After most wildflowers have disappeared and the green grass fades to a brittle bronze, Milkweed becomes the sole attractant for bugs and pollinators, especially the ubiquitous Tarantula Hawks, flying low and slow on erratic, yet undeterred courses. We, and most other animals, move around them.
Unlikely partners yesterday while checking the stockwater and cows on the Paregien ranch, I caught this Tarantula Hawk and a butterfly I’ve never seen before. I Googled lots of black and red moths and butterflies without a match. Now, I wish I’d spent more time and taken some macro shots.
Weekly Photo Challenge: “Partners”
drycrikjournal 
I’m deadly allergic to yellow jacket wasps and, honestly, the thought of a Tarantula Hawk wasp makes me bead up! As for the moth, do you think this is an opportunistic creature, there because of dry conditions? I love all the phases of milkweed and something about the plant seems related to fairies to me. Maybe it’s the seed pod shell at the end of its life that looks like a vessel designed to carry small creatures on a new adventure.
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Robbin got stung by one in the garden while picking vegetables, hiding on the backside of a pepper.
And then the seed pod explodes with cottony filaments, once grown commercially as insulation for jackets and sleeping bags. An amazing plant!
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I didn’t know it had commercial uses. Yes, it is an amazing plant!
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You watch nature the way a broker watches the market: greedy to learn . . . Bravo!
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Peter, my friend, you’ve found me out!
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Excellent choice, John. I love milkweed, both for its looks and for its uses.
janet
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Great photo for the challenge, John. So well captured too. 🙂
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I thought this looked like some kind of a Hairstreak. A shame there aren’t more photos. I found one that might fit the bill.
Atlides halesus Its caterpillar larvae feed on the mistletoe
Habitat: Oak woods, mesquite forests, planted walnuts in agricultural or suburban areas, and mixed woods infested with mistletoe.
Range: Guatemala north to central California, east through Texas and southern Missouri to Maryland.
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Attaboy, Richard, I believe you hit the nail on the head. Good job! The swallow tail in my photo was confusing me, not to mention color. Thank you, now I know.
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Attaboy, Richard, I believe you hit the nail on the head. Good job! The swallow tail in my photo was confusing me, not to mention color. Thank you, now I know.
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