Keep Austin Biodiverse

This weekend’s cave-enturing brought me up close and personal with this adorable little cave cricket. A lot of humans consider them a pest because they tend to congregate in basements and laundry rooms, but those humans are literally wrong. Cave crickets are 100% harmless and I highly recommend letting them live their lives. The worst thing they could ever possibly do to you is jump at you, which is a tactic they use to scare perceived threats since they usually live their lives in the dark and can’t see very well.

I can’t identify the exact species, but these guys are just generally referred to by their family name Rhaphidophoridae. They belong to my favorite insect order Orthoptera, which includes the most delicious insects, like field crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts. I personally did not eat this cave cricket so no word on if they are as tasty as their fellow Orthopterans.

Cave crickets have some really fantastic nicknames, such as sprickets (spider crickets), land shrimp, camelback crickets, and in Japan, or toilet crickets.

The carbonaceous nature of the regional bedrock gives the Texas Hill Country its name. Water moves through and breaks down carbonaceous rock easily and creates the hills, caves, cliffs, aquifers, and springs of this lush region. Because caves are such delicate and isolated systems, their health is one of the first to suffer when a region is compromised. Cave-dwelling critters are critical indicators of cave health. The presence of cave crickets, spiders, bats, and other creepy-crawlies may frighten most, but are a joyful sight to cavers and researchers because they indicate a lively cave ecosystem.

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

This week’s theme is a continuation of last week’s post about the differences between succulents and cacti, but this week’s plant of choice is a cacti. What makes a cacti different from a succulent? As you might recall from my last post all cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti. One difference between the two is how the thorns are attached. Cactus thorns stick out from the pad as you can see in the picture below, while succulent thorns are an extension of the body of the plant (Wisconsin Cactus and Succulent Society). Another difference is their temperature tolerance. Most succulents can only tolerate temperatures as low as 50°F but cacti can tolerate temperatures as low as 40°F and can be found as far north as Canada (Wisconsin Cactus and Succulent Society).

 

iNaturalist Observation

http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4147579

Reference

Cacti VS Succulents

The Prairie Flameleaf Sumac, sometimes referred to as the Texas Sumac, stood out among its green surroundings this morning because of its flagrant patches of red. Rhus lanceolata is a Texas native and is usually found on limestone or neutral soils in OK and NM as well. This perennial is extremely heat and drought tolerant, allowing it to thrive in central Texas. The blooming period for this species is in the summer, which is why its berries have such a bright red color. In the Fall, the leaves will begin to turn a vivid red. This deciduous tree can grow up to 30 ft. in height, but is usually found to only reach up to 20 ft. It is attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds and is generally pest- and disease-free. Similar to the Evergreen Sumac, the Prairie Flameleaf Sumac produces berries that can be soaked in water to make a tasty tea that is high in vitamin C.

My iNaturalist link can be found here.

References

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RHLA3

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/RHUSLANCEOLATA.HTM

Over the weekend I picked a few of these fruits from the native Texas Prickly Pear cactus or Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri (O. lindheimeri. It was designated the official plant symbol of Texas in 1995. These cactuses are common in the drier areas of South and Central Texas and Mexico. As you can see in the picture, in the spring time (so it was a little early to do this) since it is still September but the cactus will produce these fruits also known as “tuna.” They can vary in shape and size but have a thin skin, thick rind, and a really juicy pulp. They have been used by humans and animals alike for as long as their existence. The inside is fairly sweet and can be used to be syrups, teas, or juices that have been known to help cure gallstones. They are covered in a little hairs though that have to be removed before consumption. It is legend that the coyote will brush the fruits extensively with us tail before digging in! Here is the link to my iNaturalist observation : http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4147370

As I generally enjoy looking at and identifying trees whenever I’m outside in the Austin area, I’m always on the lookout for native trees with unique traits that set them apart from others. Cedar Elm, or Ulmus crassifolia, always catches my eye with its long and fully-serrated leaves. Leaves on most native tree species are usually not serrated around the entire leaf, which is the case for the Cedar Elm.

I spotted this large Cedar Elm near my apartment building because along with its leaves, it caught my eye because it provides shade for the the entire yard next door. Cedar Elms are native to the south central region of North America and as they are native to Texas, I don’t often see one as tall as this one. I usually spot Cedar Elms when they are about 10-15ft high, so I was happy to find this next door neighbor which I estimate to be about 50ft tall!

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

Copper Canyon Daisy is a plant I came across this weekend while visiting my boyfriend at work. He is a foreman for high end landscaping company and knows a lot about plants. This one is one of his favorites because of it’s sweet smell. It is part of the Asteraceae family and its scientific name is Compositae Tagetes Iemonii. It is native to the Arizona/New Mexico region, but does very well with Texas native plants because of its tolerance to drought-like conditions. It grows into perennial shrub and is known to attract butterflies!

My iNaturalist post can be found here

The Eastern Blackneck Garter Snake, Thamnophis cyrtopsis, was one of many exciting species I ran across at Wild Basin this weekend. The orange stripe running down it’s back made this quite friend stand out along the rocky surface

The Eastern Blackneck Garter Snake is found throughout Utah, Colorado, Nevada,  Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. This garter snakes is found in desert and forest areas but typically found near a water sources to support it’s diet of amphibians and fish.

My INaturalist post can be found here

Habitat and diet description found from http://www.herpsoftexas.org/content/black-necked-gartersnake

 

These small, native trees are abundant at Wild Basin and have just recently began to produce their small, white flowers. The compound leaves are pinnate and alternately arranged. This plant can be easily recognized by it’s reddish rachis, which can be noticed in the picture below.

The evergreen sumac, Rhus virens, is a dioecious plant, with only the female plants producing flowers and berries. It is fast growing, generally insect and disease-free, and drought-tolerant; however, it is not a true evergreen because it’s leaves are green through the winter, then are dropped, to be replaced within about a week. Ecological benefits provided by this species include being a food source for birds and butterflies. Additionally, their berries can be soaked in water to make a tea that is high in Vitamin C.

 

iNaturalist post

Source: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RHVI3

This pretty butterfly was resting on my backpack last fall in the lawn in front of Main Building. Luckily I was able to get a picture before it flew away. I have identified this butterfly as Vanessa atalanta, or the Red Admiral. It inhabits a range from central Canada through the Mexican highlands and Guatemala, spending March-October in the north and October-March in the south since it can’t survive extreme winters. Hosts for caterpillars include plants from the nettle family. Adults prefer to feed on sap flows on trees, fermenting fruit, and bird droppings. They visit flowers only when the previous food sources are not available. Adults also have different summer and winter forms where the summer form is larger and brighter and the winter form is smaller and duller. These butterflies are not endangered and populations are globally secure.

 

 

Sources:
Vanessa.ent.iastate.edu/species.html
Www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Vanessa-atalanta

My iNaturalist post can be found here.