We are the Xylocopa, more commonly known as the carpenter bee. Xylocopa is a member of the Apidae family. Our relatives include our naturalized European cousin the honey bee, Apis mellifera and the Bombus species, common name bumblebee. By the way, A. mellifera will not sting unless its life or nest is threatened. The author… Continue reading Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa californica
Category: California Natives – Flora
Woolly-Pod Milkweed: A Mantis, Monarchs, Flies and Honey Bees
The Praying Mantis Princess The first time I saw the Bordered mantis, Stagmomantis limbata, she was no more than half of an inch in length. She was resting on a fuzzy Asclepias eriocarpa leaf, common name woolly-pod milkweed. If the milkweed’s leaves were not a few shades of green darker than the mantis, I would not… Continue reading Woolly-Pod Milkweed: A Mantis, Monarchs, Flies and Honey Bees
Backyard Monarch Project: A Year Later
I am so behind on planned posts! I have a piece of digital artwork featuring the western tiger Swallowtail butterfly that I want to include in a post that discusses the Swallowtail in some detail, but I am only about halfway through the layers that I am using to create a composite image. So, I… Continue reading Backyard Monarch Project: A Year Later
Ceanothus (California Lilac)
Last spring I started replacing non-native with native California plants around our house. I started with a couple small plots front and back and a slope on one side of our house. This spring I expanded this effort to include additional areas in the front and back yards. The plants I put in this spring included a… Continue reading Ceanothus (California Lilac)