Flowers with more than the normal number of petals are known as double flowers. Roses and many other types of cultivated flowers are double-flowered, but occasionally double flowers can also occur in wild plants, like this Stansbury Cliffrose (Purshia stansburiana). I observed this rare double-flowered Stansbury Cliffrose in Arizona's Santa Rita Mountains. This attractive and… Read More →
Thomas's Two-striped Grasshoppers (Melanoplus thomasi) are colorful grasshoppers found in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. These grasshoppers are typically found in lush riparian areas with abundant herbaceous plants to feed on, and they can sometimes occur in surprisingly large numbers. While walking along a dry wash in southern Arizona's Empire Ranch, my dad and… Read More →
Reddish Potato Beetles (Leptinotarsa rubiginosa) are found in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. On a sweltering August day, I observed this one quickly crawling along a shady wash along Arizona's Sycamore Canyon Trail near the Mexican border. The busy beetle absolutely refused to stay still and I thought that its colors would look better… Read More →
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) butterflies are mainly found in the eastern part of North America, but a few of these dainty butterflies can be found as far west as Arizona and the southeastern part of California. I observed this Pearl Crescent butterfly visiting the flowers of an Alkali Marsh Aster (Almutaster pauciflorus) in a marshy… Read More →
During the warm months of the year in the Southwest, colorful and graceful Painted Damsels (Hesperagrion heterodoxum) can be seen darting about and resting on slender reeds and tall grasses in lush riparian areas. The distinctive male Painted Damsels are mostly brilliant turquoise blue and black with a red-tipped abdomen and red spots behind the… Read More →