# Miscellaneous Southern California Invertebrates



## GQ. (Jul 24, 2007)

A few weeks back I took my youngest daughter out for a hike.  She stops at nearly every hole in the ground to look for tarantulas.  (No, I wouldn't let her jab a stick into a real tarantula burrow) 

Little Q Looking for Tarantulas






She soon spotted her first tarantula find!  It was a mature male wandering the hillside.  She said "Look!" and pointed right at the spindly male.
Little Q’s First T Find – Aphonopelma sp.






Another male was spotted the very next night at almost exactly the same time of day.  It was photographed exactly as it was found.
Mature Male Aphonopelma sp.


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## GQ. (Jul 24, 2007)

Interesting Little Bee






I found several individuals of the above bees.  Each one was found singly in one of the below flowers.

Calochortus splendens – Splendid Mariposa Lily






Fuzzy White Caterpillar – This was found on mustard plant.


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## GQ. (Jul 24, 2007)

This was about the coolest thing I've spotted in awhile.  It is definitely in my top ten finds.  I was toting the little one around the hills and spotted this gorgeous blue spider wasp perched on a trapdoor burrow.  I always wondered how a wasp would get one of these critters out of their burrow.  I had no idea they just sat on top and waited for the little buggers to open their door.

Wasp - Aphorus sp.? Waiting for Trapdoor Spider – Bothriocyrtum californicum






Every now and then the wasp would wag its abdomen back and forth like a cat ready pounce.  I would have stayed all night to watch the drama unfold if I didn't have the little one with me.

Wasp Waiting for Trapdoor Spider






I often find abandoned trapdoor burrows with these holes drilled into or out of the burrow.

Trapdoor Lid With Hole – Wasp Exit?


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## GQ. (Jul 24, 2007)

Tenebrionid Beetle






Robber Fly






Orb Weaver Blowing in the Wind.  The photo is blurry, but I like it for some reason.






Diabolical Ironclad Beetle – Phloeodes diabolicum


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## GQ. (Jul 24, 2007)

Anuroctonus Burrow – Anuroctonus pococki






Cabbage White – Pieris rapae?






Butterflies Mating – California Hairstreak – Satyrium californica?


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## Texas Blonde (Jul 24, 2007)

Awesome pics as usual.  I love the wasp, that would definitely be a cool find.  Too bad you couldnt stay to watch it catch the spider.


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## beetleman (Jul 24, 2007)

:clap: wow excellent shots,thank for sharing


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## DavidRS (Jul 25, 2007)

Great photography you have there, Gil.


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## GQ. (Jul 25, 2007)

Thank you Sky, beetleman, and David.    I've been mixing it up a little with the variety of invertebrates I photograph.


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## ronin (Jul 25, 2007)

Beautiful pics Gil.  Thanks for sharing.


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## lizmotobike (Jul 26, 2007)

great fun thanks. great detail on the close ups.


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## Ted (Jul 26, 2007)

super pics!!
love em!

more please!:clap:


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## Pulk (Jul 26, 2007)

wow, all of those are great photos.

...especially the wasp. amazing!


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## GQ. (Jul 26, 2007)

Thank you everyone.


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## cacoseraph (Jul 26, 2007)

did i tell you there is a paper about B. cali' getting parasitized by three diff color wasps?   let me see if i can find it real fast

"a blue spider wasp from a site in San Diego County."
http://www.catalinaconservancy.org/ecology/research/ramirez.cfm

ah, it is not so much a paper as a like, summary of some research the dude wants to do


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## GQ. (Jul 26, 2007)

Thanks for the link!  I may have to grab a cocoon next time I see one.  I would like to see a wasp emerge from one of those cocoons.


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## cacoseraph (Jul 26, 2007)

GQ. said:


> Thanks for the link!  I may have to grab a cocoon next time I see one.  I would like to see a wasp emerge from one of those cocoons.


i suspect if you emailed that guy he could provide an ID if he has had someone look into it... or maybe contacts to people you could send a corpse to for ID... people that would actually be happy like "well, *only* if you let me keep the body. teehee"


truth be told, those shiny wasps are one of the only things out there that make me a little uncomfortable. them and grass spiders.


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## What (Jul 30, 2007)

cacoseraph said:


> those shiny wasps are one of the only things out there that make me a little uncomfortable. them and grass spiders.


Grass spiders make you uncomfortable? That is hilarious, I am trying to breed them.


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## cacoseraph (Jul 30, 2007)

What said:


> Grass spiders make you uncomfortable? That is hilarious, I am trying to breed them.


have you seen a mature male yet? they look crazy. external spiral emboli on their pedipalps.  looks like the "boxing glove" has a giant spring wrapped around it.


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## What (Jul 30, 2007)

Yeah, I have a mature male right now. I just need to find a nice big female to mate him with....


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## aliceinwl (Aug 26, 2007)

The white butterfly is the checkered white, _Pontia protodice_ and the mated pair are gray hairstreaks, _Strymon melinus_. Looks like you had a fun trip!
-Alice


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## GQ. (Aug 26, 2007)

aliceinwl said:


> The white butterfly is the checkered white, _Pontia protodice_ and the mated pair are gray hairstreaks, _Strymon melinus_. Looks like you had a fun trip!
> -Alice


Thank you for the setting me straight.  I almost always have fun in the field.  The dry year has almost been a good thing.  I have found myself looking for insects just a little bit harder and in more unusual places to compensate for the lack of overall abundance of insects.  This has resulted in finding some insects and arachnids I might otherwise have overlooked.  I suspect it will take many decades before my ID skills catch up.


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