Some Arthropods of the New Season: Part 2

(Note: Please see my beetle site, "Beetles of the Cuyamaca Mountains" if you are interested in San Diego County Coleoptera: http://www.beetlesofcuyamacamountains.net/index.html )

Here are some arthropods seen around the county this spring, from the desert to the higher mountains.

This first set are from Culp Valley in the Anza Borrego Desert. Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon trichocalyx, I believe) was blooming in a big way near Pena Spring, and many insects were at or near the flowers. Also Encelia farinosa and Eriogonum sp. were in bloom, among others.

A bombyliid (bee fly) - to be determined. At the Eriodictyon.

Small jumping spider, Pellenes sp.

Large robber fly, maybe Stenopogon or Scleropogon sp., perched near the blooming Eriodictyon, waiting for prey.

Toxophora virgata, some very small bombyliids (bee flies).

The next set of images are of Eupompha elegans found in Crest (just SE of El Cajon) on May 18th. This is a very different-looking morph from the sort I usually see in the Anza Borrego Desert (see below the following two images).

Eupompha elegans, Crest, California.

Eupompha elegans, Crest, California.

Eupompha elegans, Borrego Springs, California.

The next set of images are from Palomar Mountain on June 5 and 6th. First we camped overnight at Fry Creek, something we have not done in MANY years! It was well worth it, with many interesting insects to be found on the flowering shrubs in the Fry Creek Campground, and then more visiting the black light that I set up that night. Then the next day we walked the road in the campground again and found new insects at the flowering Coffeeberry, etc., and then visited Doane Pond at Palomar Mountain State Park before heading home.

Callimoxys fuscipennis, a small long-horned beetle. Out in the daytime on the first day. Fry Creek.

Some mystery cocoons. Fry Creek.

Dichelonyx sp., maybe D. vicina, but I am still unsure. Quite a few of these scarabs came to the light at night. Fry Creek.

Another Dichelonyx sp. with slightly different coloration, but it still has the medial groove on the pronotum. Fry Creek.

Ready for take-off! Fry Creek.

Oeme costata, a species that we saw in decent numbers during the first couple years in Cuyamaca Woods following the Cedar Fire. Then they dwindled to nothing in my neighborhood (at least at my light). Three showed up here at Fry Creek at the light. 

Silis sp., a small cantharid. Out in the daytime on the first day. Fry Creek.

Neobellamira delicata australis (male), a small, delicate cerambycid (long-horned beetle). I believe that this is flowering coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica). Fry Creek.

Neobellamira delicata australis. Fry Creek.

Small tenebrionid (darkling beetle). Probably Eleodes sp. Fry Creek.

Moth (which came to light). To be determined. Fry Creek.

Moth (which came to light). To be determined. Fry Creek.

"Inch worm", TBD. Fry Creek.

A small robber fly that was perched on a leaf near the base of the Fry Creek Campground on the morning of the second day. TBD.

Harvestman abroad at night. Fry Creek.

Hippodamia convergens, nectaring. Fry Creek.

Swallowtail (Papilio sp.) drinking at the moist edge of Doane Pond. Palomar Mountain State Park.

Close-up, showing the proboscis better.

Acmaeodera connexa, sharing the wealth with bee flies, Thevenetimyia sp.. Palomar Mountain State Park.

Acmaeodera connexa, Palomar Mountain State Park.

Cyclocephala sp., a masked chafer. Oddly, this one was in the dirt trail in the hot sun. I picked it up and photographed it in the shade. Palomar Mountain State Park.

Some Arthropods Seen in the Past Weeks

We are fully in the midst of the warm season here in Cuyamaca Woods, and the small ectotherms are out in force.

I have done some black lighting on my patio, something I do every year, on and off, and various organisms are out and about, visiting the many flowers that the late rain helped sustain.

A couple of these cicadas emerged on our property in late June. They are probably in the genus Okanagana, but I have not figured out the species yet. It is a new one for me.

Smooth harvester ants, Veromessor andrei (NOT Pogonomyrmex as I thought earlier), which have several nests right in the middle of our areas of activity. They are quiet during most of the heat of the day, but then become active in late afternoon, busily carrying food to their nests. Thanks to Derek Uhey for identification of these ants.

Centrodera spurca, a common species in late June and early July here.

This huge Prionus lecontei has been one of the few Prionus sp. individuals that have come to the light at night this season. Usually there are far more Prionus californicus. 

A large tarantula, lighter brown than I'm used to seeing, which visited the patio on June 28.

Something new - water boatmen in the ground-level bird bath! Very small - less than 10 mm long. They were gone the next day (presumably had flown on to greener pastures).

Acmaeodera connexa on thistle.

The ultra-common Acmaeodera hepburni, on an odd plant choice (as they usually prefer flowers!).

Brothylus gemmulatus pair. Making more Brothylus gemmulatus....

Galerita lecontei, apparently the only species of Galerita in southern California. A sharp-looking individual!

Hippodamia convergens, enjoying the flowers of late May.

This was one of the largest Polycaon stouti that I've seen - well over 20 mm.

"The Big Guy". Prionus lecontei portrait. The trick to distinguish this species from the more common P. californicus is the 13 antennal segments (as opposed to 12 in P. californicus).

Schistocerca nitens, a colorful morph of the Gray Bird Grasshopper. On the driveway, June 4.

A harvestman, which I think is the "common" one hereabouts, but I still do not know which species.

Mama wolf spider with babies (on her abdomen), on Sandy Creek Road.

Pepsis sp. (maybe P. pallidolimbata?). On my milkweed that I grew from seeds a few years back. The tarantula hawks have been loving this milkweed plant this year. I will try to harvest more milkweed seeds from a couple different species this year, and grow them from seeds next spring (to create my dream "milkweed garden").