Determined

Photo by Peggy Wenrick 8/31/2012

This Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) was mutilated last year by some idiot with a saw or a sword. You can see the remains of the top on the lower right. We thought it was a goner, but it has since grown at least 4 (some very small in the back) arms. If you ever see some moron throwing rocks or otherwise damaging desert plants, take a photo with your cell phone and turn him in.

Can you see me now?

Photo by Peggy Wenrick 9/8/2012

Click on the photo and look closely for the critter!

Praying for prey

Photo by Ned Harris 9/22/2012

On the left, the Mesquite Girdler beetle; on the right, a male praying mantis. How's this going to end?

Clark's wears bracelets

Photo by Ned Harris 9/22/2012

There are two species of spiny lizard in Sabino Canyon. Desert Spiny and Clark's Spiny. They look pretty similar, but Clark's wears bracelets. Note the dark bands on the forearm of the Clark's in this photo.

Adults have wings, part 3

American Lady 9/22/2012

Gray Hairstreak 9/20/2012

White Checkered Skipper  9/22/2012

All photos by Ned Harris.
Again, adults (of the insect variety) have wings.* Butterflies and moths both go through 'complete' metamorphosis: egg - larva - pupa - adult. What the difference, you ask? 'Complete' metamorphosis involves pupating; in essence, pulling the covers over your head, taking yourself completely apart, and building a winged critter out of the goo. The bigger you are going in to the 'take-apart' stage, the bigger you're likely to be coming out. It's like building something with Legos. If you have 100 to work with, you can build something bigger than if you only have 50.
The larvae (caterpillars) of butterflies and moths eat and eat and eat their host plants so that they have as much mass as possible going into the pupa stage. During the pupa stage, insects aren't eating - 'just' taking themselves apart entirely and rebuilding. It's really amazing. Beyond amazing. Awesome, in every possible sense of the word.

*(As is my custom on this blog,) I'm looking at the big picture -  of insects, in this case; not every species, not every exception. In my experience, you can go along way in the realm of insects if you know that adults have wings. My apologies to entomologists for the generalizations.

Adults have wings, part 2

Flame Skimmer - female

Flame Skimmer - male

Both photos by Ned Harris, 9/22/2012
Flame Skimmer dragonflies are out and about in Sabino Canyon. You'll note that the male is more colorful. Both are adults, though. (Adult insects have wings!) Dragonflies undergo 'incomplete' metamorphosis: egg - nymph - adult. Read more about their life cycle and see some photos of nymphs here. Dragonfly nymphs are one of the many insect critters in the creek.

Adults have wings

Photo by Ned Harris 9/20/2012

Photo by Ned Harris 9/22/2012

Horse Lubber Grasshoppers are out and about, doing what adult insects do (see top photo). Not every species of insect has wings as an adult (but the vast majority do), but if it has wings (and it's an insect), it's an adult. The flying photo is also a Horse Lubber Grasshopper. Grasshoppers undergo 'incomplete' metamorphosis: egg - nymph (generally, nymphs look like smaller and wingless adults) - adult.