The cacti are blooming this week.
The prickly pears,
are particularly colorful.
The agaves are flowering, too.
I’m not sure what this one is, but it is spectacular. Anyone know?
All these flowers are producing nectar and pollen galore. The insects are busy.
Can you find all the arthropods in this picture? I’ve tried to make it big enough for you to see everything, but let me know if it takes too long to load.
On the last picture, I see a bee (obviously), a spider peeking over one of the petals, and lots of what I take to be thrips (Thysanoptera) all over the petals… or maybe the’re mites, but their elongated form suggests thrips.
Fun!
You are good! Yes, what look like walking wood slivers on the petals are thrips.