On a polyscias leaflet in mixed ohi'a/koa rainforest
in wind-blown drift among grasses in a vacant lot.
Keonehe'ehe'e / Sliding Sands Trail.
Found in the middle of the trail, I think dead. Moved it off to the plants on the side.
The shooting star flowers in this area vary from purple to pale purple and some are white, like this one.
Stems emerge from cut burl; leaves and flowering twigs glabrous
Species-level ID a bit tentative--feel free to disregard it if you know this taxon
Stem gall on sticky monkey flower (Diplacus aurantiacus)
I believe this is the same manzanita in this observation from 2017: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/8516939 (I was with @ventanaphile when he made the observation). While the auriculate, clasping leaves are the same as the leaves of the surrounding A. cruzensis, this plant differs from the others in some significant ways. It is upright, while they are prostrate. It has dense short hairs, as well as abundant long hairs (like A. purissima), while the others have the sparse hairs more typical of A. cruzensis. And the nascent inflorescences are somewhat different. While it shares the long, leaflike bracts of the surrounding plants, they have multi-branched panicles (See https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/137235679), while this plant has raceme-like to one branched inflorescences. The nascent inflorescences on the surrounding plants are still pointing upwards, while those on this plant are truly pendant. There was no fruit to be found, on any of the plants in the area, so I couldn't compare that. Don't think there's anything in the area it could hybridize with to create these variations, so I guess it's just an oddball.
One live individual and one empty shell found under large rotting logs near the type locality (along Montezuma Valley Road just east of the junction with San Felipe Rd.)
near Lake Shasta
Atriplex polycarpa (allscale saltbush) or Cattle Saltbush
Galls on leaves of hillside gooseberry
Two, only about 2-3 mm. Found very close to CAS. This ID boldly to species only because they seem similar to those seen in Golden Gate Park by @cedric_lee in 2017 and IDd by @oksnaillaboratory:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/9292163 and https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/9292164
These small orange colored moths are common along the trails at the foothills of Pinnacles high peaks. Two, or three would suddenly fly up from under foot, and fly around above and near the foliage and sticks, reluctant to land.
Usually I'm ok with my inability to really use this camera, but not this time. Really should have busted out the SLR for this, but I'm not even sure it would have done a better job.
Light's says this family "are commensals, egg predators, and microparasites of other invertebrates" and that "Thorlaksonius may be Batesian mimics of snails". I definitely thought this was a teeny tiny snail until I saw the white little legs poking out.
Estaba en el árbol, no sé que es
From Fraxinus dipetala.
A. cancescens seems like the best fit: hairy leaves, long bracts, shrubby size.
On slender stinging nettle (Urtica gracilis)
Host observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133696188
Found by @seaslugin :-)
Second of two for the trip, seen on subsequent day about 100' from the location of the first one in similar habitat.
In Arctostaphylos densiflora chaparral on mosses in sandy soil
My bf found this on a hike. ID?
iNat taxonomy has H. allyniana, Sierra shoulderband, in addition to H. cypreophila, foothill shoulderband. According to Roth et al 2003 & 2006 these were synonymized as H. c.
Edit (2023): This was an incorrect interpretation of Endnote 27 in Roth 2003 and Roth 2006. H. allyniana is a more restricted species whereas H. cypreophila is more cosmopolitan.
Pinnacles NP
Observed near the intersection of the high peaks trail and the condor gulch trail a couple years ago, before I was aware of iNaturalist.
Initially i had hoped it might be gabilanensis. However, the leaves lack the glaucous surface gabilanensis should have.
Leaves are much more verdant and less pointed than pajaroensis, also lacking the shreddy grey bark
-somewhat clasping leaves, petioles mostly present
-no basal burl
-fruit had fused stones
-leaves are bright green with lobed bases
-new growth was glabrous, leaves were glabrous as well
Same plant as:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/148161528