2011 Texas and Arizona summer collecting experience

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yen_saw

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My friend Chris has arrived last Saturday and we have done some collecting so far in Houston. We will be going to Arizona this Saturday for a week and hopefully travelling down to Texas border the following week. Part of Arizona and almost the entire Texas been hit badly by drought and heat this year so hopefully there will be any insect for me to upload here when the trip is over, If i survive the trip! :scooter:

 
Sorry i just got back from Arizona few days ago. Still working on the photos and continue collecting in Texas but will continue to post. The trip is predominantly for Chris who is after different ant species, so there will be plenty of ant photos in this thread. But I also take picture of other insects, including mantis, whenever i come across any.

I will start with some pictures before the Arizona trip, a visit to Jesse Jones Park in Humble, Texas.

Chris checking out one of the many mounds to Texas leaf cutter ant (Atta texana).

jjp01.jpg


The leaf cutter ants has several caste with different ant sizes, all busy working.

jjp02Attatexana.jpg


It is a huge colony, which is typical for an established Atta texana colony.

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An anole was spotting lurking in the bush

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Spotted a nice Passiflora incense flower near a river bank.

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There were two large Scoliid wasps (Campsomeris plumipes)

jjp07ScoliidWasp-Campsomerisplumipes.jpg


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Due to the extreme drought in Texas, the water level is quite low, exposing some broken tree trunks apparently chew down by beaver.

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it is sandy soil on river bank. Dorymyrmex sp. (Pyramid ants) apparently doing alright nesting near the river.

jjp09Pyramidants-Dorymyrmex.jpg


A male jumping spider (Thiodina sylvana) was spotted chasing down some insects, a good jumper!

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Chris is after something.... must be ants! Kenneth was there checking out what's cool.

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It was Dorymermex sp. ants trying to take down Sesbania clown weevil into the nest.

jjp14-DorymyrmexattackSesbaniaclownweevil.jpg


Ah.. no chance for the weevil i guess

jjp15-DorymyrmexattackSesbaniaclownweevil.jpg


A short clip for it

http://s884.photobucket.com/albums/ac49/yen_saw2009/2011%20Christian%20Trip/Jesse%20Jones%20Park/?action=view&current=M4H08016.mp4

There were plenty of common shore tiger beetle (Cicindela repanda) around the river bank too.

jjp16-commonshoretigerbeetleCicindelarepanda.jpg


This one caught a bug.

jjp17-commonshoretigerbeetleCicindelarepanda.jpg


One of the many mating pairs

jjp18-commonshoretigerbeetleCicindelarepanda.jpg


I also found a red velvet ant too, which typically found on sandy soil.

jjp18a-velvetant.jpg


More to come.

 
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Thanks for sharing Yen. I'll be spending more time examining local insects the next time I visit the river near my house. :)

 
How long are the Tiger Beetles?
About 10-12 mm.Visiting the Cypress swamp in the park, but it was completely dry.

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But we found some grass mantis (Thesprotia graminis) walking on the deck, all females.

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Short video clip of grass mantis

http://s884.photobucket.com/albums/ac49/yen_saw2009/2011%20Christian%20Trip/Jesse%20Jones%20Park/?action=view&current=M4H08039.mp4

The dried up swamp allow us to flip rocks, and found a nice five-lined skink with blueish tail.

jjp32-Southeasternfive-linedskinkEumecesinexpectatus.jpg


To be continue.......

 
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