Month: June 2024

a spell of good things

Published on by HashiLeave a comment

Here are the sketchnotes from our last book group meeting—they’re pretty irrelevant if you weren’t there, or haven’t read the book. As always, I am not sketchnoting the book itself, but our two-hour discussion of it, which is always more free-ranging and interesting than I manage to sum up in one page.

Delphinium cardinale

Published on by HashiLeave a comment

One of our three native larkspurs, this perennial member of the buttercup family blooms from May to July in chaparral and coastal sage scrub. I don’t see a lot of it, so it’s always a treat to find one of the tall displays of bright red flowers.

Tipuloidea

Published on by HashiLeave a comment

Mosquito hawk. Skeeter-eater. Gallinipper. Gollywhopper. Jenny longlegs. Daddy longlegs. Crane flies are found all over the world and go by many different names. There are several common misconceptions about these insects:

  1. That they are the most venomous insects in the world (in fact, they have neither venom nor the ability to bite).
  2. That they prey on mosquito populations (also untrue; the adult crane fly is anatomically incapable of killing or consuming other insects).

Crane fly larvae can be important in the soil ecosystem, because they process organic material and increase microbial activity. Larvae and adults are also valuable prey items for many animals, including insects, spiders, fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals. However, the larvae of some crane fly species are agricultural pests, as they feed on the roots, root hairs, crown, and sometimes the leaves of crops. But mostly, these giant, delicate creatures are completely harmless.