Refueled

Bee-like robber fly

High occupancy blanket flower

© 2014-2017 Nancy L. Ruder

Beware snakes and cyclops

Polyphemus giggles. Medusa needs a haircut before the wedding reception.

Many a sailor has lost his way, but the bobcat has lost its trail. Instead of Bobcat Trail there's a big gravel road. The road's only a third of a mile long, but the gravel is large and chunky economy size. What's up with this?

Where Bobcat Trail used to meet Willow Springs

   

Drainage?

Hackberry butterfly soaking sun on the rock road

   

Rock road goes all the way to Jupiter Road.

The road leads to Jupiter Road near the site of the old beaver dam. Will the road be a permanent fixture in the nature preserve? Much as I understand that the primary function of the preserve is to manage floodwaters, I get grumpy when humans mess with my special place. It must be a romantic/transcendentalist artist bias. I'm okay when the beavers mess with the arrangement of water features in the preserve. I'm happy to observe fallen trees and their decomposition that reminds me I'm dust to dust. Still, it really hacks me off when people alter the park. I've only just gotten over the whole zip-line installation, and now this! Still, I hear the siren song of October.

© 2014-2016 Nancy L. Ruder

Emperor of Confusion

Oak Point Rowlett Creek Trail 06/15/2014

Oak Point 06/15/2014

I believe this lovely posing model to be a Hackberry Emperor butterfly, but just reading about Asterocampa celtis  is enough to addle me. Hackberry Emperor males differ from females in wing shape and coloration. Hackberry Emperors are widespread. They are fearless in pursuit of salt, and will land on your shirt and hat if you are sufficiently sweaty. It almost makes up for being a perspiration disaster. Hackberries like rotting fruit and sap, too.

Oak Point 10/03/2012

Some Hackberry butterflies are related to the Empress Leilia, some to the Tawny Emperor, some to Empress Antonia and Empress Alicia (a name which is applied to two different species). Appropriately, figuring out the Asterocampa-celtis family line is much like studying the Hapsburg Dynasty family tree. And as Emperor Joseph II did or did not say to Mozart, there are "too many notes".

The two photos above were taken at the Heard Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney, Texas, June 11, 2012.

The next were taken on the Spring Creek Trail in Richardson, TX, May 2012 showing a butterfly fresh out of the chrysalis with the green tinge to its body.

In May 2013 at that location I put together more of the Hackberry life cycle. At least I hope so! Because these butterflies are so common at area preserves, they nominate themselves for student science fair projects.
   

Keep observing. Keep perspiring!