andreacala's Favourites
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Silk-Button Spangle Gall Wasp (Neuroterus numismalis)Observer
matthieu_gauvain
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Oak Gall Wasps (Tribe Cynipini)Observer
dlbowlsDescription
On Canyon Live Oak.
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Smoky Hairstreak (Satyrium auretorum ssp. fumosum)Observer
ezeemoneeDescription
Partly cloudy day in the low 70’s F. ID cue is the chocolate brown top side color. By location this should be the elusive subspecies Fumosum. AKA the Santa Monica Mountains Hairstreak butterfly. Coast Live Oak host plants with new leaf growth growing in the area. I think I saw a female on one of the oak trees. When disturbed it flew up to the top of the tree canopy.
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Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera)Observer
chilipossumDescription
On California Croton, Croton californicus
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Western Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis ssp. calurus)Observer
tiller-bugDescription
!!!!!!
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Wild European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus ssp. cuniculus)Observer
raewynaDescription
This rabbit appeared from cover near the track to the lookout, then made its way down the slope (in the open) until it finally arrived a bit of scrub near the cliff edge. It ignored the gannets, and they ignored it, with just the one exception in the photo here. Mostly it poked around as it went, but occasionally got startled and ran a short distance. At the destination it started feeding at the patch of grass. This gannet gave it a curious look and the rabbit stayed still in "hiding" mode, then carried on nibbling grass.
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Black-headed Jumping Spider (Trite planiceps)Observer
simonf7532Description
The individual to the right was eventually pushed off the leaf
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Fire-tailed Scoliid Wasp (Triscolia ardens)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Joshua Tree
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Yellowshield Wasp Fly (Polybiomyia townsendi)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Joshua Tree
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Genus ArhyssusObserver
naturephotosuzeDescription
Rocky Oaks
Surprised to see this nymph out this time of year
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Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Snowy Owl
Unbelievably, a snowy owl has made its way to Southern California. What a beauty!
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Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)Observer
jmaughnDescription
I am hoping to have a good year, but I can already say this will probably be the highlight. I've wanted to see this owl since I was little.
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Bonelli's Eagle (Aquila fasciata)Observer
marquimedesDescription
1cy
Molested twice. First, by Vanellus vanellus and then by Circus aeruginosus
I can't introduce more than one interation. Here both:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136485463
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136485468
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Solander's Trivia (Pusula solandri)Observer
redrovertracyDescription
New to me. Cover for an anemone who didn't want to share.
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Coffee Bean Trivia (Pseudopusula californiana)Observer
michaelpatrickyoonDescription
<3 You are my sunshine.
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Muffin Gall Wasp (Disholandricus chrysolepidis)Observer
meravDescription
on Canyon Live Oak
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Smooth Pea Gall Wasp (Diplolepis eglanteriae)Observer
mobbiniDescription
compared with images from https://www.pflanzengallen.de/pflanzenverzeichnis.php?letter=R
obs for plant: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/34170238
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Woollybear Gall Wasp (Atrusca trimaculosa)Observer
robinellisonDescription
blue oak
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Live Oak Apple Gall Wasp (Amphibolips quercuspomiformis)Observer
cynestorDescription
Cracked open this gall today that I collected in January (maybe earlier!) and had kept in a ziplock. I expected to find dessicated pupae inside since I had taken the moistened towel out weeks ago fearing mold. I think it's safe to say these aren't inquilines since all six or so I extracted (and have in alcohol) were within the expected egg cases and are identical, but who knows. Imagine my surprise when each of them started moving (barely) once their case was cracked open. Original host was Q agrifolia.
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Mealybug Destroyer (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
LA River Whitsett
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Bindweed Turret Bee (Diadasia bituberculata)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Malibu Creek State Park
Third colony...maybe 50-75 bees but that's a wild guess--many
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Lasioptera tibialisObserver
andyjones1Description
Gall (?) on Keckiella antirrhinoides var. antirrhinoides
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Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Desert Tortoise Natural Area
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Observer
alice_abelaDescription
Laguna Mountain area, San Benito County, California
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Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Desert Tortoise Natural Area
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Aoplonema nigrumObserver
naturephotosuzeDescription
Desert Tortoise Natural Area
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Rough Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex rugosus)Observer
rjadams55Description
I was very surprised to find what appeared to be two very different colonies of ants just a few inches apart. These ants were quite large and the entrance to their colony was rectangular hole dug at an angle into the soil (bottom of photo 4).
Nearby (top of photo 4) were among the smallest ants I've ever seen and the entrance to their colony was in the center of a ring of soil.
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California Brittlebush Hybrid (Encelia farinosa × californica)Observer
cynestorDescription
Maybe?
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Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)Observer
nature4lzwDescription
Plum Canyon. Well-camouflaged next to desert lavender leaves.
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Predaceous Diving Beetles (Family Dytiscidae)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Amargosa River
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Western Poplar Clearwing Moth (Paranthrene robiniae)Observer
redrovertracyDescription
I'm thinking this is a moth mimicking a golden paper wasp? On a tobacco tree.
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Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)Observer
edwardrooksDescription
Caught a duck, but the duck (Female Northern Shoveler) got away.
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Nuttall's Cockle (Clinocardium nuttallii)Observer
anudibranchmomDescription
This otter thoughtfully brought her catches over to us so we could photograph them better.
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Fringed Shield Lichen (Parmelina coleae)Observer
rjadams55Description
Growing on the bark of a large Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum). Black underside to the lobes.
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Observer
rjadams55Description
Several patches of this lichen were growing on the shaded, north-facing side of a massive rhyolite slab.
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Genus ChironomusObserver
naturephotosuzeDescription
Ventura Harbor Ecological Reserve
For the large insect with the feathery antennae
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Genus MelissodesObserver
naturephotosuzeDescription
Paramount Ranch
Beautiful blue eyed bee...not sure I've seen this one before. On wooly blue curls in the wind.
Perhaps a Melissodes stearnsi?
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Lewis's Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
King Gillette
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Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)Observer
velodromeDescription
Eating what looks like the remains of a sea urchin. It took multiple attempts.
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American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Rocky Oaks
This is the third snout I've seen in LA County in the last month, but the first so far west. The other two were out towards the Antelope Valley
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Bowl Gall Wasp (Paracraspis patelloides)Observer
alice_abelaDescription
Bretz Mill area, Fresno County, California
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Harris's Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Jacumba
One of several in the area. Second photo show some of the others
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Woodhouse's Toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii)Observer
ectothermistDescription
Four individuals found under a trash can. This is the reason why, to this day, I still persist in looking under trash cans.
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Symmetrical Sessile Barnacles (Order Balanomorpha)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Jalama Beach
Going with AI. This was attached to this sand dollar
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Eight-barred Lygropia Moth (Conchylodes octonalis)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Las Virgenes Canyon
On alkali heliotrope
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Thread-waisted Sand Wasps (Genus Ammophila)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Arnold Road
For the wasp
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Heliotrope Fairy Bee (Perdita heliotropii)Observer
naturephotosuzeDescription
Arnold Road
I have included 8 of the many photos I took of this encounter. In the first, the female is feeding. In the second the male arrives to begin mating. A few photos show them mating and after he leaves, I included 2 more photos of the female still on the flower
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Green Heron (Butorides virescens)Observer
jim_carrettaDescription
There is a pond just east of here on Miramar Marine Corps Base land. Unexpected sighting in coastal sage scrub.
