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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 16, 2013 - 10:29pm PT
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They're knott ants, you blighters, they're wasps!
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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May 21, 2013 - 02:50pm PT
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In my yard yesterday:
Hey Ron, I don't know why you'd want to smack a Stump-F*#ker with a shovel. All they want is to visit flowers and find a piece of timber to punch their eggs into. I have a lot of experience with Megarhyssa nortoni from working in the Angora burn. They're harmless, and fairly tame early in the morning
That ovipositor IS scary though:
The males actually go after the females before they even emerge as adults. They have to back their abdomens down the holes to try to reach them. They jam them way down in there; it's pretty crazy to watch.
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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May 21, 2013 - 09:33pm PT
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it was BUGMAGEDDON!
That's hilarious. I guess one man's heaven truly is another man's hell.
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MisterE
Social climber
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May 21, 2013 - 09:42pm PT
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They're knott ants, you blighters, they're wasps!
I ain't buying what you're selling - that thing was wingless and grounded.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 21, 2013 - 09:44pm PT
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E, they're like termites - they lose their wings when they hit the deck
and go commando. Ain't that right, Willoughby?
The Mutillidae are a family of more than 3,000 species of wasps (despite the names) whose wingless females resemble large, hairy ants. Their common name velvet ant refers to their dense pile of hair which most often is bright scarlet or orange, but may also be black, white, silver, or gold. Their bright colours serve as aposematic signals. They are known for their extremely painful stings, hence the common name cow killer or cow ant. Unlike a real ant, they do not have drones, workers, and queens. However, velvet ants do exhibit haplodiploid sex determination similar to other members of Vespoidea.
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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May 21, 2013 - 11:35pm PT
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Yup, that's a mutillid WASP, aka "cow killer." They kick like a mule, or so I'm told.
One of my favorite wasp mimics, a clearwing poplar borer. It's a moth, if you can believe it. I found this one on a lawn in Sierraville.
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MisterE
Social climber
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May 21, 2013 - 11:59pm PT
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I am "insetc" unaware - had no idea stingy flying things lose their wings and still pack the punch.
Where's that "things people say to climbers" video?
I need a "Huh!" right now...
;)
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shady
Trad climber
hasbeen
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Something about them ashes they like.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Jun 14, 2013 - 04:51pm PT
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dirt claud
Social climber
san diego,ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 17, 2013 - 05:56pm PT
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Some pics from a recent California road trip.
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Jun 24, 2013 - 07:08pm PT
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We got smoked out of climbing last Monday, and ended up chasing butterflies along Lee Vining Cr., just downstream from the Hall Nat. Area. Lots of great bugs, but the best find was a group of Dispirited Tiger Beetles, including tons of active larval burrows. This was a good find because A), they're not known to be gregarious, and B) their larval ecology is completely undescribed. I'm going to have to go back and collect some data on this population.
I also found a spearhead that day:
This Saturday I led a hike up above High Camp at Squaw, and the Cow Path Tiger Beetles were going crazy - lots of sex!
Tiger beetles are the coolest!
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shady
Trad climber
hasbeen
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Jun 24, 2013 - 10:05pm PT
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Nice shoot'n Willoughby!
When I see a tiger beetle, I'll know to show it great respect.
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dirt claud
Social climber
san diego,ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2013 - 04:37pm PT
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Cool shots of them beetles.
Found this one on the web, pretty cool close up.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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willow Bee, tremendous display. Kudos and good hunting!
Purple Bee, that pair was for you and Camila.
Here's one for T Hocking. A dragonfly; I sure like that song!
And the good old water striders.
A vice-regal display or is it?
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Exoskeleton of an Evaporator Bug. Merced South Fork.
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Here are a few from this weekend's NABA butterfly count at Yuba Pass.
Dotted Blue on naked buckwheat:
Synanthedon polygoni, a wasp mimic, and one of the coolest little moths around:
Here's an American Emerald, posing while chowing down on a deer fly:
And lastly, an Acmon Blue nectaring on Mondardella odoratissima:
South Lake Tahoe's NABA butterfly count is this Sunday. Shoot me a PM if you're interested!
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MH2
climber
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They may be little but they make our world much bigger.
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