Night of the Queen 2020

The COVid19 numbers are sky-rocketing, the timeline indicating that the Memorial Day and Mothers Day weekends with dropped lock-down have more to do with it than the protest marches, but they will also soon show consequences. AZ hospitals at capacity, Better not get sick here now.  I am dreading my gallery duty on the 11th of June.

Photo by Shawna Caldwell: How the fire in the catalinas started

Not to forget that other, probably greater problems loom: Global Warming is pushed out of the news, The slowed-down world economy may provide a small reprieve.   But our weather patterns are ominously confusing.  We had monsoon like thunderstorms for several afternoons, nearly a month too early.

Push Ridge fire by Bill George

Result: fires. We can see them glowing at night and the smoke now. The second photo was taken by a friend who lives in a development that was carved into the mountains about 15 to 20 years ago, so I remember open desert there. 

But some eternal (?) natural rhythms are still operating: last night was the night of the Queen.  Once a year a twig-thin cactus (Peniocereus greggii) produces the most beautiful, fragrant flowers. The Mystery: within miles, they all open at once. I have not been able to relate it to moon phase, temperature, day length (the date can vary by a month) or precipitation (usually there is none before the cacti bloom) barometric pressure - nothing I can measure seems to provide the trigger, and yet, they are completely synchronized. Usually, Tohono Chul Park close to Tucson monitors and celebrates the bloom, so people are aware of the event. This year the park is closed. This morning, I found several on our dog walk. We live right in the middle of a big population. This year there were fewer flowers than usual. 

Honey Bees were all over the flowers in the morning sun. These opportunistic generalists among bees are probably not suited to pollinate the big flowers. That is probably usually done by big Manduca and other Sphinx Moths. But those have been out in numbers a couple of weeks ago. I saw them at my black lights.   At the moment they seem rather scarce.  Perhaps I just do not see them at my lights because the moon is rather full..

Peniocereus greggii, Queen of the Night

By the 12th of June the Big Horn Fire in the Catalinas had spread. The inferno came down the mountain towards foothills homes and 100s of people had to evacuate, others are on stand-by.

View towards the Catalinas from Tucson on June 11th 2020

Natures Gifts - Raptor Feathers

Female left, male right Harris' Hawks

5 Harris' Hawks are hanging around for days now, watching us from breakfast to last evening walk. Maybe they like the new big birdbath that I put out across the street? There they left a beautiful feather. For me? Or does it come from the pair of Cooper's that also frequents that yard? Legally I'm not even allowed to pick it up. At the base, it has a light part with some freckles and the darker part of the vane is subtly banded. It looks very much like the eagle feathers on Native American festive gear, just much smaller. At its tip it shows traces of at least a year of use.. Only the strong rachis and some hard barbs are left to form a sharp, bleached out point

Harris Hawk tail feather, probably from a juvenile

My own, very personal response to the virus threat:

My own, very personal response to the virus threat:

ACE2 is an integral membrane protein that appears to be the host-cell receptor for SARS-CoV-2

In the beginning of this pandemic, My friend Tom McDonald (physiology professor U of A) mentioned some research data from China that referred to increased vulnerability of lung tissue after treatment with Losartan-class blockers. The rational was that hypertension treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor blockers, to which SARS-CoV-2 binds, might in the long-run increase the number of those receptors (often the case with receptor blockers). As the virus binds to those (increased in numbers) loci, lung tissue may be more vulnerable

. Recently, another theory, was that Losartan may block enough receptors to actually protect the tissue from the virus - may prevent organ failure on a wide range in C19 patients and thus.was considered among possible treatment options.

But most patients who died were hypertensive and receiving treatment.

So the thinking now goes back to the earlier idea : "Two recent studies, however, have poked holes in this hypothesis (that losartan could be used to treat C19 patients). In the first study, researchers raised the possibility that antihypertensives, including losartan, could actually induce the body to make more ACE2, increasing the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to bind to and infiltrate cells. In the second study, Italian researchers found that three-quarters of patients with COVID-19 who died had hypertension. Antihypertensive treatment may have been the reason for their increased susceptibility."

Anyway, Tom's very first mentioning of the possible connection made me look more closely into my own treatment with Losartan. It is the only drug I was taking and I did never like doing so. So in early March, I started a running regiment - twice a day 1 to 2 miles - I have lots of time on my hands after all art shows were cancelled! I monitored my BP and weight and after both began decreasing I started going off Losartan in small steps. Surprisingly, my BP was not at all correlated to the drug dose, but very much to body weight. I went from 170 pounds to 155 without fasting, and my BP is in a healthy normal range now.

The conflicting theories about Losartan show how very difficult and intertwined physiological processes and the reaction to drugs really are, and why it is often so difficult for the scientific community to make easily understood yes-or-no statements. Sadly, this opens up the discussion for loud-mouthed science deniers. As a physiologist myself, I am in a position to at least make somewhat educated decisions for my own health. Whatever the outcome of the Losartan studies concerning the virus will eventually be (I expect a difference between long-term chronic use and short, high dose treatment) I feel much healthier and fitter than in a decade. So thanks to my friend's push

Sept./Oct.Insect Programs in Maricopa, Gila and Santa Cruz County

Over the last 3 weeks I was invited to present programs about insects by the Butterfly Association of Maricopa County, held at the Glendale water Ranch, Oracle State Park and the Native Plant Society of Santa Cruz County (held at the Fire Station in Sonoita). All 3 audiences were very responsive and interested in my PowerPoint Presentation. While folks were inside listening to my talk, the lights outside were attracting local bugs to my sheet set up.

Glendale, photo Marceline Vanderwater

In all cases we ran the lights only from sunset to about 8 or 9 PM . There were interesting and very obvious differences, some surprised me. As I was busy answering questions and showing off the most popular bugs, I had little time to concentrate on small stuff or take many photos

Longhorn Beetle Plionoma suturalis

The Glendale black lighting spot was in the middle of the park, and I'm eternally grateful to my friend Kc Smith that he logged his heavy generator all the way in there. We were close to water but in the middle of thick mesquite trees. So we got lots of biomass in form of green stinkbugs and Bruchines (Bean and Pea Weevils) that came from the mesquite pods. all moths were tiny. We got a few Caddisflies as to be expected close to water. I was surprised to see a good number of the Cerambycid Plionoma at our lights. I have never seen them night active and attracted to lights before. I think they were Plionoma suturalis, though they were on the small, stout side for that species. I collected one specimen but it got lost in the shuffle of the take down.  The image above is from my files.

The old farmhouse in Oracle State Park was a lovely setting in the middle of a park at higher elevation with mixed Oak Mesquite habitat. At my arrival in the late afternoon I noticed that it seemed very dry and there were very few blooming perennials. Andrew Meeds had been searching for day-active  insects and found only a few. Numbers were really low. 

Agonoscelis puberula (African Cluster Bug)

Several people found and asked about African Cluster Bugs, so those invasives (harmless it seems) were common and obvious

Rhinoceros Beetle Xyloryctes thestalus

The evening  was a little windy and cool. At the lights we did not get a lot, But a number of Rhinoceros Beetles impressed and delighted. A single large, grey Epicauta sp Blister Beetle indicated that there would have been more if we had waited longer.

The Fire Station of Sonoita is surrounded by roiling grasslands that looked very dry, even the Desert Broom bushes that should be blooming by now, looked sad and straw-colored instead of juicy green. I loved watching a little herd of Pronghorns near by, but did not expect a lot from the black lights
And most of the attending people had not expected to stay far beyond 8 pm, so this was probably my shortest black lighting session ever.  And yet, it turned out surprisingly interesting

Megacyllene antennata, Oncideres rhodosticta (Mesquite Girdler), Scudderia mexicana (Mexican Bush Katydid) Stagmomantis sp. male, Curculio, Greater Anglewing Katydid, White-lined Sphinx, Lichen Moth, Noctuid, Spurthroat Grasshoppers, Oxygrylius ruginasus (Scarab Beetle)

Surprisingly no Digonthophagus  gazella at all. In other years at this time they covered the walls and the ground around lights in Sonoita. It seems that all invasive spp reach a peak and eventually crash.

September Storms 2019

We had started to call this summer a non-soon because there was nearly no rain. I cannot remember that  the tough Creosote bushes ever turned that rust-colored.  Yet the ground is still covered by dead, yellow cheat grass - a remnant of an unusually wet early winter. But that was so long ago!

Mid September a number of Hurricanes and tropical storms  approached  Mexico from the Pacific, and some of those cells sent their pressure disturbances far into the Sonoran Desert. So it did not only finally rain, we even saw some spouts dip down from the heavy clouds: small, short lived tornadoes. One was visible from our house to the west, but while less than a mile from us 3 inches of rain came down in less than 5 min, we had blue skies, no wind, and only a few sprinkles at that time. Eventually we did get some nice precipitation and we weren't sad that the tornadoes missed us. Still found a leak in the roof though - at the seam of the patio roof.

One early morning after the rain,  Leaf-cutter Ants, Acromyrmex versicolor started their mating flights. Winged males and females left the colonies and flew to one of their traditional meeting points. A huge column of dancers rose next to a  tree in our driveway.  The cloud of ants wavered  in the wind. It would nearly disappear at times but always reorganize. Walking the dogs, we ran into many flying ants still on their way to join the party. 

While I was watching, the column move right over my head - they like an elevated focal point. But mated pairs, or rather females with several suitors clinging to them, keep sinking to the ground, or down on my head as long as I kept standing there. so keeping some distance is highly recommended.

Swarming ants and termites draw predators. we are far from the next water, but Saddle-backs and Gliders (Dragonflies) are cruising the desert.

Cliff Swallows are sporadic visitors to our area, but during the days after the storm they were constantly shooting through the partly blue sky. In the evening hundreds of them fell into a neighbors tree to roost. It's quite far from our house but their chirping was loud enough to bring me outside to find out what the noise was.
We have not seen as many Night Hawks as usual this summer, although their purring could be heard all night at the south end of our property. Now they don't just stream across our house at sunset to get to the Santa Cruz River, but glide and flap in wide curves and zigzags among the saguaros, obviously hunting.

Tiny Western Pipistrelles somewhat resemble in size and flight pattern a large dark butterfly, maybe a Pipevine Swallowtail though they move more swiftly. We see them all summer long at sunset, but at the moment they seem especially common and active. Probably working on the fat reserves that have to last through the winter. These are much smaller than the nectar bats that will show up when it's fully dark to raid our hummingbird feeders. A third of their size?.

Following smaller predators come fiercer ones. Large insects, but also lizards and small birds are prey of the Shrike. Around our bird feeding area, mobs of smaller birds but also the local Mockingbird keep the masked killers away. But for a couple of weeks  I've now hear the nasal, loud shrieking.

The sun setting opposite dark storm clouds brings out the brilliant colors of the desert. I drove through Saguaro National Park West - sadly it's not a loop-drive anymore because the connection to Picture Rocks Rd seems permanently closed. Still, the tour inspired a watercolor painting

Kira steals from the Hawk Family

Our dog walks are never boring.  This afternoon we had just left the house when heavy wing beats lifted a large dark bird out of the wash that crosses out front yard. Another one followed. The white base of the tail characterized them as Harris' Hawks. The did not want to leave and landed shoulder high in the next Palo Verde. So they had prey on the ground.

Problem: Kira was on their side of the wash and drawn straight to the smell of a fresh kill. And she was not listening. The wash is deeply eroded and arm-thich Ironwood roots run along the bottom. Still, Bilbo and I slithered down the bank to get Kira. She did not look pleased, having just pulled up a delectable loop of bunny intestine.

The young hawks were still watching, not much more than 2 arm lengths from me. I was thinking that they are the apprentice falconer's birds. Easy to imagine.
Then a loud angry noise from the next tree - between a snarl and a growl, not bird-like at all: the older hawks were also still close by. Kira gave up her prize and jumped down into the wash to us. Bilbo sniffed her breath and looked accusingly up at me - where was his bunny gut? 
We went for our walk into the state-land, chased lizards and grashoppers as usual but somewhat halfheartedly it seemed.

Returning, I did not want to disturb the hawks again if they had returned. So instead of cutting through the front-yard we continued along the dirt road to our driveway. But the adult hawks were now sitting on  telephone post and wire.   Sleek and dark and unblinking. Eyeing us with the inscrutable glare of a sphinx.

The young hawks were still eating their dinner though. Again they flew up shortly, but returned right away after I took a photo. Not much left.

This is how it may have started - an adult female is bringing a young Jack Rabbit for her family. I'm amazed how much this relatively small hawk can carry. Not my own photo

Dead Beetles and Caring People

A Facebook friend's collection of Dynastes grantii

Over the last days I saw several comments on our Facebook group from concerned folks who questioned collectors of beetles who showed a well-curated series of Dynastes grantii. Today I got an e mail from a concerned lady who is finding dead Rhinoceros Beetles in Prescott Valley.

I am very glad that people do care! Even if their target for now are mostly those charismatic big Scarab Beetles. It is hopefully a sign that they will also worry, and get active, to help shape the greater environmental picture.
But in the SW US Arthropods Group that I administer on Facebook, I also had to explain why I think the collector of some Hercules Beetles from 2017 was not harming the environment or the species or ethical standards by taking these 9 male beetles.
Since it took some effort to answer this and because it keeps coming up, here is what I wrote:

I think many people do not consider how most insects propagate. There is no parental care - there cannot be because the short-lived adults are not around when the larvae hatch in January/February to start their multi-year growth period as larvae. So each female lays from 30 to 90 eggs at least, some of which will actually survive to adulthood. If a female dies before her time, before she is done depositing her eggs, some more of her neighbor have room to survive. Males probably sire even more offspring - the few that actually get a chance to mate with a female in a competitive mating situation. If some are collected, again, more chances for the remaining ones. These are not humans or elephants with great investment in the individual. Also, if 90 come to a given light with a limited radius, thousands must be in the hinterland. What destroys insect populations is not a collector. It's habitat destruction and maybe some really strong light (border patrol? ) that drain the area night after night of millions of bugs, If they are collected or not, those usually die at the lights.
To be clear, I'm no collector and I only see reasons to collect (personally) if scientific questions are behind it. But that's just me. I know that humans by their very existence are detrimental to great numbers of other species. But I also know that most people do not care one bit about insects and think the more are destroyed, the better. If Neal Mower's pretty collection gets a couple of kids interested enough to be protective instead of habitually destructive, I think his efforts are well validated .

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Edit or delete this

and here is the e mail about the Rhinoceros Beetles from Prescott Valley:
Good morning,
I saw your article on rhinoceros beetles and it was the most informative one I found. Recently there has been an event near my house in Prescott Valley where we have seen hundreds of female beetles crawling around during the day. I have not been able to find a reason why this is happening due to there not being a lot of information on these little guys. We found a lot of them tipped over yesterday and spent some time flipping them. This morning we discovered most of them dead. I was hoping you might have some further explanations for the behaviour. I have attached a photo of one we found this morning. We have spent the morning trying to learn as much about them as possible but have been unable to find more info. Thanks for taking the time to read this, I hope you have a wonderful day!
Jessie D.

And my lengthy answer:

I am glad that you care, Jessica! But there is not a lot that you, or anyone, can do.

      These scarab beetles spend most of their lifespan as grubs feeding on rotting wood, somewhere in the Coronado forest around Prescott. Then they pupate, later the young beetle emerges from the pupa, and then it waits for the monsoon to begin to emerge from its pupal chamber. Now it has wings and will use them first to find a mate and then, if she is female, to find a suitable place with great mulch for her eggs. She seems to prefere rotting mountain ash logs over all other mulch.. There is a theory that she will first play it safe and lay most of her eggs close to where she herself was born, and then, much lighter after depositing most of her load,  strike out to carry the last eggs further out to maybe give the last offspring new opportunities in less crowded areas. This is just a theory, but possible. We find older females often far from the normal distribution areas.  Of course, the end of this journey for the female is death. As adults, most scarabs live only for a couple of weeks to a couple of months and the males die earlier than the females.  Now the reason that you find so many wandering around in the morning is that they most likely came to lights at night. They usually orient by the moon and artificial lights drag them off course. That uses up resources and there is probably no food where they land (they feed on sugary substances)  The reason that they die (if pesticide use can be excluded) may be that they are old and at the end of their natural life. The specimen in your photo has its feet broken off. That can happen ante-mortem in old beetles. Old, weak beetles also will not bury themselves during the day as fresh vigorous ones would do, so you find them crawling around in the morning.
         So you really cannot help them individually at this point. Hopefully they had a chance to lay their eggs in a suitable place before they landed at the lights. And you can assume that there are many more where they came from that will take care of the continuation of their species. If you can convince home and business owners in Prescott Valley to use lights with little UV component (yellow or some led lights are good)and no Mercury Vapor, you may be able to reduce the draw on the beetle population and spar the home owners some of the dead beetles that clutter their porches
Again, thank you for caring!
Margarethe Brummermann 

Dead Mesquite Twig Girdlers in 2008 at the BP stop north of Tubac. Not swept into a pile, the carpet was at least 500 squarefeet

And maybe we all can help by influencing those in power by writing to them and through our votes to consider the problem of habitat disruption through high power lights. For years, we have seen the impact of the light canons that the border patrol was using every night at their control points on I 19 and Hhw 83. The stinking carpet of dead beetles at those light was so bad that the officers kept asking traveling entomologists for help. We could only say: Switch off those light canons'  In the end it was cost efficient new technology, not our advice that changed the mercury vapor lights to LED lights, but now dead beetles are no great problem anymore. I can only hope that all the recent border protection activity will not result in an illuminated corridor all the way along the southern border. That would have a disruptive effect on more than just beetles and could have dire ecological consequences. 

So let your representatives know that you care!