Photo: Meadowood Recreation Area, Rusty Moran
During the pandemic we’ve had to cancel our regular wildlife surveys but some long-time participants are going out individually on an ad hoc basis to continue collecting data. Judy Gallagher is one of those folks who also captures photos of what she sees, in particular the less common species. Here are two observations from her recent survey.
This Sand-loving Wasp excavates a burrow in the ground for each egg she will lay. She then captures a Grasshopper (or occasionally a Katydid) for each burrow, paralyzing it with her venom, drags the grasshopper into the burrow by its antennae and lays an egg on the grasshopper's breast. The grasshopper serves as live food for the wasp larva.
Sand-loving Wasp, Judy Gallagher
Green Tree Frogs are important for mosquito control, but they will eat any insect they can catch. Hundreds of tree frog males gather near ponds, lakes and streams and call out to catch the attention of females. Each female lays approximately 400 eggs. The eggs hatch after 5 days, then it takes 8 to 10 weeks for the tadpoles to become frogs. Adults can live for up to 6 years. Look for these beautiful creatures near bodies of water after a rainstorm.
Green Tree Frog, Judy Gallagher