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Posts Tagged: predators
Western Tiger Swallowtails: Not All Are 'Picture Perfect'
It was "hit and miss." The predators hit, and they missed. Oh sure, they took a chunk out of these Western tiger swallowtails, but as they say, "a miss is as good as a mile." The predators? Could have been a hungry bird, praying mantis, or a...
A Western tiger swallowtail nectaring on a butterfly bush. Note that it is missing part of its tail. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This Western tiger swallowtail, nectaring on verbena, is missing part of its forewing. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A newly eclosed Western tiger swallowtail, structures all intact. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Kill That 'Alligator-Looking" Critter? No, Don't!
"Yecch! What's that ugly bug? Kill it!" Have you ever heard anyone say that when they see the larva of a lady beetle (aka ladybug, family Coccinellidae)? Unfortunately, it's quite common among non-gardeners and non-insect enthusiasts. The larvae of...
An adult lady beetle (aka ladybug) and a larva. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of a larva of a lady beetle (aka ladybug). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Larva of a lady beetle (aka ladybug) eating an aphid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Insect Wedding Photography-- Or How a Tired Ol' Male Proved He Wasn't
You're heard these idioms: The early bird gets the worm First come, first served. Johnny-on-the-spot. The second mouse gets the cheese. But have you ever seen a Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) eclose and then see her...well...engaged? Such...
A newly eclosed female Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) hanging from her empty chrysalis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A tired old male, his wings tattered and torn, is the first to arrive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The action at the "altar": the newly eclosed female Gulf Fritillary and the tired old male. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Two Gulf Fritillary butterflies become one. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Delightful Find
Any day's a good day when you find the ootheca (egg case) of a praying mantis in your yard. It's much better than finding an Easter egg. Ootheca comes from the Greek word "oo," meaning egg and the Latin word, "theca," meaning a cover or container. A...
The egg case or ootheca of a praying mantis, is attached to the stem of a lavender plant. Note the small hole on the left, near the top--the exit hole of a parasitoid, according to Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology at UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A young praying mantis searching for prey on a blanket flower, Gallardia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A praying mantis dining on a honey bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer
You've heard the expression, "On a wing and a prayer." It apparently originated during World War II. Remember the 1942 film, "The Flying Tigers," starring John Wayne as Capt. Jim Gordon? John Wayne, aka Jim Gordon, asks a Rangoon hotel clerk...
A tattered monarch makes a refueling stop on a Tithonia in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Wings are shredded and scales slashed, but this male monarch still flies. Here it pauses to soak up some sunshine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A predator missed--but a miss is as good as a mile. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A migratory monarch, after sipping some flight fuel in Vacaville, Calif. takes off "on a wing and a prayer," heading for an overwintering site along the coast. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
