In the first image, you see what some folks call a pill bug, but I have called them roly polies since childhood. What most folks don’t know about these little guys is that they are not insects. Instead, they are distant cousins to insects because they have an exoskelton and jointed appendages. They are an ancient lineage having been around since the Carboniferous period of the Paleozoic era which began some 300 million years ago. Pill bugs and their relatives during their long history began as ocean dwellers and some of them like our little friend here transitioned to living on land. Armadillidium vulgare in the family Armadillidiidae are also new comers to North America having been brought from the Mediterranean where their kind originated. You can read more about them at Animal Diversity.org.

In the second and third images, you see a member of the genus Araneus. The Arachnids or spiders and their kin, have been around a very long time. The oldest fossil Arachnid existed some 420 million years ago. The spiders appeared in the fossil record some 165 million years ago. (Wikipedia)

Spiders began as land dwellers and lived like tarantulas and wolf spiders of today making their living as ambush or pursuit predators. The web builders came along much later. Somewhere in this individual’s life, it lost a leg to a predator or something trapped in its web that could bite.

The last image is of a White-tailed Dragonfly, Plathemis lydia. Dragonflies have been flying around earth’s freshwater environments for 300 million years. This dragonfly is a member of the Libellulidae, or the Skimmer family. Libellulidae is the largest dragonfly family numbering 1000 species worldwide. 109 species in North America.

All of the above are Arthropods because they wear their skeleton on the outside, and possess jointed appendages and other body parts. They are living fossils of ancient animal lineages that first left the sea to live on land. They are each beautiful in their own way and beneficial to their to their ecosystems.

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I was catching the latest spring wildflowers in the Spring of 2017 when I encountered the butterfly pictured above.

This butterfly is the Juniper Hairstreak also known in scientific circles as Callophrys gryneus. It belongs to the blues, hairstreaks, and harvester butterfly family, Lycaenidae.

In the second image, two Juniper Hairstreaks are visible. There were at least six individuals on this particular Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridis). In all of the pictures I made of these beautiful creatures, none of them show what the tops of their wings look like. You can go to the Butterflies of America website to see what their wingtops look like.

The last image shows 3 butterflies busily nectaring from the milkweed flowers. The shape of the flowers resembled antelope horns to somebody long ago and they hung Green Antelopehorns on this plant as a common name.

These pictures were taken in an area of West Texas known as the Cedar Breaks which is a transition zone between the High Plains and the Permian Basin. There are lots of Junipers and Cedars in this area for these little beauties.

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Pictured here are several Purple Coneflowers that are feeding at least two species of skipper butterfly (Hesperia spp.) and one flower scarab beetle. These flowers have recently opened and are producing lots of nectar while the nearby countryside has few active nectar sources.

In this image you can see by the white spots on the undersides of the hindwings that there are two different kinds of skipper butterflies present. Notice that they are oblivious to the beetle and vice versa.
You can also see the proboscis of each butterfly which allow them to harvest nectar from deep within the flowers. The beetle doesn’t have these specialized mouthparts and cannot get to the skipper’s nectar. This allows both species to use the Coneflower as a food source by consuming different parts of it.

Both species of skippers hold their wings upright and tightly together which makes it difficult or impossible to see the characters needed to determine which species is which. I can only say with confidence these butterflies belong to the genus Hesperia in the Skipper family: Hesperiidae. If you look closely at this image, you can count 3 butterflies and one beetle.

The scarab beetle belongs to the Scarabaeidae family and its flower beetle subfamily Cetoniidae. I have scoured the internet unsuccesfully to find this creature’s species name. Images of Cyclocephala spp. are similar to this specimen but I found nothing that matched the markings of this creature. Such is the problem with using just photographs to identify some critter you have never seen before. Insects, in particular, usually require the specimen in hand and a good wide-field microscope to use the descriptive keys developed by entomologists to pin down just what species you have. Sometimes, you find some critter that hasn’t been described yet. Beetles are a broad and diverse group and not all of them are known to science. Thus, I cannot offer more than my best guess of the species names of the insects pictured here.

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On a recent visit to Rocky Mountain National Park, I was able to photograph some of the plant and animal life that live in the alpine tundra ecosystem at the Forest Canyon Overlook, elevation: 11,716 feet. This is a little less than 2 and a quarter miles above sea level. How’s that for really, really high?

In this first image you see the glacial moraine that forms the wall of the Forest Canyon, a valley shaped by ancient glaciers. The rocks visible here were dropped by the glacier and were the pieces it used to abrade the walls and floor of the valley to produce what you see today.

This image shows the alpine tundra that exists above the treeline, in fact, tundra means land without trees. The wind and weather here is too extreme for tree growth and the grasses and other plants which live here are able to withstand the wind, cold and short growing season.

Here is a Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale. It is hugging the ground and is somewhat protected by the surrounding stones. I suspect the stones help shield it from the windy conditions and they absorb sunlight which may help warm the dandelion’s space.

Here is a Halictid bee on another dandelion. I was a little more than surprised to see insects and flowers at this altitude because grasses don’t need pollinators. My respect for the toughness of this kind of bee and for the dandelion has increased.

This image shows a Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). This is a new species for me. I love going places and discovering things I have never seen. It is one of the benefits of travel to exotic places and a blessing of the national park system. The leaves on this plant are very feathery, fern-like. Took me a good while to identify this plant and you can read more about these rascals here, here and here.
You would never guess this plant is kin to a sunflower but they both belong to the Daisy family: Asteraceae.

In this image, you can see my foot. This is generally a no-no for photographers, but I included it to give you some idea of the size of the Red Turnip Beetle (Entomoscelis americana, family:Chrysomelidae) that I spotted while tromping along the trail at the Forest Canyon Overlook. Most folks were zipping along the trail to see the canyon and to soak up the scenic mountains, as for me, I tend to keep my eyes peeled for interesting things to photograph.

In this last image, you can see a somewhat blurry image of this tiny little fellow. His coloration is remarkable and is why he caught my eye in the first place. This is another creature I have encountered for the first time in these high mountains far from any turnips. Stuff like this delights me with the questions it raises about where this beetle fits into an ecosystem in a difficult place to live. It is nice, at my age, to enjoy the feelings of wonder engendered by these encounters. You can visit here and here to learn more about this little fellow.

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In the image below, a Pearl Crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos in the Nymphalidae family) is feeding on the nectar produced by the Yellow Spiny Daisy (Machaeranthera pinnatifida, family: Asteraceae). The Yellow Spiny Daisy is one of the first wildflowers I see in the spring and it helps feed the butterflies and bees that appear as the cold of winter recedes.

In the next image, another Pearl Crescent is busily harvesting nectar from an example of White Prairie Aster (Symphyotrichum falcatum, family: Asteraceae). This prolific little wild flower is found in dry, calcareous soils in large colonies during the west Texas spring. They feed numerous kinds of insects and butterflies.

In this image, you can see a yellowish butterfly feeding on a yellow spiny daisy. This butterfly may be an Orange Sulfur (Colias eurytheme, family: Pieridae) but I can’t say for sure because I never saw more than what you see here. This is one of the difficulties of using only pictures to identify species with complex physical characters, the chances for misidentification are large.

Below is a picture of a new species to me. Sandbells, as you might expect, like sandy soils. The place where I found this specimen had a rich mixture of sand and limestone. Nama hispidum, in the family Hydrophyllaceae, is a low lying plant with hairy leaves and five lobed tubular flowers. They make me think of Dakota Mock Vervain but their unlobed leaves and the painted centers of their larger bell-shaped flowers make them easily distinguished.

In this image, you can see Dakota Mock Vervain (Glandularia bipinnatifida, family Verbenaceae). Notice how it is a more upright plant and its leaves are deeply lobed. Also its flowers are uniform in color at the center. These wildflower can be seen from February through December. They are a valuable nectar source for many insects and butterflies.

Scarlet Globemallow or Caliche Globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea, family: Malvaceae) is a springtime burst of orange colored blossoms. These dry tolerant flowers add a burst of color to an otherwise brown and drab grassland as the countryside wakes from its winter sleep. They are one of the species that I saw for the first time a couple of years ago and I enjoy them when they return each spring.

The prickly poppies are up in large numbers this year. This image is of a Bluestem Pricklypoppy (Argemone polyanthemos, family: Papaveraceae). This species produces tall plants with lots of prickly leaves and 4-5 inch diameter alabaster white flowers with a huge, central cluster of yellow anthers surrounding dark ended pistils. These are remarkable flowers when fresh, but thrips and other suctorial insects soon mar their flower petals with feeding spots.

All of these images were taken on the same photo-safari and are a subset of the 15 species I photographed that day. I love to see how life pursues its ends despite the dry conditions. It makes me wonder what this country looked like in the days before the plow. I am thankful that we have a variety of beautiful wild flowers still extant in this part of the world.

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In mid-October 2017, my wife and I were unloading groceries from the car when she noticed this little bug on the back of my shirt. She picked it off and wrapped it inside a kleenex so we could take it outside and release it. We try not to kill beneficial insects because they eat things like aphids or scale insects which damage our trees and flowers. You can see in this image that this is a very small insect. The wind was blowing, as it does most of the time in these parts, and I used my car keys to help anchor the kleenex.

In this image you can see this little beetle is almost to my car keys. What is interesting here are the two red spots surrounded by shiny black on the elytra or shell-like fore-wings common to Coleopterans, or beetles as most folks know them. Also, a portion of the right hindwing is visible because this individual had attempted to fly away during all the hullabaloo and didn’t get his wing tucked back under the elytra.

In the last image, which is about the limit of my camera’s ability to focus on something so small, you can get a better look at the size of the redspots and see the short antennae sticking out from either side of the head. Also, you might be able to see the 2 tarsal claws on the middle leg of the left side. After the photoshoot, our subject was released near our chrysanthemums where he can find lots of food.

This little beetle belongs to the lady beetle family Coccinellidae and likes plants with scale insects on them to eat. Based on what I learned at BugGuide, this individual may be a member of the genus Chilcorus, the Twice-stabbed Lady Beetles. Another interesting day for me because I got to see and photograph something I haven’t seen before and to share the tale of it with you. Happy Trails, all.

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One of my favorite wild flowers is the Basket Flower, Centaurea americana. It grows in many places across Texas. I love the delicate petals of this flower and their shades of lavender. Basket flowers are members of the Asteraceae family and their flowers are really compound flowers where each petal is associated with a single tiny flower within the composite flower head. They get their name from the phyllaries or bracts that surround the base of the flower head to form a cup of interwoven spines that resemble a basket. They bloom from May till August each year.

The butterfly nectaring on the Basket Flower is an Orange Skipperling, Copaeodes aurantiaca in the family Hesperiidae, the skipper butterflies. Skippers like moist areas along the margins of rivers and streams. This stand of Basket Flowers was beside a bridge over a small stream in West Texas at the edge of the caprock.

In the last image, you can see the proboscis of the skipperling probing the flowerlets for nectar. I am literally amazed at how these tiny creatures unfurl these structures and guide them into the multitude of tiny flowers on a plant like the Basket Flower. This kind of behavior goes on all around us largely unnoticed or appreciated by our species. These images remind me what a complex world we live in and give me a sense of wonder about something as simple as a butterfly and a flower.

For more information on these two species, you can visit the Butterflies and Moths website and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

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Pictured here is a male Goatweed Leafwing butterfly. I was walking in the woods on a cool March morning and was able to photograph this beauty while he was soaking up some rays.

Here you can see the underside of this little guy’s wings. When folded, they look like dead leaves. This coloring keeps them from being taken by predators.

A different angle on the inner and outer wings reveals dull camouflage beneath and bold rusty red above. This arrangement makes these guys stand out when they are flying and disappear when they stop on a branch or pile of leaves.

Compare the leaf color seen here to the previous two images. Resembling dead leaves is definitely and advantage in this environment.

Anaea andria in the brushfoot butterfly family (Nymphalidae) likes deciduous forests near water. The Goatweed Leafwing feeds on tree or plant sap, rotting fruit, animal dung, and bird droppings. Not your typical fare for butterflies.

You can read more about these woodland butterflies at the Butterflies and Moths of North America website.

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Pictured here is an adult female Dobson Fly. I was near a marshland when I stumbled upon this creature on a wooden handrail one April morning.

As you can see here, the length of this animal is approximately equal to the thickness of the 2×6 lumber that makes up the handrail. In other words, about 1.75 inches long. Big for an insect.

This shot gives you another view of its long membranous wings. You can’t see all four of them because they are nicely folded. What you can see are the beautiful vein patterns of the outer wings.

In the final shot you get a full on view of this lady’s face. Note the size of the jaws here. The ladies of this species can bite while the males, whose jaws are much longer, are unable to bite or pinch. Their jaws being primarily ornamental.

Depending on the environmental temperature, Corydalus cornutus, the Eastern Dobson Fly, can complete its lifecycle in 1 to 3 years. Their larvae live in water and prey on insects, tadpoles, and small fish. Their bite is legendary to fishermen like my Grandfather who used to catch them to use for trout bait in Montana. I was suprised to see this girl so far south and near sluggish water to boot. However, this species is known throughout central and eastern Texas. I photographed this one in Fort Worth.

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Dragonflies are truly valuable parts of freshwater environments. They spend the longest part of their lifecycle as underwater predators that feed on the larvae of mosquitos and other insects. As adults, they prey on mosquitos and other flying insects. Without their help, we would be covered in mosquito bites and swatting annoying flies.

In the image above is a member of the species Libellula saturata, or Flame Skimmer. I was astounded when I first saw this species because I had never seen an orange one before.

In this image you can see the first 3 pairs of legs that are shorter than the rearmost legs. They form a basket when the dragonfly is in flight which they use to capture prey.

Notice the huge compound eyes that meet at the top of the head. This is a characteristic of the Libellulidae or Skimmer family. This family has over 1000 species and is found all over the world. In North America there are 109 species in this family. Also, notice the formidable mouth parts for munching mosquitos and annoying flies.

Here is an example of Libellula pulchella, the Twelve-spotted Skimmer. Notice the color patches on the wings. These and the spots on the abdomen help identify this species.

Here is the same species from a different angle. Dragonflies are prone to perching where they can warm up in the sun. This photograph was taken on a cool April morning. When they are warm, they are harder to approach and photograph. This makes them a challenge.

This is and example of a female White-tailed Skimmer. It is a Libellulid as well. Look at the eyes, they meet at the top of the head.

Here is a male of Plathemis lydia, or White-tailed Skimmer. Notice the differences between the abdominal coloration on the male and female. Dragonflies can be sexually dimorphic which means the males and females while similar in body and wing can look very different from one another in terms of coloration.

This an example of Phanogomphus exilis in the Club Lancet family, Gomphidae. Notice the eye color and wing placement on the body. This species also has yellow accent striping on the body and tail.

As you might of guessed, I love dragonflies because they eat mosquitos and other biting flies. I also love them because of their colors and the challenge they present in photographing them. What you have seen here is the culmination of some judicious stalking and being lucky enough to catch these guys before they flew off.

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