Encrusting Desert Termites. Photo taken in Rain Valley by the author. Encrusting desert termites do not tunnel into wood. Instead they encase surface plant matter (and even cattle dung) in a tube gallery constructed of mud and saliva. They are active on the surface in the cooler times of day and at night. They are […]
Cami Schlappy
Posted inCommunity
What Is That?
Mantis Egg Case Commonly known as praying mantises, the females will lay their eggs in a soft foamy egg case that will later harden into a protective case called an ootheca. Upon hatching, 50-200 tiny mantises will appear. About a fifth will survive to adulthood. Occasionally, small holes will appear in the intact case. This […]
Posted inCommunity
What Is That?
Photo by Cami Schlappy This Grand Western Flood Plain Cicada (Megatibicen cultriformis) was found in the Patagonia Town Park. These cicada make a loud buzzing sound in sycamores, cottonwoods, and willows usually in the early autumn months. They use their calls to locate other cicadas. Eggs are laid on dead twigs. After hatching, the nymphs […]
Posted inCommunity
Critter of the Month
Photo by Cami Schlappy Desert centipedes (Scholopendra polymorpha) spend the daytime under cover and come out at night to hunt things like insects, lizards, mice and frogs. Centipedes swing their body around when envenomating prey. This has led to the misconception that centipedes “pinch” with their tail while, in fact, they use the first pair […]
Posted inColumns
Critter of the Month
Photo by Cami Schlappy Globemallow Leaf Beetle (Calligrapha serpentina) is a plant eating beetle that appears in desert scrub landscape in the summer months. They only eat plants from the mallow family which includes hollyhocks. When adult beetles emerge from the pupa, they are red and then change to orange, then yellow, and finally a […]
Posted inColumns
Bug of the Month
Photo by Cami Schlappy The Vinegaroon, sometimes called a whip scorpion or uropygid, is part of the arachnid family and is related to spiders and scorpions. They lack venom, but can spray acetic and caprylic acids when bothered (the mix smells like vinegar, hence the name). They are nocturnal hunters preying and keeping populations of […]
Posted inColumns
Bug of the Month
Photo by Cami Schlappy This Glorious Chafer was found at the Patagonia School. This bug can be found in Sonoita and Patagonia, usually in the morning under porch night lights. The Glorious Chafer, a scarab, Chrysina gloriosa, emerges from the soil in the summer months during the monsoon rains. Adults feed on juniper foliage and […]
Posted inLocal News
New Dinosaur Found Near Sonoita
Fossils for Crittendenceratops krzyzanowskii have been found in the Fort Crittenden Formation. The dinosaur was a planteater, measuring
about 11 feet long and weighing an estimated 1,650 lbs. The species lived here 75 million years ago.