The Bindweed Turret bee, Diadasia bituburculata, is a solitary bee that nests in the ground. Each female digs her own nest and provides sustenance in the form of pollen and nectar packets that she leaves in the nest for the larvae to eat when they hatch.
Category: California Natives – Fauna
Acmon Blue Butterfly
I observed this butterfly on a hilltop near Albertson Fire Road. The plant it is foraging on is Spanish Clover or Spanish Lotus aka American bird’s foot trefoil, Acmispon americanus, one of several caterpillar host plants for this species. According to Calscape, there are 533 likely host plants for the Acmon Blue, making it a… Continue reading Acmon Blue Butterfly
Winter – 2020 Trail Observations
Things derive their being and nature by mutual dependence and are nothing in themselves. —Nāgārjuna, second-century Buddhist philosopher The Meditation (My Trip into Crazy Town) Truth is a provisional construct, the integrity of which is only as good as the reliability of the source. We all know this on some level. Without some basic agreement… Continue reading Winter – 2020 Trail Observations
Urbane Digger Bee and Sleeping on Flowers
Among the several native bee species that showed up to forage for pollen and nectar in our yard this summer was the Urbane Digger bee, Anthophora urbana. The first individual I observed was working the flowers on a couple of large Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii) shrubs that I planted three years ago. Cleveland Sage is… Continue reading Urbane Digger Bee and Sleeping on Flowers