Spores: 4.9-6.8 µ; large fruiting on decayed conifer mill slabs.
The nest is located at about 3ft above the surface in a rosebush.
This colony is in it's early stages, most bees are male and few females were seen. The area in use is earthen road, a length of 160 m, though the core area is about 60 m. Current population is estimated at 6000 bees but will be much greater once more females emerge. Only two holes seen showed signs of a fertile female, these have compacted soil raised above ground level and in later sages the loose soil is formed up in a low cone. Pictured also is an example of holes after emergence, a male with female making toward the roadside vegetation away from sight of competing males, a group of males with part of female visible, another showing how males stack on top of each other in these mating frenzies, sometimes males attempt to mate with other males. Another shows a group of males around a hole where there is a female, when she finally comes out she will be set upon by all. There were many dead males on this road, males are often killed when fighting but some may also be from vehicle strikes which is inevitable due to the bees choice of location. However traffic is not heavy and this area has been in regular use for many years.
From UBC Specimen Collected by W. B. Schofield And J. D. Godfrey "On ceiling and crevices of overhanging cliff grotto"
Collection data here:
https://bryophyteportal.org/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=4056509&clid=0
Queen with three drones. They were in the grass beside the bay trail. Queen climbed onto the twig so I could take the photo.
Growing in compacted clay/sand on an eroding cliff near the intertidal zone. There were quite a few large patches of the same material scattered along the cliffs.
Same material can be found here by @leahparr
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/199712649
JC1943 growing on rock at a perennial seep along canyon wall, forming extensive mats, interspersed with Calypogeia. Plants green, many of the leaves with serrations on margins, gemmae arising from leaf margins. Couldn’t find any underleaves. Assignment to var. scabra based on leaf margins.
On volcanic rock bald/bluff @ 1000m
On mineral soil under boulder in alpine. 23CP05.
Accessed with permission. With Andreaea rupestris.
Not sure - have seen this winged thallus variant before. Looks kind of like Symphyogyna of the tropics, but I assume it is one of the Apopellias.
1759
Ascus and ascospores photos included. MCCune Microlichens vol. 2 p. 69
Huge population on tip up soil. Mature sporophytes Jan 26
Small moth found at night and in the morning at porch light. I came across the caterpillars to this moth for the first time in fall 2019.
Female (see observation 62089537) laid 113 eggs total. Eggs were unfertilized. She laid a few per day in clusters (or lines, in the case of egg-laying on needles). These clusters ranged from one to about twenty eggs each.
Pupae 12 hours after taking the photograph of the caterpillar http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2817203
There are so many this year!
Took these out of a video where this wasp was making scritching noises when working the Penstemon flowers. Plant has naturalized, but we planted the first ones in the yard. There is an interesting lavender penstemon species with leaves that are somewhat hairy and very prickly seedpods that grows up on the hill above the house. I will have to watch to see if I can spot some in those--so, wondering if this wasp is the Penstemon specialist or another type?
Flat-footed Spider Wasp
with Dolomedes tenebrosa
Cowling Arboretum
Northfield, Minnesota