Checker White butterfly

Checker White butterfly
Posted by: tigerbeetle.

This little Checkered White (Pontia protodice), usually found away from urban areas, was flitting about the San Gabriel River in the North Fork. There is a wonderful ephemeral pool where I have found a nice population of California Tree frogs (post September 3) and this one butterfly was very busy. I took this picture just as it was landing. You can see it was unwinding its proboscis in anticipation of the nectar in the flower.

Mountain Sky

Mountain Sky
Posted by: tigerbeetle.

At 5:30 on Monday, September 26, the San Gabriels looked as if the ocean of air would boil into a rain storm. You could see deep shapes in the clouds as the tips of the mountains caused the air to flow like water. Below, the wind rippled the water in the reservoir.

After I collected my traps the sky was clear at 6 p.m.

Mayfly

Mayfly
Posted by: tigerbeetle.

Ephemeroptera, as adults, do not feed but must within hours of emerging, find a mate before they must die. Mayflies are strong indicators of water quality because they need high amounts of oxygen which they take from the water. Animals that breath through the water are more susceptible to heavy metals, and other anthropogenic toxins. Stoneflies, riffle beetles, water pennies, dobsonflies, and caddisflies also are pollution intolerant, and if the body of water is dominated by these animals the water quality is good.

Dragonflies, crane flies, crayfish, dragonflies, clams, crustacea, and beetle larvae can tolerate a much broader range of water quality. However, if the water body has aquatic worms, midge larvae, black fly larvae, pouch snails, leeches and mosquitoes dominating, then the water quality is poor.

This mayfly (and others) were flying above the San Gabriel River at 6 p.m. September 26 the temperature was 81 degrees F. It liked the hood of my car.

tarantual-hawk

tarantual-hawk
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

Pompiliidae, Pepsis sp. is one of the largest wasps in the world and has one of the most powerful stings. I kept one in an aquaria for a few months. She was about 4.5 cm long and was as beautiful as these - though, this photo does not do these animals justice.

As adults, they are nectar feeders but as larvae, they consume a still live but paralyzed spider that was provided for them by their mother. They are very expressive animals in that you can tell their temperament by their body language. When excited, they walk jerkily and tap their wings. When calm but excited, they stretch out their antenna. When angry, they point their antenna towards the offending animal and curl and uncurl them. When totally calm the antenna is curled and slightly drooped.

The wasp that I took care of, at first attempted to attack me by flying at my face. In the morning, I would walk into the kitchen and she would pace back and forth with angry movements. I offered her 'cat food juice' and sugar water. I would open the lid very carefully so I could insert a syringe to squirt some sugar water into a small dish. Eventually, she did not display 'anger' when I entered the kitchen, but excitement as in the photograph. Later, she would take the syringe in her front legs and drink from the tip with her antenna curled and drooping.

These animals can never become 'tame' as we might think of some snakes or turtles, but I found my Pepis to be very smart and aware. She knew when I was coming to feed her.

It's the Holiday ... let's get stupid!!!

It's the Holiday ... let's get stupid!!!
Posted by: tigerbeetle.

It's hot. The River looks beautiful and before you know it everyone takes off clothing and sits around. Then they drink beer, throw the glass bottles around, try to light fires, and move their bowels everywhere, and then leave their trash and yuck behind. What a Holiday!

After

After
Posted by: tigerbeetle.

After all of the people left the Mountains on Monday from the long Labor Day Weekend... they left their garbage behind. The Forrest Service men and women end up being housekeepers and trash collectors. Diapers are probably the most disgusting thing - beside the toilet paper all around- I can think of that they throw about. I image these people defecating anywhere from the distribution of their trash. And, just above the river are two port-potties... nasty!

dragonfly

dragonfly
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

Flame Skimmers (Libellula saturata) have been visiting my pond for many years. Like all dragon flies, in repose. their wings are set to the side. The males are bright red and the females are light red-brown.

I have observed very violent mating rituals in this species. The males will perch on a tall stick waiting - not for what I thought, prey...

Then from above, females spotting the males, dive, grab and essentially rape them. The males are then thrown aside in a daze. While the males buzz erratically about the pond for a moment, the females bounce above the water's surface shooting their now fertilized eggs into the pond water.

Damsel

Damsel
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

The Vivid Dancer (Argia vivda) is in the Damselfly family, Coenagrionidae. The females are brownish but, on occasion will take on blueish tones. The 'dancers' (genus Argia) hold their wings above their abdomen whereas bluetets (a similar looking damselfly in the genus Coenagrion) hold their wings in repose by their abdomen.

Beautiful-frog

Beautiful-frog
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

A California Tree frog (Pseudacris cadaverina) sat in an ephemeral pond in the North Fork of the San Gabriel River. The midday sun was about 93 degrees F. and has been quite hot all summer.It is not only a special moment to find this frog sunning itself on top of the angel hair moss, but it is a wonder why this pond still has water in it and it's September 3!

Mugu-upper-marsh

Mugu-upper-marsh
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

The upper marsh gives one the impression of being alone. The silence is beautiful. The bees quietly buzz 10 centimeters above around the ground. There is so much to learn up here. Water seeps from the hills during the rains and salt water squeezes through the sands from the ocean. I find new animals all the time. Shrews, six types of dragon flies, tiny velvet ants....

Deformed-C-s.f.

Deformed-C-s.f.
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

This is the second deformed Cicindela I have found at Mugu. The first one was Cicindela hemorrhagica this one is Cicindela senilis frosti.

Could they have become deformed because of the stress of the storms from last winter? or from water causing objects to deform their pupal cell? or could be it because of some substance in the pore water?

These two beetles were smaller then normal which usually indicates poor nutrition... what could have happened? Could they have had conditions so stressful during their larval stage to force them into complete metamorphosis before proper development?

The numbers of deformed wild insects are usually much smaller then the commercially grown insects like meal worms or crickets. I am surprised to find living tigers with such deformities! They were so easy for me to catch them... a bird would have had them for a small snack.

Pelis-at-Mugu

Pelis-at-Mugu
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

Brown pelicans float on the wind above the water looking for tasty bits just near the surface of the water.

When they see something... they fold their wings, face downward, and dive.

Gosh! To be able to do that!

Otitidea-in-tiger-burrows

Otitidea-in-tiger-burrows
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

Dancing about the upper marsh is a fly - an Otitidae fly that lays its eggs in the burrows... Whose burrows? Well, there are Halicitidae bees and Cicindela beetles....

It struts and flips its wings, it scurries sideways and drops out of sight into a hole of .... which insect? perhaps both????

Can you find the fly with the pointed face?

Malaise trap in the forest

Malaise trap in the forest
Posted by: tigerbeetle.

The Malaise trap is set up in the forest of the San Gabriel Mountains. This is the West Fork site about 1 and 2/10 mile from the locked gate. The trap is about five meters from the River water's edge. So far, moths, flies, spiders, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, midges, wasps, and black flies have found their way up into the head of the trap. I will collect one more sample from this area before I move it to the next site in the North Fork.

The drop traps in the area are collecting ants, wasps, beetles, flies, an occational baby lizzard, moths and lots of spiders.

What could be the differences between the Ventura Marsh at Mugu and the Riparian brush in the Mountians?

who's-that-footprint

who's-that-footprint
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

I found this trail in the sand dunes near the firing range of Mugu. I know who made his trail. Do you? I threw my lens cap on the sand to show the size of the animal. Here are some hints: it's not a vertebrate, it walks side ways, and some people make ____cakes out of them (although, I doubt this species).

Can you count the number of animals in the next picture? there are three mammals and one reptile.

footprint-2

footprint-2
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

Many many animals live in the dunes of Mugu. Sand dunes and the beaches next to them have 'wrack' thrown up on to them from storms. The plants adapted to the sand, heat and salty water create a netting to hold the sand and they are homes to these vertebrates and invertebrates. Sometimes the only way to know who lives here is to look for 'scat,' bones, burrows, and footprints.

Way too many people

Way too many people
Posted by: tigerbeetle.

At the base of the West Fork of the San Gabriel River, many people gather to swim, and pick-nic. My son asked if they knew that they would be drinking that water.... I doubt that that crosses their minds.

They aslo bring charcol and make small fires to cook their hamburgers. Sometimes, they do this under a tree. I guess to get out of the sun, but I doubt that they think about the fire escaping into the very dry brush all around them....

In an earlier post I took a picture of a roll of toilet paper next to the river left by pick-nicers. They also leave tons of diapers.

Dry-San-Gabriel-bed

Dry-San-Gabriel-bed
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

After tons of silt and sand were scraped from the bottom of the River behind the Morris Dam (up-stream of the San Gabriel Dam), many more tons will have to be moved.

Good-fishin-hole

Good-fishin-hole
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

Chuck, from the Fisheries Resource Volunteer Corps, has taken on the task of looking after a part of the San Gabriel River. He helps keeps the area free of trash from visitors, conducts classes in the proper etiquette in Forest use, and helps other groups enjoy this resource. This is one of his favorite fishing spots, "Fishing is really all about calories" said Chuck, " Fish have to find a spot where they can hold still and still eat ... other wise they can starve, ware themselves out, or both... Fish hang out in areas where the fast moving water and the still water come together... If you were a gold miner that's where the gold would be, too."

wild-trout

wild-trout
Originally uploaded by tardigrade.

These trout were stocked in the San Gabriel River a hundred years ago. In this part of the River you can only catch and release. The pattern of spots on this fish is beautiful! As the fish gets older and bigger, the tanins in the water darken the fish.