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Tag Archives: WTB? Mt. Washington

Convergent Lady Beetle

August 26, 2011
Location:  Elyria Canyon Park, Mt. Washington, Los Angeles, California
Several of the Indian Milkweed Plants growing wild in Elyria Canyon Park have serious Milkweed Aphid infestations, and one especially hard hit group of plants is also covered in black Sooty Mold.  See the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resourceswebsite for more information on Sooty Mold.

milkweed honeydew 20110826 300x225 Convergent Lady Beetle

Indian Milkweed with Sooty Mold

Convergent Lady Beetles, Hippodamia convergens,  have begun to feed off of the Milkweed Aphids, though it seems there are far too many Aphids for the few Lady Beetles that were observed.  Learn how to identify the Convergent Lady Beetle on BugGuide and read more about the benefits of the native Convergent Lady Beetle on the San Francisco State University Department of Geographywebsite.

convergent lady beetle aphids milkweed 20110826 300x221 Convergent Lady Beetle

Convergent Lady Beetle

Posted 27 August 2011 § Aphids, Scale Insects, Leafhoppers, and Tree Hoppers § attack of the fungus § Lady Bug ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged: ,
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Weeding Party in Elyria Canyon Park Sunday 9:30 – 11:30 AM

August 23, 2011
Join us Sunday August 28 at 9:30 at the Red Barn in Elyria Canyon Park.
Read more about the Mt Washington Beautification Committee

Each month, on the fourth Sunday of the month, the Mt Washington Beautification Committee, co-hosted by Clare Marter Kenyon and Daniel Marlos, meets at 9:30 AM near the Red Barn in Elyria Canyon State Park.  Clare takes the lead with native plant germination in the nursery and Daniel goes out weeding in areas that need special attention.  This month the weeds that we will target are invasive Conyza and an unidentified yellow thistle type plant.  Daniel is especially concerned about invasive weeds crowding out the native milkweed.  Elizabeth is seen pulling weeds from around the milkweed. 

Elizabeth Weeds 20110731 web1 242x300 Weeding Party in Elyria Canyon Park Sunday 9:30 11:30 AM
                            CLICK TO ENLARGEElyria Canyon Work Party August 28, 2011

There is a wealth of insect life on the milkweed.  Daniel saw two Monarch caterpillars of approximately the same age.  They were on two different plants about ten feet apart.

monarch cat elyria 20110731 web 300x206 Weeding Party in Elyria Canyon Park Sunday 9:30 11:30 AM
Monarch Caterpillar 20110731 AM

Two different caterpillars were photographed in the morning, but in the afternoon, only the one feeding on the leaves was photographed.  The other Monarch Caterpillar was feeding on blossoms.  The detail that is missing from the live experience in the static photo is the twitching of the front fleshy pseudo-antennae.

monarch cat 20110731 pm 300x206 Weeding Party in Elyria Canyon Park Sunday 9:30 11:30 AM
Monarch Caterpillar 20110731 PM

Posted 24 August 2011 § brush footed butterfly caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Emerald Moth on the front door

Location:  Mt Washington, Los Angeles, California
June 28, 2011
A few times a year, Emerald Moths in the subfamily Geometrinae come to the porch light.  This is the first individual we have noticed this year.

emerald 20110628 300x233 Emerald Moth on the front door

Emerald

Posted 29 June 2011 § Geometrid Moths ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Black Ground Beetles

May 22, 2011
In preparing for the PowerPoint lecture at Theodore Payne Foundation next weekend, we came to the realization that there are no generic Ground Beetle photos from Southern California on our site, hence there is no image to use in the presentation.  We grabbed the digital camera and turned over some wood in the garden without any luck, but when we turned over a slab of concrete, about 15 ground beetles started to scurry about.  We captured two in a container and took a few quick photos.  We believe, according to Charles Hogue in Insects of the Los Angeles Basin, that these are Black Ground Beetles, Pristonychus complanatus.  Hogue writes that they are “the largest of the ground beetles listed here (5/8 in or 10 mm), this species is all black and has a narrow prothorax,  The front of the head is flat and protruding.  The Black Ground Beetle was introduced into the basin, but coleopterists (beetle specialists) are not sure of its origins.”

black ground beetles 20110522 300x208 Black Ground Beetles

Black Ground Beetles

Posted 22 May 2011 § Ground Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Diabolical Ironclad Beetle

April 15, 2011
Last Friday, Daniel noticed this Diabolical Ironclad Beetle, Phloeodes diabolicus, nestled into a crevice in the asphalt paving of the street along side the Mt. Washington WTB? offices.  It seems the beetle was attempting to cross the road.  With most insects, this might be a dicey proposition since getting run over by a car would mean squishing, however, the Diabolical Ironclad Beetle has a very hard exoskeleton.  It would most likely survive being run over by a vehicle.  The Diabolical Ironclad Beetle played dead during the photo shoot, and it was eventually released in the garden among the logs.  See BugGuide for more photos of Diabolical Ironclad Beetles.

ironclad 20110415 3 300x206 Diabolical Ironclad Beetle

Diabolical Ironclad Beetle

As an aside, we will be out of the office for several days, and no new identification requests will be answered during our absence.  We can say with some confidence that any emails that arrive between April 20 and April 26 might not get a response.  However, we will be preparing daily automatic postings in our absence.

ironclad 20110415 300x236 Diabolical Ironclad Beetle

Diabolical Ironclad Beetle

Posted 21 April 2011 § Darkling and Ironclad Beetles § Mt Washington Blog ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

California Bumble Bee

Mt Washington, Los Angeles, California
April 2, 2011
Yesterday, while working in the yard, we saw a large Bumble Bee visiting the calla lilies.  By the time we returned with the camera, it was gone, but this morning, this lovely lady was spotted resting on the wisteria after a cool night.  We expect she will soon be busy gathering nectar and pollen to provision a nest.  We believe this is the California Bumble Bee, Bombus californicus, which Hogue, in his book Insects of the Los Angeles Basin, describes as:  “yellow on abdominal segment 2 only;  the rest of the abdomen and face are black.”  BugGuide also has some nice images of the California Bumble Bee.  We have also seen Yellow Faced Bumble Bees in our Mt Washington, Los Angeles garden.

bumblebee 20110104 300x206 California Bumble Bee

California Bumble Bee

Posted 02 April 2011 § Bumble Bees ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:

Mediterranean Fruit Fly in Mt Washington: but is it eating the Olives???

fruitflys
Location:  Mt Washington, Los Angeles, California
February 9, 2011
Hi Daniel,
This year I finally had my olive produce olives, however ever single olive was infested with maggots or worms.  I saw a couple of these around, and I finally was able to catch one yesterday.  I think this may be the same problem i have had w/ my Quince for years.  I spray organic stuf, but it doesn’t seem to work, and I treally want to keep organic.  I was wondering if this is the med fly or the med olive fly?  So I scanned he hell out of it.  Any suggestions Obi won?
thanks-rourk

fruit fly rourk mt washington 300x231 Mediterranean Fruit Fly in Mt Washington: but is it eating the Olives???

Med Fly

Hi Rourk,
We thought we might be able to post a photo of the Olive Fruit Fly thanks to your email, but alas, the images of the Olive Fruit Fly, Bactrocera oleae, that are posted on BugGuide do not match your particular Fruit Fly.  According to BugGuide:  “Introduced from the Mediterranean region to California; recorded first time in Los Angeles in October 1998. So far it is restricted to California, where it is considered a serious pest.  It is hoped that a recent (2008) introduction of a hymenopteran parasitoid, Psyttalia cf. concolor will control this pest.“  We would deduce that you probably do have an infestation of Olive Fruit Flies ruining your crop, however, the Fruit Fly in your photo might be feasting on another of the exotic and rare fruits you have growing in your Mt Washington garden.  Your specimen appears to be a Mediterranean Fruit Fly or Med Fly (see BugGuide) and it is ironic that it has appeared at the start of Governor Jerry Brown’s third term in office since he was governor during the infamous Med Fly eradication of the 1980s.  According to BugGuide:  “larvae feed and develop on many deciduous, subtropical, and tropical fruits (citrus, peach, pear, apple) and some vegetables, sometimes tunneling through the pulp and eventually reducing it to a juicy inedible mass” and “One of the world’s most destructive fruit pests, and the most economically important fruit fly species. When it has been detected in Florida and California, especially in recent years, each infestation necessitated intensive and massive eradication and detection procedures so that the pest did not become established. [U. of Florida]  In California, a state government program releases large numbers of sterile males, which are a not-uncommon sight in some places. A female (they have a visible ovipositor on the rear tip of the abdomen) would be a sign of an infestation, and should be reported immediately.“  Given the variety of fruits that may be eaten by the Med Fly Maggots, we would not rule out that the Med Fly has been ruining your olives.

what a cool nice post,I’ll call the ag dept. again, thanks Daniel, and my spelling is sooooo bad.  thanks-Rourk

Posted 10 February 2011 § Fruit Flies ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Umber’s Grave and possible Newcastle Disease infection

umber 20100728 272x300 Umber’s Grave and possible Newcastle Disease infection

Umber July 28, 2010

October 1, 2010
Umber died this afternoon at my hands after a melancholy visit to Raymond Animal Hospital and Dr. Hsuan.  Umber is buried in the back yard with the parsley and basil.  I put bricks on top of her grave to keep out the raccoons.  She was my favorite of the Fuzzy Bottom Gals.  I don’t know if Ginger and Amber are better off left alone or if I should get a slightly bigger hen that I can name Timber.

umbers grave 20101001 300x206 Umber’s Grave and possible Newcastle Disease infection

Umber October 1, 2010

Aloha greetings from Maui, Daniel ~
So kind you were to your lovely hen who passed last week.
I know how hard it is to lose a pet pal, no matter what kind it is.
Blessings ~
Eliza

Hi Eliza,
Thanks for your kind words.

Update:  October 23, 2010
It seems as though Daniel’s paranoia about the other two hens has not been entirely without justification.  Shortly after the untimely demise of Umber, Amber began to show entirely different symptoms.  Her right eye seemed swollen shut, so Daniel began to swab it with salt water and to apply an antibacterial ointment.  Amber did not seem particularly troubled, but the symptom had Daniel worried nonetheless.  Then a few days ago, Ginger began to act lethargic and seems to have stopped eating.  Now Daniel believes the cause might be Newcastle Disease, and information on the Pet Education website indicates a bleak outlook for the formerly chipper Ginger who now fluffs up her feathers, produces a discharge from her mouth similar to drooling, and gasps for breath.  Newcastle Disease would also explain Umber’s symptoms, but since it can be spread by wild birds and the chicken coop is in the front yard, Daniel is a bit befuddled as to how to prevent this horrific disease.  Pet Education lists these symptoms:  “The incubation period (time from exposure to the development of signs of disease) is 4 to 7 days. In general, signs can include ocular and/or nasal discharge, dyspnea, and bloody diarrhea. Central nervous system signs can also occur, including depression or the opposite-hyperexcitability; vestibular or balance problems; tremors, especially of the head and neck; weakness; and partial or total paralysis. The onset of signs may be semi-acute to sudden death. Signs vary depending on the strain of virus and the species of bird.“  The World Organization for Animal Health website lists these symptoms:
“Respiratory and/or nervous signs:  gasping and coughing  drooping wings, dragging legs, twisting of the head and neck, circling, depression, inappetence, complete paralysis
Partial or complete cessation of egg production
Eggs are misshapen, rough-shelled, thin-shelled and contain watery albumen
Greenish watery diarrhoea
Swelling of the tissues around the eyes and in the neck
Morbidity and mortality depend on virulence of the virus strain, degree of vaccinal immunity, environmental conditions, and condition of the flock“.
Several days before Ginger became lethargic, she was twisting her neck followed by a single shrill squawk.

Posted 01 October 2010 § Fuzzy Bottom Gals ‡ Comments (4) ° Also tagged:

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