Bee careful

 

 

Well, this is a lesson in being careful and taking the time to look closely.  Recently I have been noticing these small bees zipping around visiting Seaside Daisies.  As you can see, they stand out because of the large loads of bright yellow pollen on their hind legs.  

Years ago I observed some bees with "pollen-covered chaps" (Melissodes pallidisignata, see the post from 31 July 2013) and I had been assuming the bees I've been seeing recently were that species.  However, when downloading my photos today I realized this looked like a different species.

Here's another view:

 

 

I'm not that experienced with identifying bees, but I'm wondering if this is Anthophora urbana?  If anyone out there can assist with the identification, I'd appreciate any help.

 

Interestingly, if it is Anthophora urbana, it is abundant on Bodega Head this year and I'm not sure if I've just missed it in the past (didn't look closely enough) or if it's more common this year than in years past?

The Dragon's Treasure

 

 

As you’ll recall, last week Eric’s class found an amazing reproductive worm swimming in the plankton (see "Turquoise dragon!" on 24 July 2023).  She was protecting a brood of fertilized eggs, but they were very early in development.   

 

Eric kept the worm in the lab, and now about a week later her embryos have developed into a treasure hoard of crawling 4-eyed larvae (called trochophores).  We suspect that sometime soon the larvae will break free of the brood sack and swim away!   

 

Here's a short video clip where you can see the larvae.  They're quite active!  [If you can't see the video player below, click on the title of this post to watch the video on the NHBH website.]

 

Turquoise dragon!

 

Last week, Eric’s summer class collected plankton tows in Bodega Bay and examined them under the microscope.  One of the students (Pachia) spotted this very striking polychaete worm that was turquoise in color and carrying a mass of bright orange eggs!    

 

The worm was quite small (only ~2.5 mm long).  Those are millimeter marks on the ruler below:  

 

 

 

This worm is known as an epitoke, a type of reproductive individual that occurs in some species of polychaetes.  Epitokes swim up from the bottom to the surface where mass spawning events occur.  In most cases, both male and female epitokes free-spawn their gametes into the water where fertilization occurs.   

 

However, the species shown here is unusual in that females do not free-spawn, but instead hold onto an egg mass and protect their fertilized embryos for some time while they develop.  Although we aren’t able to identify the species, this worm is likely a member a member of a particular group of polychaetes (Family Syllidae, Subfamily Autolytinae). 

Luckily, Eric was able to capture some video of this beautiful worm, whose appearance reminds us of a tiny turquoise dragon.  [If you can't see the video player in your e-mail, click on the title of the post to go directly to the NHBH website to watch the video.]

 

With many thanks to Pachia for spotting this wonderful worm, to Bruno and Richard for helping with the identification, and to Eric for putting together the story with photos and video.

Lyin' lions

 

 

Mixed group of California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) and Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus), photographed 14 July 2023.

"Little D"

 

 

Yesterday (19 July 2023) I photographed this very small nudibranch.  It was only ~5 mm long.  I kept puzzling over the identification, but eventually I gave up and asked for some help from Jeff.  Luckily (and not surpisingly!) Jeff knew right away.

 

This is a juvenile Diaulula sandiegensis.  I hadn't seen one so small!  And I wasn't used to Diaulula looking so fuzzy, but I guess that's one thing that changes as they age.

 

Note that Diaulula has much larger dark spots when older.  The spots are just starting to appear on this individual.

For reference, click here for a few photos of adult Diaulula sandiegensis.

Sand martins?

 

 

We were at Fort Ross on Friday afternoon (14 July 2023), when I noticed some large swallows swooping around over the beach and sometimes landing on the sand. 

 

 

 

This was a small flock of Purple Martins (Progne subis).  I don't encounter this species that often along the southern portions of the Sonoma Coast, and I hadn't seen them landing on the beach before, so I stopped briefly to see what they were up to.  It looked like they were picking up sand from the beach, perhaps to use as grit to help grind up their insect prey?

 

They were distant and they weren't stopping for long, so I didn't end up with great photos, but here are a couple of adult males with their deep indigo-violet color:

 

 

 

 

 

The flock tended to stay together (not sure if it could have been a family group?).  I counted 7-8 individuals.  Here are six in one photo:

 

 

 

P.S.  I called this post "Sand martins" because that's what came to mind while watching Purple Martins land on the sand.  But "Sand Martin" is an alternative name for Bank Swallows (which often nest in sandy bluffs).

 

Rose-tinted, with orange and lavender

 

 

Yesterday I looked down to see this beautiful moth emerging between some fern leaves.  I didn't have a lot of time, but the moth stopped to rest so I took a few different photos for the record.

I love the orange spots!  The more forward spot is an orbicular spot (rounded), while the more distal spot is a reniform spot (kidney-shaped).

 

 

I think this is Amphipoea pacifica.  One description I read said the background color was "rose-tinted," which I felt was a good match.

 

I loved the purple highlights, too — check out the fringe along the back edge of the hind wing and all of the fancy, "swooshy" scales on the head.  [In the second photo below, you can see the base of the antenna and the eye in shadow below the antenna.]

 

 

 

The first photos were taken in the shade.  The moth's coloration changed a bit in the sun, looking more rusty/orange overall:

 

 

 

I don't know much about Amphipoea pacifica, but I was glad for the introduction to this handsome moth!  Photographed near Salt Point on 14 July 2023.

 

Drifting in and out

 

 

 Fog, sometimes closer, sometimes farther, from the coast. 

Photographed on 14 July 2023.

What do you see?

 

 

Many of you know that I love when sculpins look just like their surroundings.  Parts of this fish look like sand, coralline algae, bits of white shell, and red algae.  Is there a fish there?  Such effective camouflage!

Nothing to see here

 

 

Eric and I have encountered several of these small decorator crabs during the last month or so.  We don't recall seeing them before (in the intertidal zone in the Bodega Bay area), so I'm posting a photo for the record.  

 

It's possible we've missed them, or that they more often occur in subtidal areas.  And maybe a lot of juveniles survived this year, so they're showing up in more places and in sites where they're not as commonly seen in most years.

 

Perhaps it's even hard to tell that this is a crab?  Meet the Masking Crab (Loxorhynchus crispatus).  "Masking" because they attach algae and bits of other animals to their rostrum and carapace (e.g., sea squirts and sponges) and the decorations serve as excellent camouflage.

The individuals we've seen this summer are all smaller juveniles, only ~2 cm across.  Photographed on 6 July 2023.

Meet Marsenina!

 

 

A fun view of an often overlooked snail — meet Marsenina rhombica!

With a large mantle that almost completely envelops the shell, this snail can be mistaken for a nudibranch.  But note the tentacles, the lack of rhinophores, the inhalant siphon (a short tube visible between the tentacles), and that you can see some of the shell at the top of the mantle (the part that looks white and shiny).

 

Marsenina has adaptive coloration — they are often associated with compound ascidians (colonial sea squirts), but when they're on the sea squirts, they almost disappear!

 

If you're curious about the shell, here's a scan of one I found years ago (see below).  The shell is very thin and shaped like a small abalone with a flattened spire and a very large body whorl:

 

 

P.S.  Many thanks to Caroline for spotting this snail and for Eric for scanning the shell!

Fan of phoronids

 

 

A few phoronid photos for you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Always nice to see Phoronis vancouverensis.  For more information about phoronids, see this post called, "Waking up with phoronids" from 17 July 2019.  It has several links with more photos and some introductory information about this group.

Gold-flecked

 

 

When your eyes match your background...

 

A small sculpin in a low zone tidepool, resting on a sponge with an anemone in the background.  Photographed 6 July 2023.  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

 

And did you notice the gold flecking on its fins?  :)

A sea slug to start your day

 

 

Quick shot of a Wine-plume Dorid nudibranch (Acanthodoris nanaimoensis), photographed on 5 July 2023.

A mystery with a tail

 

 

Okay, here's another view of the mystery animal I showed last night.  Lots of pretty colors in those scales!

 

Next, here's a zoomed out view, showing the head end of the animal:

 

 

 

I won't be surprised if this is still a mystery.  These animals are small (~1.5 cm long), often hidden under driftwood logs or rocks, and they tend to be nocturnal, so less often observed during the day. 

Now here's a view of the entire animal:

 

 

Meet Neomachilis halophila, a jumping bristletail!  These are wingless insects.  If they seem somewhat familiar, it might be because they look a bit like the "silverfish" found in our homes.

 

Note the hunched appearance and the very long "tail" (formally a terminal filament).  Below look for the large brown compound eye and the long palps (curled downward in front of the eye).  Jumping bristletails are scavengers feeding on things like algae, lichens, pollen, and plant detritus.

 

An interesting thing I learned about jumping bristletails — they're fairly long lived for an insect (I read estimates of 2-4 years) and they continue to molt even as adults (!).  

 

Here's a bristletail that I found in the act of molting.  You can see the older, grayer skeleton at the back end (upper left corner).  The bristletail is emerging, looking all shiny and new.  (Note that the outer tips of the antennae are yellowish at this time, but they'll eventually turn gray.)

 

 

 

As for those beautiful scales?  I'm not totally sure why they have them, but I read that the scales might make the bristletails a bit "slippery", i.e., harder for a predator to hold on to them.  Another possibility is that the scales protect them against abrasion.

Next time you peer under a piece of driftwood or a rock in the highest part of the intertidal zone, watch for jumping bristletails.  And if you find one, lean in for a closer view — you might see the beautiful colors reflected from their scales.

Colorful mystery

  

It's been a while since I've posted a mystery close-up photo, so here you go!  Can you tell what type of organism this is?

Feel free to let me know if you have a guess.  (And if you want a hint, or have a question, I'll try to respond.)  I'll reveal the answer tomorrow night.  :)

Oh, hello there!

 

 

While taking a break from a task I was working on at the coast this afternoon (1 July 2023), I turned over a couple pieces of driftwood and noticed this little pseudoscorpion!  

 

Note the scorpion-like claws, but the lack of a scorpion-like tail.  This individual was only ~5 mm long.

 

I don't know much about pseudoscorpions.  This might be Garypus californicus, but if anyone can help confirm the i.d., let me know!