Eastern Sierra Trip #3
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Eastern Sierra Trip #3

Male pandora moth (Coloradia pandora), a member of the mostly tropical family Saturniidae. Males have conspicuous feathery antennae. The larvae feed on the foliage of Jeffrey pines (Pinus jeffreyi). Larvae and pupae were eaten by native Americans of the Mono and Modoc areas of California. They dug trenches beneath the trees to trap larvae as the crawled down, and then baked the caterpillars in hot soil and dried them for later consumption.

Male pandora moth (Coloradia pandora), a member of the tropical family Saturniidae.

A carrion beetle of the family Silphidae, also known as the black burying beetle (Nicrophorus nigrita). According to James N. Hogue (Introduction to California Beetles, 2004), Nicrophorus demonstrates the most advanced behavior of parental care known in beetles. These beetles bury small animal carcasses to reduce competion with flies, ants and other carrion-feeding insects. This insures food for the beetles and their larvae. In addition, they use their sensitive red antennae to detect hydrogen sulfide and cyclic carbon compounds that are released from decaying carcasses.

Horse fly (Tabanus punctifer), a large biting fly in the family Tabanidae.

Mountain fritillary (Speyeria egleis)of the large family Nymphalidae.

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