Phillip's Natural World: Colors of Fall

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I like how there are suddenly colors on the landscape despite the ongoing drought. With the much lower sun angles there is suddenly a splash of purples and yellows that were completely washed out during most of the year due to the relentless sunshine.

The sun is down to an angle of about 59° (from a high of 84° in June). . . and the days are getting rapidly shorter (by over 3 minues a day). By Dec. 21 the sun will be casting long shadows and appear at 38° in the southern sky. The lower angles allow for much better light.

In this post I've included photos that show lots of purples and reds.

Above and Below: This is Monobia quadridens, a species of potter wasp. Sometimes referred to as the Four-footed Mason Wasp its abdomen is entirely black except for a broad ivery-colored band on the first tergite. Though quite small at about 1/2-inch (12.7 mm), Monobia quadridens is capable of delivering a sting. Unlike most wasp species both the male and female can sting though the male's sting is more like a needle prick.

Look closely at the image above and you'll see that there is a tiny cucumber beetle (family Chrysomelidae) sharing this sage blossom.

Below: A Monarch Butterfly on the aptly named Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii). The rather bizarre Latin name's origin was bestowed by Linnaeus to honor the Reverend Adam Buddle (1662–1715), a botanist and rector in Essex, England.