Observations by morthort

Longhorn beetle, preliminarily identified with the Seek app. Probably 2.5 inches long! Found just behind the glass inside the grizzly bear pen at the Oakland Zoo, lumbering over the piles of wood mulch.

I noticed a spider on the back of another spider and assumed at first that the smaller one on top was biting the larger one underneath. But eventually I noticed that the smaller one on top (I presume a male) was drawing its left front leg through it’s fangs or chelicerae a few times in a wiping kind of manner and then reaching down at the bottom left side of the larger, I assume female spider, and rubbing the tip of his leg on a spot with a bit more pinkish-orange. After a few seconds a blob would emerge out of her body and he’d leave his leg tip touching it while her abdomen would pulse slowly for a minute perhaps before the blob disappeared inside of her again. And then they’d repeat. They weren’t in a very sheltered location, just inside our planter box, and I’ve never seen this behavior before but am sure now that they were mating. Pretty cool. It’s about 62F today and a beautiful day, so I wonder what causes them to start mating? Temp and availability of food?

Lygus bug…? Never heard of it but it matches the description, especially with the “V” shape on it’s back. Was hoping that it was beneficial, but it’s not! It’s on a narrow leaf milkweed, some shoots of which have started drooping recently.

Really pretty creamy colored mushrooms with gills, with crusty looking pieces on top of the cap and brilliant yellow coloration underneath or anywhere shaded. They’re growing out of some wood and hay mulch over well drained garden soil that’s been getting a little water every other day.