Diario de jwparker2

I was recently confused by nomenclature involved in an observation of Wild Cucumber. I asked several expert sources for clarification. The responses helped a lot!

Re: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/6830357

From my friend and mentor Patricia Simpson:

"Well, this is a common thing unfortunately. What most people here know as Wild cucumber is Marah macrocarpa. But in iNat the common name of Wild cucumber is associated with a different plant. People who do not know the latin name of M. macrocarpa often mistakingly ID as the wrong plant since they just enter the common name and that creates confusion. Marah. Macrocarpa is the only Marah found at MTRP and to my knowledge, in San Diego County (you can look it up at calflora.org)..."

I received even more clarification on this subject from Jon P. Rebman, Ph.D., the Mary and Dallas Clark Endowed Chair/Curator of Botany at the San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM) since 1996.

Thank you both!

"Solanum is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, which include two food crops of high economic importance, the potato and the tomato. It also contains the nightshades and horse nettles, as well as numerous plants cultivated for their ornamental flowers and fruit. Solanum species show a wide range of growing habits, such as annual and perennials, vines, subshrubs, shrubs, and small trees. Many formerly independent genera like Lycopersicon (the tomatoes) and Cyphomandra are now included in Solanum as subgenera or sections. Thus, the genus today contains roughly 1,500–2,000 species." -wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum less ↑
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/6457524
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5455302

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/6856829

Fascinating photos and info in this extra-ordinary observation...

Typocerus gloriosus

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/6727923

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/6092294

Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle (Trirhabda species)

Adult: 5-6 mm

Order Coleoptera/ Family Chrysomelidae – Leaf Beetles/ Subfamily Galerucinae.

This beetle is abundant from spring to summer on Goldenbush, Isocoma venetus. The adults and larvae are found together feeding on foliage of this plant. Larvae are a dark metallic green, and adults are in life bright yellow with dark metallic green stripes. Many of the Trirabda spp. specialize in their choice of host plants, and another species is found on sagebrush, Artemisia californica. Another found primarily on Coyote Bush, Baccharis pilularis, is named after the host!

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/7103866

How can I tell the difference??? ( I can't!)

Thanks to all who helped clarify!

https://www.dpreview.com/articles/7373875990/thomas-shahans-tips-for-successful-macro-photography

https://blog.mingthein.com/2017/08/06/insect-macro-photography-techniques-an-ongoing-experimentation-part-

http://www.diyphotography.net/photograph-bugs-field-look-like-shot-studio/

https://fstoppers.com/animal/how-shoot-gorgeous-studio-quality-macro-insect-photographs-without-studio-192103

Plants

http://www.calflora.org
https://montereywildflowers.com
http://www.yosemitehikes.com/wildflowers/yosemite-wildflowers-guide.htm
Oaks:
http://ucanr.edu/sites/oak_range/Californias_Rangeland_Oak_Species/
How to tell Cudweed from Pearly Everlasting:
https://montereywildflowers.com/Asterac_Everlasting_1.php
Manzanitas:
Toni Corelli's "Checklist of the Vascular Plants of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties , California" lists the following species: A.canescens , A.crustacea , A.glandulosa , and A.glauca .

Mosses
http://bryophyte.cnps.org/ (Click on the resources tab, and click beginner. There is a bunch of things there that you might find interesting.)

Birds

http://www.allaboutbirds.org
http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird

Animals

www.conservationscats.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mammals_of_California
http://www.sfbaywildlife.info/species/mammals.htm
http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/professional-trapper/wildlife/ca-san-jose-wildlife.htm
Identifying Deer in CA:
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=23228&inline
Wildlife Preservation:
http://www.openspaceauthority.org/preservation/wildlife.html
Bugs

http://bugguide.net
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/
Galls
https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/finatic/2183-gall-identification

Posted on April 01, 2017 01:31 PM by truthseqr truthseqr | 0 comments | Leave a comment

From an earlier observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/7064651

I think this is California everlasting. See the following article:
"How to tell Cudweed from Pearly Everlasting"
https://montereywildflowers.com/asteraceae%20-%20cudweeds/
Posted by truthseqr about 2 hours ago

Many thanks to Truthseqrb