hkibak's Favourites

Link to host plant Mojave Sage (Salvia mohavensis) observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/200158479

White Sage Leaf Gall Midge (Rhopalomyia audibertiae) Endemic in California.
Gallformers: https://www.gallformers.org/gall/3243 (as of 2/22/24)
(Mojave Sage (Salvia mohavensis) is not listed specifically as a host in Gallformers as of 2/22/24, only Salvia apiana / Salvia leucophylla / Salvia mellifera ).
"Rhopalomyia audibertiae
Family: Cecidomyiidae | Genus: Rhopalomyia
Hosts: Salvia apiana / Salvia leucophylla / Salvia mellifera
Detachable: integral
Color: gray, red, green, purple
Texture: hairy
Shape: conical, hemispherical
Season: Spring
Alignment: erect
Location: upper leaf, lower leaf, leaf midrib, between leaf veins"

BugGuide: https://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Rhopalomyia%20audibertiae

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What is a Gall? Gallformers: https://www.gallformers.org/
"Plant galls are abnormal growths of plant tissues, similar to tumors or warts in animals, that have an external cause--such as an insect, mite, nematode, virus, fungus, bacterium, or even another plant species. Growths caused by genetic mutations are not galls. Nor are lerps and other constructions on a plant that do not contain plant tissue. Plant galls are often complex structures that allow the insect or mite that caused the gall to be identified even if that insect or mite is not visible."

GALLS
Plant Galls of the Western United States: a photographic guide to 536 species of plant galls found west of the Rockies, with 400+ color images and plates, Ronald A. Russo, April 2021. (Available on Amazon)
Gallformers: Identify Galls by name or by host plant https://www.gallformers.org/id
INaturalist Project, Galls of California https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/galls-of-california
California Oak Galls (photo guide), Joyce Gross: https://joycegross.com/galls_ca_oak.php
California Oak Galls Induced by Unknown or Undescribed Species (photo guide), Joyce Gross: https://joycegross.com/galls_ca_oak_undescribed.php
Nancy Asquith Journal: California Oak Galls https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/california-plants-with-mystery-galls/journal/44142-california-oak-galls
Nancy Asquith Journal: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/galls-of-california/journal/44203-where-to-learn-more-about-galls
BugGuide: Identification, Images, & Information for insects and other gall-inducers, (US & Canada) clickable categories or use search bar: https://bugguide.net/node/view/3/bgpage
BugGuide: Unidentified Tracks, Larvae, Webs, Parasites, and Other Mysteries: https://bugguide.net/node/view/696662/bgpage
INaturalist Project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/all-your-galls-are-belong-to-us

Could it also be a Collared Petrel Pterodroma brevipes dark morph? I'm going off of Brett/Ron/Mike's "Birds Seen That Day" list for the species. Collared and Herald's were the only ones they reported by March 29.

USDA/FS: A field guide to Insects and Pathogens of CA Oaks -mentions 3 whiteflies. All 3 overlap area and are found on coast live oaks (which this was). The three are: Crown whitefly, gelatinous whitefly, and Stanford's whitefly. Since first 2 are found on underside of leaves and latter is found mostly on upper leaves, I'll assume it was either of the first two. No "pupae" were present. It was windy so hard to get photos. ID tentative -will collect next time. (aside, next observation after this one, here,
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/77115783
is a bug nymph feeding upon what appears as whitefly pupae.) iNat suggested those pupae were Crown whiteflies).

Looks like it was time for the aphids to emerge from their galls, first time I've seen the actual aphids (assuming that the insects are actually Manzanita Leafgall Aphids, please correct me if wrong).

Many winged ones crawling and sometimes flitting around the Manzanita leaves, even more shed exoskeletons attached to leaves. They're tiny, and constantly moving, hard to photograph clearly with or without a macro lens.

This particular poor Manzanita is loaded with galls, to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if they're actually problematic.

There's a related observation for the live aphids, which may or may not be Tamalia galucensis: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/181501422

Leaves obtuse to blunty acute; flowers subsessile; upper leaves elliptic-lanceolate. On pumice slope with Pinus contorta var. latifolia, Arctostaphylos patula. Large population (common) across entire pumice feature (mine)

Hundreds of tiny, less than 1 inch long toads, hopping along the receding, vernal pool shoreline.

Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas) is a large native toad species, between 5.6 and 13 cm (2.2 and 5.1 in) long, native to western North America. It is frequently encountered during the wet season on roads, or near water at other times. It can jump a considerable distance for a toad. Breeding occurs between March and July in mountainous areas, and as early as January in lower-elevation regions. The female lays up to 17,000 eggs stuck together in strings that adhere to vegetation and other objects along water edges.
Adults have a white or cream dorsal stripe. It is dusky gray or greenish dorsally with skin glands concentrated within the dark blotches. Its parotoid glands are oval, widely separated, and larger than the upper eyelids. This species is non-venomous, but skin secretions are mildly poisonous.
Immature toads are called tadpoles. As the tadpole matures, hind legs start to sprout followed by front legs, as the tail is absorbed. Soon this aquatic juvenile can be seen hopping near bodies of water by the hundreds.

https://herpatlas.sdnhm.org/species/overview/western-toad/2/

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/64970-Anaxyrus-boreas

David Styer stopped the car between Pilarcitas Canyon Rd and Skyline Rd to show us the Osoberry shrub and the 3-4 California Horkelia plants that were growing next to it. Link to Osoberry observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/156966486

California Horkelia (Horkelia californica) Native/CA edemic, perennial, long-hairy, uncommon on Fort Ord (compared to the prolific Horkelia cuneata). Bractlets are generally toothed, bractlets exceed the sepals and have red- tinged margins. 5 white petals are more rounded and shorter with a wide base (unlike H. cuneata where base of petal is narrower than terminal end). Peak bloom time: April-June. There are two subspecies: var. californica and var. frondosa.

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=28403

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 284-285.

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 188.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 264-265.

From Jepson eFlora Key to Horkelia:

1. "Leaflets generally few-lobed ± 1/2 to base, 10–40 mm; sepal red-mottled inside; hypanthium bractlets generally toothed; hypanthium inner wall ± hairy; filament generally 1.5–3 mm; style generally 3–4 mm; NCo, CCo ..... var. californica"
   https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_keys.php?key=11238

Follow-up observation from 6d previous:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/150430936

UC ANR list of pathogens "Oak leaf blister":

https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/DISEASES/taphlfcrl.html