January 21 snow!

Photos by James Hearn

 

Western polyphemus caterpillar

My daughter Lindsey has a sweet heart and fostered this chubby caterpillar in her San Antonio home during the recent freezing temperatures. We decided that it's a western polyphemus caterpillar (Antheraea culea). What I found fascinating is that this species hosts on oak leaves. Those are tough leaves! Below you'll see the videos she captured of the caterpillar gnawing on some. 

 

Her find also solves a mystery for me. In the past, I've found large frass (poop) scattered across our back patio under our live oak limbs. The pieces look like this one. I knew they had to come from caterpillars WAY up high on the leaves, but I have never come across one to confirm what kind. So my frassy friends may be this species?  Maybe someday one will visit me like Lindsey's friend did.

An owl tidbit...

I am currently reading this book and ran across this tidbit about our neighborhood eastern screech owl. Interesting!

Spring comes to December

Here we are at December 10, and take a look at our gardens! Amazing. As always, O Wise Cenizo (above) bloomed a day before we got rains last week. The

Big Bend acanthus

Shrimp plant

Salvias and lantanas

Plateau golden-eye

Velvetleaf mallow

Red salvia

White salvia

Fleabane

Red galeana sage

Mountain sage

Oxalis

White lantana

I'm a Skywarn spotter

So I'm a Skywarn weather spotter now! I took the online training earlier this week, and it was so interesting. Skywarn weather spotters are a "group of trained volunteers that watch the skies during severe eather and relay reports back to the National Weather Service." 

 

If you're interested in taking the virtual training, check this page for upcoming sessions. 

Toads and tarantulas...

 

Isn't THIS an intriguing photo! Melani Howard with the Hays County chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist program texted it to me. With her permission, I'm sharing it here.

 

"This tarantula was under our water trough along with three 'pet' frogs," she wrote. "I was wondering about this behavior."

 

Me, too!

 

According to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, here's what's going on: "They have a mutualistic association with tarantulas. Tarantulas inhabit holes under rocks, and one or two western narrow-mouthed toads can be found in a tarantula’s hole, sometimes sitting under the tarantula. Apparently the toads have chemicals in their skin that protect them from being recognized as food by the tarantula. Because the toads feed heavily on ants, they may prevent ants from inhabiting the tarantula’s burrow."

Tarantula, either Texas tan or Texas brown (Aphonopelma sp.)

Western narrow-mouth toads (Gastrophryne olivacea)

Spiders and flies, oh my!

Last weekend, I attended the 24th annual Texas Master Naturalist state conference in San Marcos. More than 600 members were there! I gave two presentations Saturday afternoon, and my daughter Lindsey drove up to sit in on both. I was so honored and delighted! 

Anyway, my first presentation was "Spiders of Central Texas." I had a good turn out, and Samantha won my door prize. P.S. Notice how I changed T-shirts for my presentations?

Afterward, I had a few folks come up to ask me questions and show me their spiders photos. Fun!

Lindsey!

Next up was my new presentation, "An Introduction: Texas Flies, Oh, My!" When the PBS video showed about how female mosquitos use six needles when they bite us, you should have seen the expressions in the room (photo below). Some were mesmerized (mostly the guys). Others were absolutely horrified. But that's nature!

I made some new friends and met up with others....

Our chapter president Jill Goff, MJ Hansen and me

Marv Peterson from Waco

Me and roomie Linda Currie from Houston

Lisa's late father was in my 2012 training class! Everyone loved Tom. Lisa works for Embassy Suites, where our conference was held.