Certain spider webs appear to have been spun by an arachnid with a talent for asymmetrical design. One spider that creates what might look like a web without a balanced plan is the Black Widow Latrodectus hesperus. I have seen a couple of these spiders in my yard after dark, suspended motionless from a web created using my cats’ outdoor… Continue reading Two Widows: The Native and The Carpetbagger
Category: California Natives – Fauna
Danaus plexippus Larva: Fodder for Ants
The Monarch caterpillar that I featured in a couple previous posts died about three weeks ago, just before it was about to molt one last time and pupate. My sadness at finding it lying lifeless a couple feet from its milkweed plant seemed out of proportion. I did not have the heart to post about… Continue reading Danaus plexippus Larva: Fodder for Ants
California Sister
A friend and I were finishing up an early bicycle ride before the heat set in when we noticed a California Sister butterfly. We had just finished our climbing for the day. Our water bottles were empty so we stopped at a water spigot on our way down Stunt Road to refill them. The area around the water spigot was damp.… Continue reading California Sister
Danaus plexippus Selects a Leaf, Powers Up the Buzz Saw
Garden monster video taken with my camera phone. Gorgeous gorging garden monster.