While pond cleaning I discovered crayfish. I've found a lot of bugs and critters in those large ponds over the years, but never these endangered crayfish (Procambarus spp.). Above, one of the little guys in my gloved hand.
I was pulling vegetation from the ponds when I noticed these freshwater crustaceans flipping and flopping around on the ground. I started grabbing them and tossing them back into the ponds.
In the difficult-to-decipher image above. . . a small crayfish adjacent to the tallest green weed, is quickly killed by fire ants. As fast as I was saving the crayfish I could see the fire ants were killing those I missed. It was a feeding frenzy.
Below, my first stick bug of the summer. These are insects of the order Phasmatodea. This one hung around on the front window for some many hours yesterday. My index finger is in the shot for scale.
. . .and finally, a new species. . .new to me and without a common name. . . I knew it was a purple-flowering vine that made pod-like seeds. . .so I assumed it was a pea. After much searching I found that it is one of the few Galactia spp. that occur naturally in Florida. Likely Galactia volubilis (L.) Britton.
Britton, who named this species, found that it occurred in dry pinelands (which we have in Deltona). Most of the dry pinelands in Deltona (and elsewhere in Florida) have been destroyed. . .so this was quite a find and I will protect it. I found 5 cultivars of this species in our woods in Deltona.
Galactia volubilis is so rare as to have never rated a common name. . . and it is in the family Fabaceae (bean or pea).
No comments:
Post a Comment