Wayne's Trivia Notes #23
Wayne's Word Index Noteworthy Plants Trivia Lemnaceae Biology 101 Botany Scenic Wildflowers Trains Spiders & Insects Search
 Wayne's Trivia Notes Index   Wayne's Alien Species Index   Wayne's Remember When Index 
 Wayne's Trivia Notes #23   © W.P. Armstrong    All Facebook Notes & Images   
Published Occasionally On Facebook
Go To Latest Trivia Note On This Page

Wayne's Trivia Note #523 (15 August 2018)

This uncommon western toad visitor to our home is sitting in Tran's water dish feeding on his cricket supply. Elaine has already named him "Toby the Toad," but I may release him. Other Animal Visitors

Wayne's Trivia Note #524 (16 August 2018)

Toby Toad has discovered Tran's cricket stash. Breaking News: Toby was just admitted to the EcoVivarium in Escondido: Living Natural History Childrens Museum. Now we can all go and visit him! EcoVivarium

Wayne's Trivia Note #525 (25 August 2018)

The bright red hourglass marking on this large, highly venomous black widow in my garage serves as a warning to vertebrate predators, such as birds (and myself). According to Behavioral Ecology (Vol. 27 Jan. 2016) it is not as conspicuous to insect prey. Behavioral Ecology

Wayne's Trivia Note #526 (26 August 2018)

Face of large black widow in my garage. Although they rarely bite humans, the venom is quite toxic to vertebrates. Children and elderly are more vulnerable and may require medical treatment. According to Wikipedia, the Lethal Dosage in mice is 0.9 mg per kg. This means that 61 mg (2/1000 of an ounce) could kill a 150 pound mouse. It is best to relocate black widow or eradicate spider & egg sacs if it poses a contact threat to any of your body appendages.

Wayne's Trivia Note #527 (30 August 2018)

Wayne's Trivia Note #528 (31 August 2018)

I scanned the following 3 images from 35mm Kodachrome transparencies I took over 50 years ago from same spot along Hwy 2 near Wrightwood, CA, but not on the same day!
 Scroll Down To See Summer, Fall & Winter 

Wayne's Trivia Note #529 (8 September 2018)

Lake Hodges (July 1980) covered with duckweeds (Lemna). This is where I found my 1st Wolffia species, world's smallest flowering plants, floating among larger duckweeds. This event was one of my most exciting discoveries resulting in my Internet name of Mr. Wolffia! Lemnaceae Home Page, originally hosted at Oregon State University.

Wayne's Trivia Note #530 (12 September 2018)

In memory of Dr. Kent Backart: Palomar chemistry professor, dear friend, and pilot extraordinaire. He once flew me to Saline Valley and landed on dirt road (white arrow). Within 100 meters of plane I found the rare plant I was looking for, introduced centuries before by the Shoshone!

Wayne's Trivia Note #531 (15 September 2018)

Long Valley from summit of Mammoth Mtn. Although not commonly known, this is one of Earth's largest calderas (volcanic super crater) about 20 miles long and 11 miles wide. It formed 760,000 years ago in a gigantic eruption that covered much of what is now the western U.S. with ash. It contains the rare, endemic Long Valley Locoweed (see following 2 images).

Wayne's Trivia Note #532 (20 September 2018)

Snakefly: Order Neuroptera = Rhaphidioptera, Family Raphidiidae

Strange mystery heads in the ant pitfall traps at my home in Twin Oaks Valley finally solved by James Hogue at Cal State Northridge!

Wayne's Trivia Note #533 (22 September 2018)

More about snakeflies: Neither a snake nor a fly, although the head superficially resembles a miniature snake. These strange insects existed with Jurassic dinosaurs. Along with webspinners (Order Embioptera) they can run backwards at full speed! Insects make me happy.

Wayne's Trivia Note #534 (1 October 2018)

These tiny adult beetles in my Twin Oaks Valley ant trap are the smallest I have ever seen. They are smaller than grains of ordinary table salt!

Wayne's Trivia Note #535 (8 October 2018)

My fig beetle image is on display in the Santa Barbara Gallery at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (8 October 2018).

Wayne's Trivia Note #536 (16 October 2018)

Cooper's Hawk in my backyard removing large rat beneath my bird feeder!