Collecting experience in Texas and Arizona during early May

[yen_saw]

Have been away from the forum most of last month due to friend visiting and also a trip to Arizona. Christian Ludwig from Germany (NOT the Christian from this forum) visited me back in 2008 and he is mainly after ants. Since I know his nickname from this visit I will refer him as ‘Motte’ or Moth in Germany.

This year Motte has decided to pay me another visit. There were few hurdles in meeting up again due to our busy schedule, particularly when our planned visit time is also the ‘prime time’ for the 2010 World Cup (ok I admit that I am a big soccer fan). By the end, we decided on early May. May is actually still early for collecting insects since most are still small or in early stage of life, but some ants do perform nuptial flights emerge earlier if rains actually arrive sooner. There will be only few mantis pics through out our trip so you will see many other insects (especially ants) instead.

We went to the Bear Creek Park the folowing day after Motte arrived. I haven't been back to this park since Hurricane Ike wrecked havoc in late 2008, so it is interesting to find out.

It doesn't take very long for Motte to spot an ant colony that interest him.

So he sets up the camera and shoot away.

I can see some ants carrying seeds back to the nest... a harvester type? Motte told me this is the first time he spotted this species in the park. I forgot the scientifica name.

I also spotted some egg cases that have hatched.

(To be continue)

 

[Fisherman_Brazil]

Wish I were there too, as always enjoy the field trip myself.

Excellent!

 

[revmdn]

Very cool.

 

[ismart]

Awesome finds! Cant wait to see whats next?

 

[yen_saw]

ALthough the weather in Houston is hot and humid, there hasn't been much rain. So we still have to turn the logs and rocks to look for bugs. FOund ome good size slugs under the wood, and some beetles too.

A big species of ants (Camponotus sp.)which is of Motte interest.

Accidentally stepped on the dreaded fire ant nest. This species was every where ack in 2008 but the storm appear to bring the number down.

I remember the pain being bitten by one of these, wasp-like ant or Pseudomyrmex gracilis according to Motte.

Familiar food plant for Phasmid keeper .... bramble.

Motte took some sample too for some of the ant colonies use this to grow fungus.

 

[yen_saw]

THere was no nuptial flight for ants in sight. With nothng much to do so took pics of any bugs i could find.

THe dreaded inch worm....

More bugs

Saw Motte taking aim at something...

Ah it was a mating pair of moths

We did not stay for the entire morning and decided to visit Anita who is the park naturalist for Jesse Jones Park and Nature Center that afternoon. She is also studying on ants and have seen Texas leaf cutter ant (Atta texana) nests in the park. The park is at North of Houston where the Naturefest was held. While waiting for Anita, took a pic for Motte in the convention center

After meeting up with Anita, Motte ad Anita discussing ants species existing in the park, while i found out from Anita that she has seen Stagmomantis carolina, T. graminis, Litanuetria sp. and B. borealis in the park.

and we're off to tour arond the park with this cool vehicle

(to be continue)

 

[hibiscusmile]

I think I spotted an inchworm

 

[Rick]

mmmmmmmmmm blackberries

 

[yen_saw]

The first sight from the tour that caught my eyes was not a bug .... it was the carnivorous plant!

We moved on into one of the trails and spotted a tree full of berries. Both Motte and Anita gave it a try.

Motte spotted a black catepillar on the trail

We also spotted a Texas leaf cutter ant trail that made Motte very excited but it was probably too hot that we couldn't spot any leaf cutter worker ant.

Anita came up with this idea of speed sweeping where both Motte and I be holding a butterfly net each while Anita driving the cart along the tall grasses/bushes. It was really cool i wish i have a picture of it... what a brilliant idea Anita :lol: We usually end up with lot of bugs inside the net

This 'Mohawk' bug looks interesting.

Some starting to climb out of the net

We later found out that this it belongs to tree hoppers/juvenile membracidin in the family Membracidae.

(to be continue)

 

[revmdn]

You guys are having too much fun down there.

 

[yen_saw]

You guys are having too much fun down there.

Never enough Martin Well the fun part just began!Plenty of hopping insects in the net. Treehopper is one of it.

A colorful immature hopper or katydid

Didn't sit on Anita's finger for too long and jump right to the seat

Some lost a leg while escaping... bummer

Some allowed me to take a closer look

While same ready to hitch-hike with us

A spider took advantage of a free food in the net..... which is another spider!

Anita found this odd looking thing in the net. looks like a miniature hermit crab haha! carrying a dome shell. Anita called it a walking poop bug HA!

We later found out that is actually casebearing leafbeetle larvae (Cryptocephalinae)

That finger is too close to the assasin bug!

(to be continue)

 

[Mr.Mantid]

Coool pics!

 

[naeff002]

great photoshoot

 

[yen_saw]

Still in Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center. Surprise to see the sandy 'beach' next to Spring Creek.

Didn't see any bugs but found some petrifierd wood pieces... cool.

Plenty of grapes too.... but still green

Stopping by at this swampy area

Anita found a metallic beetle

Some birds looking for food at the swampy area.

This one just caught a frog!

Later we finally found what Motte was looking for. A massive Texas leaf cutter ant nests

 

[yen_saw]

Leaf cutter worker ants are busy cutting and moving the leaves

Motte and Anita found a strange looking ant species. Motte collecting the ant using aspirator and checking out the species with Anita.

There were swarm of Easter lubber grasshopper nymphs nearby...... easily amount to thousands.

Also plenty of velvet ants.

This is probably the hairiest catepillar i have ever seen.

 

[yen_saw]

After touring the park we went to the greenhouse. Inside greenhouse there were plenty of carnivorous plants, where both Anita and her husband Jim taking care of them most of the time.

Good size pitchers...

Plenty of CP of differentr species

There were also some at the outdoor

After Anita found out about my new hobby, she decided to give couple of CP to me (N. miranda and N. x ventrata) as gift before leaving the park.

 

[yen_saw]

Few days later Motte and I flew to Tucson, Arizona. A new experience collecting this early (mid-May) in Arizona. We decided to stay in Green Valley for the first 2 days and then moved to Catalina foothill for another 2 days of bug hunting.

It was very dry in Tucson. I can almost imediately feel the dry air as soon as we're out of the airport. Along the way to the hotel, we noticed grasses along the road are kind of dry.... not a good sign for bug collecting!

Instead of checking in the hotel early we went to the same area along Continental Drive (road to Madera Canyon), found out it was pretty 'dead' along the road side.

But since we're already there so we start to look around. There were many large holes probably from the lizards but looks like it has been abandon.

It was close to noon and the ground is starting to heat up pretty quick. Motte found an active ant nest, but most of the nest are closing up to avoid the heat.

We continue to check around the dry bushes and soon found a small stick insect.

Well that was a bad pic (if you can spot the stick insect on previous pic then you have a very good eye sight!). This one is probably easier to spot the stick insect.

Very small.... not sure what species

But soon we found a larger one

Suddenly Motte and I starting to spot something moving on the ground..... sure enough there was the ground mantis! The ground mantis move pretty fast, follow by a long pause, so once i lost sight from the first sprint it is very difficult to find them again.

Thsi is the habitat where we spotted the ground mantis. i thought i saw the mantis when i took this pic but couldn't find it on the photo again.

(to be continue)

 

[revmdn]

Good eyes Yen. I cound't see a thing.

 

[MantidLord]

great pics and eyes!