Sleepy and the Giant

Photos by Marty Horowitz, 9/27/2014

Sleepy Orange butterfly

Giant Swallowtail butterfly

By their fruits...

Photo by Ned Harris 9/19/2014

You can tell this plant is in the Pea family (fabulous Fabaceae)! White-Thorn Acacia (actually not in the Acacia genus anymore, but we're going to stick with this common name) (Vachellia constricta) fruits are pods, like 'all' Pea family fruits.

Open Empress-y

Photos by Alan Kearney 9/14/2014

Empress Leilia butterfly wings look very different on top and bottom. These views are from the same individual. And yes, males and females look the same and are both called Empress Leilia!

Ocotillo Runner?

Photo by Wayne Klement 9/20/2014

Wayne saw three - yes, three - Greater Roadrunners on his hike, including this beauty in an Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens). Both male and female Greater Roadrunners look the same, i.e., they are not sexually dimorphic.

Wild Cotton

All these gorgeous photos by Ned Harris 9/19/2014

Inquiring minds want to know why some Wild Cotton (aka Desert Cotton Gossypium thurberi) flowers are pink. The pink ones are 'old' flowers; they bloom white. Look for the fruits in the coming weeks. Wild Cotton is in the Mallow family (Malvaceae) and their very cool fruits have partitions for the seeds.

Where's the stick?

Photo by Alan Kearney 9/25/2014

Alan saw this Indian Walking Stick at his house (which is even nearer to the canyon than my own). Check out these cool facts  about stick insects. Did you know that they are all female? How cool is that?!

Which Witch?

Photo by Ned Harris 9/23/2014

This Black Witch Moth was hanging out in the now snake-less restroom. Has about a 6-inch wingspan.