Thursday, December 1, 2011

The (buck)eyes have it!

Photo by Bob Wenrick
You can see how this pattern enhances survival! This Buckeye Butterfly was eyed near the dam.
Yesterday's bush is a creosote bush; and a good time for me to clarify something I said on a recent nature walk: the creosote used on dirt roads (for example) does not come from the creosote bush. (Thanks, Carol, for correcting me on this.)
The gall is most likely caused by a midge (according to this site): 

The Creosote Gall is formed by a Midge that is in the order Diptera and is classified with the flies.  The Creosote Gall is a deformation of the plant with the leaves and stems stunted to form the Gall.

1 comment:

  1. I was able to take some amazing close up photos of butterflies on the upper part of the dam. They let me get so close! :)

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