Nonsoon

In normal years by August some rain has fallen in the area and the summer ephemerals and summer-flowering grasses and shrubs have awakened to the monsoon. These are not normal times. This may portend a new normal; what that new normal will be only time can tell. I will not live to see it, for it will take some time for stability to return.

So beyond a single mid-July shower of 0.05" the local skies have been clear, and the dew point recently has been in the thirties and forties rather than the 55+ of a normal monsoon.

Nonetheless I paid a visit to Rackensack Canyon today knowing that the chance of seeing flowers was nearly nil. Beyond one flowering tamarisk surrounded by a cloud of pollinators, a handful of Maurandya antirrhiniflora flowers and some Euphorbia melanadenia cyathia the area was flower-free.

But the target of my hunt was the rich gall-producing fauna in Rackensack Canyon. A few new (to me) Quercus turbinella galls revealed themselves. Oddly, the Atrusca capronae galls that were abundant in their thousands last summer in the canyon were nearly absent. I saw only two today. But the novel ones made the trip worthwhile. I also hope that I've gotten some better photos of some interesting leaf galls of Celtis reticulata that @megachile found of interest. The sharp projection noted there do appear to be found only on the abaxial surface, but intermixed with galls lacking the projection. Could the projections be remnant exuviae?

Posted on August 11, 2020 05:15 AM by stevejones stevejones

Observations

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:05 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella

Photos / Sounds

What

Sonoran Scrub Oak (Quercus turbinella)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:06 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Alderleaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:08 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Redberry Juniper (Juniperus arizonica)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:10 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Juniper Urn Gall Midge (Walshomyia juniperina)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:11 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:12 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella

Photos / Sounds

What

Oak Gall Wasps (Tribe Cynipini)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:16 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:17 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:18 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella

Photos / Sounds

What

Western Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea oculea)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:19 AM MST

Description

Very weak; couldn't fly

Photos / Sounds

What

Netleaf Hackberry (Celtis reticulata)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:21 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Hackberry Blister Gall Psyllid (Pachypsylla celtidisvesicula)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:22 AM MST

Description

Host Celtis reticulata; some with sharp projections, others without

Photos / Sounds

What

Hackberry Star Gall Psyllid (Pachypsylla celtidisasterisca)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:23 AM MST

Description

Host Celtis reticulata; dummy forgot to photograph the adaxial surface.

Photos / Sounds

What

Hairy Bud Gall Psyllid (Pachypsylla pallida)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:24 AM MST

Description

Host Celtis reticulata

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:24 AM MST

Description

Virus? Host Celtis reticulata

Photos / Sounds

What

Hackberry Petiole Gall Psyllid (Pachypsylla venusta)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:25 AM MST

Description

Host Celtis reticulata

Photos / Sounds

What

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:31 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:33 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:35 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella

Photos / Sounds

What

Tamarisks (Genus Tamarix)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:48 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:49 AM MST

Description

Wasp nectaring on Tamarix

Photos / Sounds

What

Red-gland Spurge (Euphorbia melanadenia)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 09:59 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:03 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:06 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella

Photos / Sounds

What

Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:10 AM MST

Description

ID'd by call

Photos / Sounds

What

Wood, Mound, and Field Ants (Genus Formica)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:15 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:11 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella ; similar gall seen on stems in the area

Photos / Sounds

What

Oak Gall Wasps (Tribe Cynipini)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:17 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:24 AM MST

Description

Host Ambrosia monogyra; stem tip gall

Photos / Sounds

What

Chaparral Honeysuckle (Lonicera interrupta)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:25 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:26 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella; note the branch beyond the gall dead

Photos / Sounds

What

Singlewhorl Burrobrush (Ambrosia monogyra)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:28 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:30 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella; gall small for the species

Photos / Sounds

What

Oak Gall Wasps (Tribe Cynipini)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:32 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella; apical gall

Photos / Sounds

What

Oak Gall Wasps (Tribe Cynipini)

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:32 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella; apical gall

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:39 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella ; similar gall seen on leaves in the area

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

August 10, 2020 10:41 AM MST

Description

Host Quercus turbinella

Comments

It's very depressing right now without even any decent chances in the forecast to look forward to. I do fear this is some kind of new normal. The Rincon high country still had a lot of nice flowers last week, but it's probably still being buoyed by the excellent winter/spring we had. Things are drying up and it's going to start looking pretty bad up there too if things don't turn around.

Posted by danbeckman over 3 years ago

Definitely scary thinking what our "new normal" will be. With that said, I'm so impressed with all the different galls you found! Very cool.

Posted by ezpixels over 3 years ago

Great version Steve :)

Posted by danbeckman over 3 years ago

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