Eryngo

SWF

The sky makes a great background sometimes to see the detail of plants.

Eryngium leavenworthii

Be sure to click on the photo to see the detail.

There are a lot of different species of Eryngo, which may be found in nearly every state.

Distribution for leavenworthii

Range Map:
USDA, NRCS. 2009. The PLANTS Database . National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

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For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy

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Flies, Frogs, and Flowers

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A collection of "F's" for your enjoyment.
Click on the photographs for details.

Fruit Fly (Delphina picta)
Picture-winged Fly

Closely resembles the Picture-winged Fly (Tritoxa sp.) posted by Marvin(click here) a while back.
The Delphina is recognized by the 2 white triangles on the leading edge of the mostly black wing as opposed to the white stripes for Tritoxa.

These is a great group of flies - the Fruit Fly family (Tephritidae)

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Tachnid Fly
Trichopoda sp.

The larvae of the Tachnid are parasitic on other insects and caterpillars.

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Mallophora sp. (probably orcina)
Robber fly (Southern Bee Killer)

This robber fly feeds almost exclusively on bees and wasps.

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Frog
Come on in, the slime is fine.
Free beauty treatment mud pack.

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Flowers make a fine "F"

Partridge Pea ( Cassia fasciculata)
Notice the very cool stigma

This is an interesting 5 petal flower. The upper 3 petals are red-spotted at the base. the lower 2 petals are cupped. The flowers are borne on a short cluster, but only one opens at the time. Notice yesterday's flower above is closed. The leaves are divided into 8-15 opposite pair leaflets. The foliage is partially sensitive and partially closes when stroked.

Notice the small orange gland at the base of the leaf. This produces nectar which the ants use as a food source. Notice the small ant on the way up to collect dinner (or a snack).

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Fireweed
Near the Arctic circle


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Foxglove
Photographed on the side of a cliff,
overlooking the Pacific Ocean

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Click on the photographs for details.

I hope you enjoyed the "F" post today.
Leave a comment.
Vote for your favorite so that we will know what you like to see.

Troy and Martha

ABC Wednesday Round 3 is here.
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An ode to "D"

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Driving in the Dirt,
Deadhorse bound,
on the Dalton Haul Road, while
Displaying a license tag containing a D.

a perfect Day
24 hours of Daylight,
North of the Arctic Circle

Stopped in order for Martha to view wildlife in the
Distance.



Another D photographed in the Alpine regions of the mountains......

Dwarf fireweed
(Be sure to click on the photos for a Dazzling view)


a Different type of landscape,
a few thousand miles to the South
Desolate - Death Valley

Update: I had better add a Dragonfly.

Blue Dasher (Pachydiplas longipennis)

Troy and Martha

ABC Wednesday Round 3 is here.

Alaska Sunday V

Or, How Our Oil Goes Elsewhere

Martha Standing Under the Pipeline
(Click to get a little closer)
Photo taken near the Yukon River Crossing
on the way to the North Slope

One of the major arguments in the 1970s in favor of building the pipeline, was the need for 'energy independence' and a decreased reliance on imported oil to satisfy the United States' petroleum appetite. One of the concessions won by opponents was a requirement by the US Congress that the oil produced be exclusively for the domestic market. However, the Clinton administration's 'globalization' policies have overcome the 'national interest' which was being served by the export ban, and in 1995 President Clinton signed legislation ending the ban on the export of North Slope Crude oil. Alaskan oil is now tankered to China, Japan and Korea, providing new impetus to open up new fields, primarily for expanding Asian markets.

I personally do not think drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge to obtain more oil to support China’s demand and to line the pockets of Oil Mega Companies is the right thing to do. Compared to the US need for oil, there is only a “drop in the bucket” still in the ground up there and none of it slated for US consumption.......

There is an interesting commentary over at Gristmill. Click here.

Oh well, enough of my rant about oil and gas prices.
Next Alaska Sunday will be more cheerful. I promise.

I will leave you with a cheerful note. This Arctic poppy grows in the harshest of environments on the north slope tundra. Gravely soils and bitter winters. But during the brief summer months it provides some beautiful color to the tundra. They are hard to photograph because of the constant wind.

Arctic Poppy (Papaver lapponicum)
Photographed about 10 miles from the Arctic Ocean
South of Deadhorse, Prudhoe Bay

Don't forget to scroll down and try the recipe and learn a little more about Monarch Butterflies.

Troy

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Camouflage

When is a brightly colored object camouflaged?
When it is on something bright of course.
(Click on the photo to get up close and personal)

Large Milkweed Bug
Oncopeltus fasciatus

On a Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberose ssp. Interior

The adults and larvae are found on milkweeds where they feed on the milkweed seeds, sometimes forming dense feeding aggregations on the seedpods. Their bright colors serve to warn potential predators of their bitter taste, which is a result of their diet.

Notice the orange y-shaped mark on the head which identifies and separates it from the Small Milkweed Bug.

Typically, you would find this bug on the other types of milkweeds.

The Butterfly Milkweed is the only milkweed that does not have the white milky sap.

I apologize to those with slow dial-ups, I had to use a large uncompressed jpg to keep the colors and definition.

Troy and Martha