Part 1: Comatricha slime mold progression. The fruiting bodies are bright red in the early stages of development and this beautiful coloration sometimes lasts only a few hours. The red comes from natural organic compounds that are produced during development. As they dry they be come dark brown or black, which will be part 2 of this series.
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Part 2: Comatricha slime mold progression. The fruiting body turns from red to back as it matures, darkened by melanin. The melanin serves a protective function shielding the genetic material inside the spores from damaging UV light as the fruiting body dries out and prepares for spore dispersal. Spores covered in dew will be featured in part 3!
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Part 3: Comatricha slime mold progression. As the fruiting body dries the powdery spores are revealed, seen here covered in dew. When disturbed by wind and rain the spores get released, starting the cycle anew. The spores turn into microscopic amoeba-like cells that aggregate into a large, multinucleate, jelly-like mass (plasmodium) that crawls and feeds, often appearing as a colorful, slimy blob. When conditions are right the transformation into fruiting bodies featured in these photos takes place. Swipe to see a close up of the spores in dew droplets and the whole series including a droplet free spore stage with specks of mist in the background.
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Badhamia utricularis resembles a cluster of cosmic, metallic jewels suspended on a golden web. Often overlooked, slime molds are among nature’s most fascinating organisms, transitioning from a single-celled hunting mat into these exquisite, iridescent fruiting structures. Found on a rotting log in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
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Builders of iconic nests, potter wasps (subfamily Eumeninae) are solitary insects that build nests out of a mixture of saliva and mud. Also known as mason wasps, most species are highly specialized predators of caterpillars or beetle larvae, and therefore are considered highly beneficial insects in gardens and forests. Within each earthen chamber, the wasp stows a single egg alongside paralyzed prey, ensuring the larva has a fresh food source immediately upon hatching. Found sleeping on a blade of grass in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
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Locating this broad-nosed weevil (Entiminae) tucked into a patch of moss at night was a lucky find. I usually see these insects on buckeye leaves where they are difficult to photograph, especially since they are notoriously wary. At the slightest vibration or shift in light, they are quick to tuck their antennae into specialized grooves on their snout (called scrobes) and drop into the leaf litter to play dead. This defense, known as thanatosis, is incredibly effective. Once they fall, those mottled scales blend perfectly into their surroundings, essentially making them disappear into the soil and debris.
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#weevil #weevilwednesday #curculionidae #insectphotography
A single drop of water caught in the exit hole of a freshly shed leafhopper exuvia. Swipe to see the “new” adult resting just above its former self.
Most leafhopper species go through five “instars” (nymphal stages), shedding their exoskeleton each time. With every molt, they don’t just grow larger, they are also actively developing their wings and specialized communication organs called tymbals.
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#leafhopper #droplet #waterdrop #insectphotography #natgeoyourshot
This strange fly is Philorus yosemite, a net-winged midge endemic to the Sierra Nevada. First described in Yosemite National Park, these specialists spend their lives in the torrent zones of waterfalls. Their larvae use six powerful suction discs to grip slick granite and need cold, oxygen-rich water to survive, making them excellent indicators of stream health. Those intricate wing patterns are permanent folds from their development inside the pupa, allowing them to take flight the moment they emerge in the rushing water.
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#fly #midge #waterquality #diptera
A mining bee (genus Andrena) with a face full of future flowers. After collecting pollen these solitary bees bring their harvest to their underground nest and mix it with nectar to create dense pollen balls. An egg will be laid in each ball, ensuring the larvae will have a food source when they hatch. They are a some of the first pollinators to emerge in the spring and madia, shown here, seems to be one of their favorite flowers to visit. I’m sure they’d agree that some of the best days in the Sierra Nevada happen face first in wildflowers.
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#bees #solitarybees #nativebees #pollinators
This photo captures the moment a male stretch spider (genus Tetragnatha) transfers sperm to a female (male right, female left). If you look close, you can see the male’s front appendages, called pedipalps, and one of them reaching across to the underside of the female’s cephalothorax. Notice that the engaged pedipalp is swollen compared to his other one; it acts like a hydraulic pump to facilitate the transfer. During this high-stakes encounter, the pair locks fangs for stability and to prevent the female from biting or eating the male before the process is complete.
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The subtly beautiful Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) fools predators with a clever bit of mimicry. The thin tails on its hindwings resemble antennae, which paired with bright orange “eyespots”, trick predators into striking at the wings rather than the butterfly’s body. Highly adaptable, they are found in a variety of habitats across North America. This individual was photographed in the foothills of Sequoia National Park.
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More photos from the Utah desert. These are of the beautiful blooms of the Baker kingcup cactus. Their bright green stigma and reddish-orange petals popped against the rocky desert floor. They are a type of hedgehog cactus and weren’t described as a distinct species (named after botanist Marc Baker) until 2015. Photographed on Gooseberry Mesa.
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#wildflowers #desert #cactus #cactusbloom #flowers
