Reakirt's blue caterpillars in an ancient mutualism with ants

Reakirt's blue caterpillars in an ancient mutualism with ants

June 9, 2020

Reakirt's blue, Echinargus isola, is one of ten species of blue butterflies in the Front Range Reakirt's blue butterflies were moving among the flower heads of white clover in my lawn. I presumed that they were nectaring, but I watched closely and discovered that they were ovipositing. They would fly...

Common Stork

Stork's bill seeds plant themselves

June 1, 2020

Common stork's bill or redstem filaree, Erodium circutarium, is flowering now on the plains and in the foothills. Its blooms are small, just 10 to 15 mm across, but such a striking shade of deep lavender that they catch the eye

red wing bird

Conflict and vigilance among red-winged blackbirds

May 13, 2020

The song spread is critically important in defense of a territory and the song is also evaluated by females as a facet of courting From the branch above me, a male red-winged blackbird took a deep breath, hunched up his shoulders, flared the feathers on his epaulets and let out...

Elm Leaf Beetle

Elm leaf beetles are just one of the introduced species that suppress American elms

April 29, 2020

Introductions, both accidental and purposeful, frequently have tragic consequences American elms, Ulmus americana , are native to North America from Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia and from Texas to Florida. They grow 60 to 80 feet tall, with a thick trunk, the shape of a vase and a domed crown 40...

Salt and pepper

Salt and pepper adds spice to spring

April 16, 2020

The flowers of salt and pepper are tiny and arranged into compound groups called umbels, or bouquets in the shape of an umbrella

Plateau Tiger Whiptail

Tiger whiptail lizards come in many forms

April 1, 2020

Two simple contrasts illustrate how the environments occupied by tiger whiptails differ in fundamental ways A long slender lizard moved among trees in a pinyon-juniper woodland on the Colorado Plateau, searching the accumulated debris beneath the trees for grubs, spiders, beetles or any other insects. It stopped when it saw...

Bright blossoms of Lewis flax are seen from the plains to tree line

Domestication of Lewis flax has begun

March 20, 2020

Understanding genetic diversity in a species is especially important for conservation and restoration efforts

Keg Knoll Robber Fly

Robber flies are fierce predators and resourceful lovers

Feb. 28, 2020

The world is full of robber flies—approximately 7,000 species have been recognized worldwide and 1,000 are native to North America

Brown Leopard frog

Why do leopard frogs come in two colors?

Feb. 18, 2020

The persistence of two colors everywhere suggests a balance of evolutionary forces

A stemless four-nerve daisy growing from a sandstone crevice

Stemless four-nerve daisies have remarkable variation for growth form

Jan. 21, 2020

From the caliche soils of southeastern Colorado to crevices in bare sandstone on the Colorado Plateau, stemless four-nerved daisies show remarkable variation in growth form

Pages