Convergent Ladybird Beetle or Ladybugs - Hippodamia convergens
The Ladybugs are Back!
These Ladybugs arrived this week, flying in from the south! They got here just before the super windy day that caused all the wildfires in California! They hunkered down under the pine needles and leaves on the forest floor, during the windstorm.
Since the wind died down and the temperatures have warmed up, they've been coming out in the open to mate. They will stay here in large dormant clusters throughout the winter. To keep from freezing, they produce an anti-freeze in their "hemolymph" (insect body fluid). They've been returning to our neighborhood every fall for years. I was happy to see them back home again!
The Ladybugs are Back!
These Ladybugs arrived this week, flying in from the south! They got here just before the super windy day that caused all the wildfires in California! They hunkered down under the pine needles and leaves on the forest floor, during the windstorm.
Since the wind died down and the temperatures have warmed up, they've been coming out in the open to mate. They will stay here in large dormant clusters throughout the winter. To keep from freezing, they produce an anti-freeze in their "hemolymph" (insect body fluid). They've been returning to our neighborhood every fall for years. I was happy to see them back home again!
Ladybugs aren't true bugs!
The word "bug" is commonly used as a name for any insect. However, Ladybugs are not true bugs, they're beetles! A more scientifically correct name for them is Ladybird Beetles. There is an actual group of insects called "True Bugs". They are part of a group of insects that includes aphids, cicadas, leaf hoppers, plant hoppers, and shield bugs. They are distinguished from other insects by having piercing and sucking mouth parts that are, in most species, used on plants.
In Science, all living organisms are classified into ordered groups. Insects are in the Kingdom Animalia, the Phylum Arthropoda, the Subphylum Heteropoda, and the Class Insecta. There are 30 Orders of insects within the Class Insecta.
Ladybugs are in the Class Coleoptera.
In the United States, 91,000 different species of insects have been classified, just a fraction of the total 8.7 million insect species found on Earth!!!
Orb Weaver Spiders - Family Araneidae
Spiders!
I took these web photos early one morning this week. I was amazed to see that the webs had a rainbow iridescence, that I never noticed before! Beautiful! The webs are usually made at night by the female spiders! The male spiders don't weave webs! They just cruise the neighborhood looking for females to mate.
The female will use the web to trap insects. Once they're stuck, the female will bite the insect, wrap it in silk and wait for it to die. Once it dies, the female vomits digestive fluid over the wrapped dead insect, to soften it, then eats it by chewing and sucking! The female spider doesn't get stuck in her own web because she mainly travels on the non-sticky structural lines. Sometimes she has to walk on the sticky spiral lines, but her hairy legs have an oil that keeps them from sticking!!!
Right now, the female spiders are laying their last clutch of eggs for the year. Usually there are over 100 eggs in one sac! The eggs will overwinter, but the female and male spiders will die at the first frost.
Orb Weaver Spider - Family Araneidae & Sheetweb Spiders - Family Linyphiinae
I found both of these webs in small deciduous trees. The Sheetweb Spiders are quite different than the Orbweaver Spiders. I'll let you know all about them next week!
Spiders are not insects! They are classified in the Kindom Animalia, the Phylum Arthropoda, the Subphylum Chelicerata, and the Class Arachnida. Spiders are in the Order Araneae. The main differences between insects and spiders are that they have 8 legs (insects have 6 legs), and only 2 body parts (insects have 3 body parts).
Cabbage White Moth - Pieris rapae Dusky-winged Skipper - Pyrgus oileus
Garden Update!
There's been an abundance of skippers, moths, and butterflies in our garden since springtime! Things will change soon, as we just had our first frost last night. There are still some roses and cosmos in bloom, but not much else for them to feed on. Most butterflies and moths lay eggs that overwinter, but some species overwinter as pupa in a chrysalis or cocoon, and others overwinter as caterpillars!
California Sister - Adelpha californica Field Crescent - Phyciodes pulchella
Butterflies and Moths are insects! They are classified in the Kindom Animalia, the Phylum Arthropoda, the Subphylum Hexapoda and the Class Insecta. They are in the Order Lepidoptera. Like all insects they have 6 legs and 3 body parts.
Isabella Tiger Moth Caterpillar alias "Woolly Bear" - Pyrrharctia isabella
I've found several of these Woolly Bear Caterpillars in our garden lately. They are still eating, but will probably find a protected spot to spend the winter soon. They overwinter as caterpillars under bark or plants on the forest floor! As the weather gets colder, they produce an anti-freeze in their tissues so they don't freeze solid over the winter! Wow!
Lesser Goldfinch - Carduelis psaltria
The Lesser Goldfinches are still eating the sunflower seeds in our garden! It is always fun to watch them hang upside down and sideways in their quest for seeds! Once the seeds are all eaten, they will probably migrate down to the foothills for the winter.
Anna's Hummingbirds - Calypte anna
The two Anna's Hummingbirds are still chasing each other, down at the feeder in our garden! I'm surprised they are still here!
The two Anna's Hummingbirds are still chasing each other, down at the feeder in our garden! I'm surprised they are still here!
Fox Sparrow - Passerella iliaca Pine Siskin - Carduelis pinus
Fox Sparrows and Pine Siskins have been in our garden for the past month.
Fox Sparrows have migrated down from the higher elevations, where they spent their summer. They feed on the ground in a scratch-and-hop method like Spotted Towhees. Their diet consists of seeds, berries, plant buds and insects. They'll stick around until the colder weather arrives, and then migrate down to the foothills for winter.
Pine Siskins are named for their preference for pine, and other conifer, seeds. They will hang from the tips of branches to glean seeds from the cones. They also feed on the ground for a wide variety of grass and shrub seeds, garden vegetable leaves and stems, and insects. Sap in tree trunk holes, that Sapsuckers have made, can also be part of their diet! They will also ingest minerals along the sides of roads! They range widely and erratically in response to seed crops. In winter their migration is dependent upon cone crops. Maybe they'll stay here all winter! I'll have to keep watch!
Osprey - Pandion haliaetus
River Update!
This week I watched an Osprey land on a branch right above the river!!! Wow! I hadn't seen one on the river in years! I only got a few photos before it took off and flew upriver! These amazing birds hunt for fish in the river. When they spot a fish, they dive feet first into the water to catch it! The pads on the soles of their feet are barbed and help grab slippery fish! Ospreys are the only raptors that feed almost exclusively on live fish. There are 80 different species of fresh and salt water fish that make up 99% of an Osprey's diet! Right now Ospreys are migrating to South America for winter! In its 15-20 year lifespan, an Osprey may migrate a total of 160,000 miles!!!
Common Merganser (female) - Mergus merganser
I saw the Common Mergansers again, but this time the three juveniles
were separate from the mother! Pretty soon all of them will be migrating down
to the Central Valley to spend the winter!
Common Merganser (juveniles) - Mergus merganser
American Dipper - Cinclus Mexicanus Water Striders - Gerridae sp.
I've seen several American Dippers along the river this week.
They are one of our year-round river residents!
Their thick under-coat of downy feathers keeps them warm during winter!
The Water Striders are still on the river! The smaller ones are congregating together in large groups! There was over 100 of them in the group I photographed! I still haven't found out what species the smaller ones are, but I do think they are different than the larger ones. I'll keep you posted on how long they stick around!
What kind of insect made this hive?
If you guessed that the insects in last week's photo were wasps, you're right! Specifically, I think they are
Black Jacket Wasps, not Yellow Jacket Wasps!
What's the difference between Yellow Jacket Wasps
and other wasps?
Why do they show up in the fall?
So far, the year-round residents are probably going to be Steller's Jays, Spotted Towhees, and American Dippers.
What other birds do you think might stay all year?
What are the Bears up to these days?
Where are the deer?
How are those foxes?
Check back next week for the answers
to these questions and more!
Your comments and questions are greatly appreciated!
Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com!
or
Click on the comments just below, to post a comment!
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