Category: Uncategorized

This little critter down below is a Mediterranean House Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, and I see them often at night outside on my porch or on walks with my dog.  They like to eat insects near buildings with lights.  They are nocturnal and have spread all along the southern United States.   They are clearly native to southern Europe and northern Africa.  The first one spotted in the United States was in Key West, Florida in 1915.  It’s unclear how they made it over here, but it is assumed to have been a stowaway on a ship.  Some facts are that they are pretty small (4-5 inches).  They also have sticky toe pads and no eyelids.

My iNaturalist post can be found here.

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

This little guy is a member of the jumping spider family (Salticidae), I’m not sure on the exact species. This is the largest family of spiders and contains nearly 6000 described species. Ain’t nobody got time to look through that many descriptions. All jumping spiders have 4 pairs of eyes, with the ones closest to the middle of their face being largest. They are commonly found throughout the U.S. and the world. The are diurnal active hunters, and as their name indicates, can jump several times their body length.  Due to the positioning of their many eyes, they have excellent vision which they use to their advantage while hunting.  It’s funny that the family name sounds so salty because I found this guy on a plate of syrup (get it? cuz it’s sweet). 

When hiking or exploring out in nature, it’s always exciting when something you’re not expecting pops up. For example, this happened to me last week out at Wild Basin when this Monarch Butterfly crossed my path. I had to chase it up the trail for a bit to take a picture, but luckily it stopped for a photo opportunity on this flower. 

As Monarchs, or Danaus plexippus, are native to North America and migrate to Mexico during the late summer/early fall, I was able to identify it as a Monarch right away. Being from central Texas, I’m pretty familiar with Monarchs and how they migrate this time of year, and how they lay their eggs on milkweed and use it as a food source. More on the Monarch Butterfly can be found here.

You can find my iNaturalist observation here.

I was sitting outside Doyle Hall last week enjoying the transition from day to evening and worrying about all the assignments/readings/projects that will somehow need to get done. I felt a small tingle on my arm only to find a ladybug exploring. I was able to get a picture of it and attempted to identify the species. To my best knowledge and research abilities I believe the lady bug is a Mexican Bean Beetle. This beetle is native to Mexico although it is found in the southeast United States.

The Mexican Bean Beetle is considered to be a pest by many gardeners as it eats any leaf in sight during it’s entire life cycle. Pesticides are the most common solution for the management of this beetle, however that is an environmentally degrading solution and for organic farmers it is out of the question. New management techniques include introducing one of the over 17 predators. This seems to help with population numbers however some unintended consequences have yet to be seen. The beetle may adapt to these predators over time or the introduction of the predators can cause more damage or loss of other species. For farmers and gardeners these factors must be considered when dealing with beetles or any pest. Their role in the environment is important despite the fact that they are labeled a pest. My iNaturalist post is here.

References:

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/bean/mexican_bean_beetle.htm

 

Acanthocephala declivis is a species of North American true bugs. The Hemiptera, or true bugs, are an order of insects comprising some 50,000 to 80,000 species of groups such as the cicadas, aphids, plant hoppers, leafhoppers, and shield bugs. They range in size from 0.04 to 6 inches, and share a common arrangement of sucking mouthparts. These mouthparts allow for the insects to suck sap and juices from plant material. A. declivis are in the family Coreidae and get their name from the small leaf-like enlargements found on the hind leg. They are closely related to other sucking insects, such as stink bugs (family Pentatomidae) that can also suck juices from plants. Their distribution range extends from the Southern United States to Guatemala, including some Caribbean islands. The giant leaf-footed bug is the largest of this genus within this range, generally growing to be 1.1 to 1.3 inches long. It can be distinguished from similar species by its much more broadly expanding pronotum (the foremost part of its thorax closest to its head), which extends much further than the abdomen.

iNaturalist observation.

A. declivis info.

 

This is Bamboo. If I had known how difficult it was going to be to identify I would have collected a few more identifying parameters beyond the picture. I have narrowed it down to the genus Phyllostachys but to get more specific than that I will need to get a DBH tape and take a closer look at the rhizomes.  Because much of the bamboo looks similar, growth from the root can help determine the exact species. Although I have a picture of the stem and lanced leaves (typical of Phyllostachys) I do not have a picture of the roots, I didn’t even take a look at them.  I was surprised to see the diversity of bamboo that grows in Texas, although most of the bamboo is planted for it’s looks and sometime used instead of a privacy fence, most of it is invasive and can do damage to wetlands and marshes.

To see the iNaturalist post click here

 

This week I saw a garter snake (Thamnophis) while I was walking near a creek. Although this is a common species, I didn’t know much about them, so here are some facts I learned: bullfrogs are one of their natural predators; they’re collected for the pet trade; they almost exclusively utilize habitat near a water source; they hibernate and often in a communal setting in sites called “hibernacula”; lastly, despite belief to the contrary, they are actually venomous, just not enough to kill a human.

Where I grew up in New York, if you were a kid who liked to play outdoors, you were aware of Poison Ivy.  Either you or someone you knew had dealt with the itchy rash symptoms that come from accidentally brushing into it.  Poison Ivy is the weed that no one wants, not that anyone wants weeds on their property.  There is a common rhyme to help identify and avoid an encounter, ‘leaflets of three, let it be”. Unfortunately it is native throughout the United States and much of Southern Canada in variety of habitats including wet or dry woodlands, thicket valleys, clearings, fencerows, roadsides, and waste grounds.  It can thrive in disturbed areas. It mainly appears as a bushy, erect or trailing shrub or as a woody climbing vine. The rhyme comes from the stems which have leaflets of three that are smoothed or toothed, rounded or pointed, glossy or dull.

All the parts of the plant contain a toxin plant oil called urushiol which can cause significant short and long lasting skin irritations (allergic dermatitis) in most human beings.  The infections can occur from direct contact with the plant, indirect contact, or from breathing smoke from a fire of the plant material. Luckily some humans are immune, and I am one of them!

On another walk around the pond near my work in Round Rock, I discovered these bright little flowers along side of the forested region of the park. The Sunflower Goldeneye (Viguiera dentata) is a 3-6 ft., open, bushy, many-branched plant that tends to grow in colonies. Its leaves are narrow and its numerous yellow, 1 1/2 in., daisy-like flowers appear at the tips of long, slender, leafless stalks.

Goldeneye is an extremely drought-tolerant plant and it’s distribution is from Central TX to AZ, through Mexico to Central America and Cuba. It is used as an ornamental because of it’s showy flowers. Wildlife such as nectar-bees, butterflies, and seeds-granivorous birds use this plant in many ways.
It is known as a larval host for bordered patch butterfly such as the Cassius Blue butterfly.

Find my iNaturalist post here.

Source: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=VIDE3