Meet a grown-up antlion....

Earlier this year, I photographed what I thought was an adult antlion, but it turned out to be an owlfly (see May 28, 2010), which is related to an antlion. Well, a few days ago, I spotted another familiar-looking insect flying from a live oak branch. I stuck out my hand, and it landed on me. Ah, YES, a REAL antlion! Off it flew before landing on a tomato cage. I ran into the house for my camera and managed to get some good shots.

While I was shooting, I laughed. Because whenever I'd aim the camera toward it, the antlion would dodge and hide behind the wire. It did that several times. But I still managed to get some photos! (By the way, owlflys have long antennae; antlions have short antennae with clubbed tips.)

By the way, read my short piece about antlions, "Pits of Death," in the August 2010 issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine.

Lantana parade

Last weekend, I admired a hot pink lantana growing at a ranch where we stayed near Austin. This week, I've looked at a couple of nurseries but haven't found a similar one. In the meantime, I thought I'd shoot some photos of our lantana collection, which are all blooming. My pictures don't do justice at all to their colorful beauty....

'New Gold'

'Irene'

Trailing white

Lantana horrida
(true native)

'Cream Spreader'

Trailing purple

'Tangerine'

'Lemon'

Red

Weird insects

"Look! A 'Red Raider' beetle!" That's what James exclaimed Saturday when he spotted the insect below at Reimer Ranch near Austin. I've since learned that it's a green beetle (Stenaspis verticalis)....which is a member of the "Long-horned" family of beetles. I find that a little funny! (Funny as in the University of Texas are Longhorns....my son's a Red Raider graduate from Texas Tech U.)

Green beetle
Stenaspis verticalis

I saw this strange insect at Hamilton Pool Preserve. It was huge, probably at least 2 inches in length. And when it flew, its legs hung straight down. I asked the good folks at Bugguide.net what they think it was, and someone said a Mydas fly, a species similar to Mydas tibialis.

New caterpillar children and a new host plant

So today, I ran into a big writer's block and couldn't get any work done on an assignment. So James and I visited Blanco Gardens and bought a few plants. After we'd paid, Cheryl asked if we had any parsley because she had some caterpillars that she needed to pick (and get rid of). Curious, I asked to see them. Well, long story short, we went home with three new rue plants...complete with caterpillar children. They're black swallowtails (Papilio polyxenes). And I learned something new....

Tiny black swallowtails start out looking like this (below)....

By their fourth or fifth instar, they look completely different (below).... I'd thought I had two different species. Nope!


I found this little guy on a passionflower leaf but haven't figured out what it is yet.

New additions

Coralberry
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
We bought this native at Solstice Garden Expressions in Dripping Springs last Sunday.

Mexican bush sage
Salvia leuantha
(Bought at Blanco Gardens)

'John Fanick' phlox

(Blanco Gardens)

Natives in their own neighborhood....

So last weekend, James and I took off for southwestern Travis County on a magazine assignment. We toured Hamilton Pool Preserve, Milton Reimers Ranch and Westcave Preserve. It was SO cool to see some of our native friends, growing naturally in their own neighborhood.

We saw LOTS of American beautyberry...

and my favorite, pigeonberry....

and cedar sage...

Along the way, we also saw lots of wedelia and blackfoot daisies in bloom. We also met some new native plants, like....

Narrowleaf daisy
Grindelia lanceolata
(David Bennett at Westcave identified this and other plants for me)

Lindheimer's silktassel

Garrya ovata ssp. lindheimeri

Northern spicebush
Lindera benzoin
(I want one of THESE....it's a caterpillar host plant for the spicebush swallowtail!)

Prairie false foxglove
Agalinis heterophylla

This pretty wildflower was blooming along roadsides. Even the foliage is purplish.

James takes his camera out...

Our Wildscape is just incredible right now, blooming and turning green green green. The recent rains have been such a blessing!! Take a look at our front yard, compliments of James this morning....

Turk's cap...

Indigo spires and 'Henry Duelberg' mealycup sage...

Salvias....

Another shot of the salvias....

Copper canyon daisies (left), salvias and mealycup sage....

'Hot Lips' salvia and Mexican sage....

'New Gold' lantana and salvia coccineas....