The hot dry spring continues in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Every day is low humidity with a high of around 90F. Butterfly numbers have plummeted at the National Butterfly Center. Instead of 50+ species, it's gettng hard to break twenty. But the staff still keeps stuff watered and there is always something in bloom. I finally got my first Black Swallowtail for the year.
This little Common Mestra deserves a shout out. He has been faithfully patrolling his area for nearly a month. Here are photos from 3/27, 3/22, 3/14 and 3/3.
Meanwhile the bees seem to be enjoying the dry spring conditions. Bee of the day goes to this Spotted Wool Carder Bee, Anthidium maculosum. Last spring I found one of these and couldn't identify it. Paula Sharp came to the rescue and with some research discovered this species had not bee seen in Hidalgo County in eighty years. Several others were later found scattered around the Valley. I'm happy to see they are back for 2026.
The beautiful red flowered prickly pear was blooming and the leafcuter and cactus bees were havig a pollen orgy.
Looking like a green sweat bee this is actually a Cobalt Small Carpenter Bee.
Another tiny carpenter bee. I think this is the Texas Small Carpenter Bee which is a lifer bee for me. This bee measures maybe 5 mm.
All I can say about this one is it's in the genus Triepeolus. It's some kind of a longhorn cuckoo bee.
The high pressure over the west may be breaking down in a couple of weeks. Lets hope so.
