms. The male of this species and a striking orange yellow color. His eyes are large and dark green.
Photo of a butterfly with copper, russet and white coloring outlined in black in some places. Bands of copper at the outer wing margins, then darker russet bands interspersed with white elliptical or oval patches. The bands of color bands and patches become smaller and continue down to the body. Eyes are brown with reddish tinge. Antennae and legs appear black in photo. The proboscis is at least partially unfurled.
A Northern White Skipper feeding on Cliff Aster. The butterfly is white with black markings along the border of its wings (dorsal view). Eyes are black and antennae have alternating white and dark colored rings to the tips, which are angled and oval shaped. Cliff Aster is a composite flower made up white rays that have pink tinges on the outermost rays. Rays are smaller at the center and yellow tinged. Probably that is pollen.

Panel One: a male Valley Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa sonorina), collects nectar from Narrow Leaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) blossoms. On the Sunrise Trail in Conejo Open Space, May 27, 2022.

Panel Two: a Lorquin’s Admiral (Limenitis lorquini) collects nectar from Black Sage (Salvia mellifera) blossoms. On the Sunrise Trail in Conejo Open Space, May 27, 2022.

Panel Three: a Northern White Skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum) feeds on nectar from a Cliff Aster (Malacothrix saxatilis) blossom. On Albertson Motorway in Wood Ranch Open Space, June 10, 2022.

By S. Felton

S. Felton is a writer, photographer and amateur naturalist.

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