Blooms, Bees, and Butterflies

Posted on by friendsofthewildernesspark

A Saturday walk in Johnson’s Pasture revealed that a banner year for Mariposa Lilies! Do go up and check them out:

Plummer’s Mariposa Lily (Calochortus plummerae). ©Nancy Hamlett.

Lots of other flowers are blooming – Cardinal Catchfly (Silene laciniata ssp. laciniata), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Wavyleaf Soap Plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum), Heart-leaved Keckellia (Keckiella cordifolia), Sticky Monkey Flower (Diplacus aurantiacus), Four-spot and Wine-cup Clarkia (Clarkia purpurea), Leafy Fleabane (Erigeron foliosus), Deerweed (Acmispon glaber), Spanish Clover (Acmispon americanus var. americanus) – which is neither Spanish nor a clover, Stinging Lupine (Lupinus hirsutissimus) and, of course, California poppies (Eschscholzia californica). Bees and butterflies were busily visiting the flowers, including Yellow-faced Bumble Bees (Bombus vosnesenskii) on Deerweed, a tiny unidentified native bee on Leafy Fleabane, a Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melons) on Deerweed, and a Reakirt’s Blue (Echinargus isola) – unusual in our area – on Spanish Clover.

A male Reakirt’s Blue nectaring on Spanish Clover (Acmispon americanus). ©Nancy Hamlett.
Cardinal catchfly (Silene laciniata). ©Nancy Hamlett.
Leafy Fleabane (Erigeron folios) with a tiny native bee. ©Nancy Hamlett.
Wine-cup Clarkia (Clarkia purpurea). ©Nancy Hamlett.
Wavyleaf Soap Plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum). ©Nancy Hamlett.
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melons) nectaring on Deerweed (Acmispon glaber). ©Nancy Hamlett.
A Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) nectaring on Deerweed (Acmispon glaber). ©Nancy Hamlett.

California Buckwheat and two native milkweeds (Asclepias fascicularis and Asclepias eriocarpa) are just starting to bloom, so come back soon to check them out. Both are magnets for lots of interesting insects.

CHWP Bumble Bee potential endangered species candidate

Posted on by friendsofthewildernesspark

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has recommended that four species of native bumble bees be granted “candidate species” status as endangered  under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). Among them is Crotch’s Bumble Bee (Bombus crotchii), which was recently spotted in the Wilderness park, nectaring on Caterpillar Phacelia (Phacelia cicutaria).

 

Crotch’s bumble bee (Bombus crotchii) is already considered Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); it only persists in 20% of its historic range, and has declined by 98% in relative abundance (its abundance relative to other species of bumble bees). This bee historically occurred from the northern Central Valley to Baja Mexico, but currently persists primarily in southern coastal habitats and some areas to the north and southwest of Sacramento.

If you would like to support the nomination of the Crotch’s Bumble Bee to Endangered Species candidate, please email the Fish & Game Commission at fgc@fgc.ca.gov, preferably by June 7. The vote will occur on June 12.

For more information, please see the Xerces Society press release.