Year: 2013 (Page 39 of 59)

Bug of the Week: Finding Katydids

Things have been crazy here the last few weeks, but I finally had a chance to do some photography again.

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Looking at the hollyhocks in the back yard, I spotted this beige bug. I can tell from the long antennae and shape that it is a katydid nymph.

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It took a bit longer, but then I noticed something else. Do you see it?

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See it now? There is a second green katydid nymph on the same plant.

Wondering what is up with the different colors?

The oblong-winged katydid is known for being highly variable in color. It ranges from green to tan to orange-yellow to even bright pink! Now that would be something to see.

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Once I started checking more closely, I found yet another green katydid. I guess that shows that camouflage colors might be harder to detect.

Aren’t those long hind legs something else?

Have you ever seen a katydid? What color was it?

 

 

 

 

Mystery Seed of the Week 156

 This plant is a bit of a mystery itself.

mystery-seeds-156It showed up in our yard and so we decided to let it grow. You can discover some interesting things that way.

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Perhaps the pod the seeds were found in will help you identify it. Any guesses?

Edit:  The answer is now posted.

 

Seed of the Week: Moroccan Toadflax

Our tiny mystery seeds from last week were from the Moroccan toadflax, Linaria maroccana.

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Moroccan toadflax are wildflowers that vaguely resemble snapdragons.

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They come in a variety of colors, from white to deep fuchsia.

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Although they are originally from Morocco, as the common name suggests, they are easy to grow and naturalize readily in some areas. Here in the Sonoran Desert region of Arizona they bloom in the spring.

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The leaves are narrow, and the plant tends to grow as a single upright stem about 14 to 18 inches tall.

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Certain native bees seem to really like them.

Does Moroccan toadflax grow where you live?

 

 

 

 

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