Orange blister beetle and Ratibida columnifera
prairie cone flower. The beetle eats problem insects.
Gulf fritillary butterfly's mating and green anole ruins the mood.
Xylocopa virginica, the Eastern carpenter bee has evolved to the exact height to Maximize pollinating Passiflora incarnation. This relationship is one of my favorites in Symbiosis.
Soaking wet American bumble bee (endangered bee) using a Missouri ironweed leaf as an umbrella.
black mud daubersa, is a solitary wasp. This female his hunting for caterpillars to provision her mud nest. Plants recognize the vibrations of caterpillars chewing. This causes the plant to send out pheromones to attract wasp to keep the caterpillars down. She seems frantic.
Ascra bifida, exploring crabgrass and Marsh Fleabane (both volunteer plants) hunting for moths, caterpillars, harmful beetles, aphids and other pests. They are valued citizens in “Symbiosis”. Oddly there is very little online about this sweetheart of a stink bug.
American Mockingbird and American beauty berry.
On the left side of the image perched atop the dead olive tree a Mockingbird searches for insects. Camaflouged by the orange trick background a juicy dragonfly flies into to the upper right corner of the frame and catches the alert Mockibgbirds attention.
Cyathus stercoreus
Dung-loving birds nest fungus also known as splash cups.
Cyathus stercoreus
Dung-loving birds nest fungus also known as splash cups.
When a raindrop hits the cup's interior, the peridioles are ejected into the air tearing open the purse. In the lower part of the purse, the coiled funicular cord expands. The peridioles, followed by the sticky funicular cord and basal hapteron, land on a nearby plant stem or stick. Flying through the air, the line wraps around the plant's stem. The peridiole remains attached to the vegetation. In a natural setting, a grazing animal may eat it and later deposit it in that animal's dung to continue the life cycle. This amazing amazing creature breaks down dung, and captures raindrops.
Brown Anole
The ESTERN CARPENTER BEE AND PASSIFLORA INCARNATA
A dragonfly lays eggs in the still water of a trough pond. Her nymphs keep the mosquito larvae in check and are protein for the Texas mosquitofish.