Author: kemmons

This week’s observation comes from Wild Basin while conducting research. At first when looking at this photo, it is easy to see the branch sticking out, which belongs to an agarita (Berberis trifoliolata).

However, the hidden star of this photo is the spider hanging out on that branch. This spider was at first hanging out in the middle of its web, when I almost went face first into it. Thankfully, one of my research team members let out a little scream, keeping me from running right into the spider.

When posting this observation to iNaturalist, I had hoped for the community to return an identification for the spider. However, due to strange disconnects between my photos and the app, I was unable to zoom further in to the spider, and thus the iNaturalist community returned an observation for the easily seen branch. Oh well!

Agarita is a low maintenance, drought tolerant, evergreen shrub. It flowers from February through April, following with a bright red berry that attracts birds and small mammals. Its range is from west Texas to Arizona and northern Mexico, growing on rocky limestone flats and slopes.

My iNaturalist post can be found here, and if you have any idea what kind of spider this is, please comment to let me know!

Sources: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/mahoniatrifol.htm

 

These little cactus bugs are called Cactus Coreid, or Chelinidea vittiger. I observed them while out on the trail at Inks Lake State Park, about an hour outside of Austin.

As their name implies, they are associated with cacti, specifically Opuntia, which includes prickly pear. Eggs are laid on the underside of Opuntia species, making them very host specific. They feed on the vascular fluid of the host plant they were born on. They have been observed to starve before finding a new host plant if their original was destroyed. Due to this host specificity, their range extends wherever Opuntia species are found.

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

Source: http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/216651-Chelinidea-vittiger

This lizard was observed while volunteering by putting up trail markers at Inks Lake State Park outside of Burnet. At the time, I had no idea what kind of lizard it was. With the help of the internet and the iNaturalist community, it was identified as an Eastern Collared Lizard.

Like other collared lizards, the Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) is known for its high speed running on its hind legs. It also is diurnal, basking in the sunlight during daylight hours. These lizards are highly territorial, and in captivity, males will fight to the death if placed together. They are found primarily in the dry, open regions of Mexico and south-central United States.

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

Sources: http://www.reptilesofaz.org/Lizards-Subpages/h-c-collaris.html; http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/33135-Crotaphytus-collaris

Per usual, I spotted this weeks observation while walking my dog. At first, this little gecko seemed so cute in my eyes. (I definitely have friends who would disagree with the word “cute” for a gecko, as they are terrified of them. Yes, even when they are this small). Upon identifying this little thang, I found out that it is invasive to the US. In fact, the website that helped me identify it is called texasinvasives.org. Its most established populations in the US are in Florida.According to the website, they are resistant to pesticides and have an ability to reproduce rapidly, capable of laying multiple clutches of two eggs during the summer. Because of these traits, they have steady populations across the Southern US. However, these populations are disjunct, and therefore there is hope for native species according to that same website. The Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) is also mostly found in developed areas, as its common name implies. They will often be seen at night below sources of light, eating insects.

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

This green heron (Butorides virescens) was spotted along Lady Bird Lake. Unlike other herons, the green heron has short legs and is stocky. Because of their short legs, they are known to stay at the water’s edge and hunt for fish and amphibians. In comparison to other herons, the green heron will wade less, staying on vegetation or solid ground. They are sometimes known to use certain materials to lure their fish prey. This species resides primarily in North and Central America.

 

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

Sources: http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/5020-Butorides-virescens; https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green_Heron/id

A couple of weekends ago, I took a few friends out to help with volunteer work at Inks Lake State Park. While there, we observed various species, including this butterfly.

At first, I identified it as a Monarch, but upon further research and help from the iNaturalist community found that it is actually a Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus).

This species is found mostly in the tropics, as well as into temperate areas in the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Larvae feed primarily on milkweed and dogbane. When they mature, their feeding preferences broaden, while sometimes still occasionally found to feed on milkweed. This species also has chemical defenses that make it unpalatable to predators.

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

References: http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/51743-Danaus-gilippus

I observed this American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) while on a run around town lake. There are often many interesting species to be seen around there, including this one. However, my usual observations include birds or turtles. When I do encounter insects, it is usually by running through a cloud of small insects and accidentally swallowing some. So this pleasantly roosted damselfly was a nice change of pace as far as insects go.

The American Rubyspot is common and can be found in most of the lower 48 states in the US. It’s range also extends to Mexico and Canada. This species is primarily a stream species, but has also been found to return to still water habitats after maturing.

My observation on iNaturalist can be found here.

Sources: http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/51761-Hetaerina-americana; http://www.odonatacentral.org/index.php/FieldGuideAction.get/id/42272

This toad has become a common sighting on my late night/early morning walks with my dog. Sometimes she walks right by it, but sometimes she sees it and doesn’t even know what to think of it. I’m pretty sure it’s the sameone every time I see one, but then again the Gulf Coast Toad, or Incilius nebulifer, is very common and not threatened. It’s range is along the Gulf of Mexico from Northern Mexico to Mississippi. In Texas, it can be found in the south, central, and southern parts of east Texas. It occurs in both human-altered and natural habitats.

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

References:

http://www.herpsoftexas.org/content/gulf-coast-toad

http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/65849-Incilius-nebulifer

“Ladybird? What’s a ladybird?” Upon identifying my first species for this blog, I was confused at this name. Also, I quickly learned that the general term ‘ladybug’ that we all know and use isn’t actually correct. They are actually lady beetles! This lady beetle in particular is called a seven-spotted ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata). While I normally think of seeing ladybugs…beetles…as a pretty neat and rare occurrence, this time was quite different. I found these on a patch of over grown grass along a fairly busy road that sways the grass violently every time a car passes. And yet, there were many of these present in this grassy area, full grown and in the larva state, too. After posting my observation on iNaturalist, I found out that this species was introduced to Travis county by anthropogenic means. According to another website , they are classified as non-native. They are thought to have impacts on other Coccinella species, having outcompeted certain native species in North America. So now whenever I see this certain type of ladybug/beetle/bird, instead of thinking about how cute a beetle can seem to be, I will think more about the broader impacts it could have on species composition in certain ecosystems.

 

References: http://texasento.net/TXCoccinellidae.htm; http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/51702-Coccinella-septempunctata