2011 Texas and Arizona summer collecting experience

[gripen]

Wow what species is in the 3rd pic?

 

[yen_saw]

Wow what species is in the 3rd pic?

Oh that was Bactromantis mexicanus adult male. Nice specimen. I saw two on this trip, spotted hanging near lighting area on both occasion.

 

[agent A]

was the frog dead? or was it just stuck? i think that solid green mantis was cool

what was it? stagmomantis? tenodera?

 

[gripen]

Oh that was Bactromantis mexicanus adult male. Nice specimen. I saw two on this trip, spotted hanging near lighting area on both occasion.

Do the females of this species have wings? How big was this specimen?

 

[minard734]

was the frog dead? or was it just stuck? i think that solid green mantis was cool

what was it? stagmomantis? tenodera?

Stagmomantis.

 

[yen_saw]

was the frog dead? or was it just stuck? i think that solid green mantis was cool

what was it? stagmomantis? tenodera?

It was dead, appeared to be stuck. THe solid green mantis was Stagmomantis limbata adult male.

Do the females of this species have wings? How big was this specimen?

Adult female is wingless based on the dead specimen I have seen. Adult is about 2 inches long.

 

[gripen]

Looks like the American grass mantis.

 

[minard734]

It was dead, appeared to be stuck. THe solid green mantis was Stagmomantis limbata adult male.

Now that explains the strange coloration. I've had one or 2 S. carolina males with that color also... but it is incredibly rare!

 

[agent A]

ryan, i think he was talking about the frog

but if he was talking abou the dead mantis, it could be the work of an assassin bug or spider...

 

[minard734]

ryan, i think he was talking about the frog

but if he was talking abou the dead mantis, it could be the work of an assassin bug or spider...

I didn't mean to include the first part... just the par bout the green mantis.

 

[yen_saw]

My morning stroll continue. I found the spider reluctant to leave the prey when i approached the web

beautiful larva of some beetle

and saw this beetle closeby, guess that's what the larvae turn into

and here is the six leg spider with vivid color.... nah, actually i accidentally snapped two of the front leg bummer.

flipping rock and found some good 'food' for ants. Termites.

Feeding time for the mantis before leaving to Tucson Mountain Park

 

[yen_saw]

One reason going to Tucson Mountain Park was to help Christian looking for the elsuive turtle ant colony. A shy species where the major worker ant will use the flat head to plug the hole in a twig where the colony live. This species live in dead twig of certain tree.

Arriving at the Tucson Mountain Park. The place is beautiful but also been vandalized unfortunately. We will be hiking through the park via Gate Pass Trailhead.

Full of cactus but nice view

Walking on the rugged terrain is not as easy as I thought, well I am not any younger either.

There are not many insects spotted around this arid/rugged land. I couldn't find any ant but saw some other good size beetle

Another colorful spider spotted... this time it has complete 8 legs

 

[yen_saw]

I took a break once a while especially with the heat and tough trail.

A pair of beetle

It took Christian half a day to spot a colony of turtle ant...yay! Here is the entry/exit hole for the turtle ant

The shy turtle ant worker slowly emerged from the hole only when we leave the twig sit quietly for a while

Here is the closer look of the major worker, with a flat head use for plugging the entry hole. It reminds me of a bulldozer.

Here is the size comparison between the major worker and the regular smaller workers

And a colony of turtle ant. Notice the queen in the middle with elongated abdomen

To be continue......

 

[minard734]

Cool pics man! Those turtle ants are amazing. Wish I could get some from you, being interested in ants myself.

 

[lunarstorm]

And the pics keep on comin! Thanks Yen.

I've never heard of a turtle ant before, very cool.

 

[yen_saw]

Our last few days in Tucson we moved to Starr Pass Golf Resort in West Tucson. The place is near the Tucson Mountain Park.

Plenty of animals and insects around the hotel

Even saw this Javelina resting in front of the hotel

and then made a dash to the bush when spotted me

Later that day we went to Peppersauce Camp for bug light trap with a friend John.

Chris checking out bugs in the dark

This catepillar look more like a stick.

 

[yen_saw]

We found some mantis too using just flash light, here is the S. limbata adult female climbing on my foot

Also found a jumpy Stagmomantis nymph

and this S. californica adult female

there are plenty of stick insects

THere wasn't as many oothecae as in Madera Canyon spotted

But was able to spot more mantis

Also found this large and round spider

By then we started to see some bugs attracted to the light

 

[yen_saw]

My attention was on any adult male mantis attracted by light

and one S. californica adult male found on the sheet too

mantidfly too

This large Rhino beetle male (D. granti) was a great sight.

adult female rhino beetle can be attracted by light too

Here is one wierd looking weevil beetle.

We went out to the road nearby and found this lengendary ant. A theif ant that steal brood of other ant species, and mainly blind.

and found this cool mantidfly on a build glass too

 

[twolfe]

Great trip, story and photos! Thanks for sharing.

I expected to see armadillos in Texas when I was there last October but never found any! And I looked... (My avatar is a photo of me petting an armadillo when I was in Florida last January. Most of them ran away, but that one would push at our shoes when we got in its way.)

Those ants flying were bizarre. I was in Arizona for three weeks in April but couldn't find any mantids. I guess it was the wrong time of year or else they were too small. I hardly found any insects except for some grasshoppers (not as colorful as the ones you found). I did almost step on a rattlesnake...twice...when I was photographing Saguaro cactus.

 

[gripen]

Wow look at those mantidflys!