From 9.29.26-10.5.26 my father, sister and I drove from Chicago, IL to Las Vegas, NM and back. This is part of Day 2.
See all of the New Mexico trip posts at New Mexico 2026.
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| A Sweat Bee (family Halictidae) in the tribe Augochlorini and a Spotted Cucumber Beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata) in a Common Chicory (Cichorium intybus) flower |
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| Aurochlorini bee and Spotted Cucumber Beetle |
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| Aurochlorini bee, covered in pollen |
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| Aurochlorini bee waving its front legs in the air |
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| Aurochlorini on top of the flower... |
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| ...an taking off!!! Spotted Cucumber Beetle says goodbye |
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| Hackberry Emperor butterfly |
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| Wings flat |
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| Pennsylvania Dingy Ground Beetle |
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| Crawling on its side. Despite being a fairly derpy beetle, it is actually a viscous, beneficial predator of other insects. |
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| Rosette Lichen (Physcia sp.) |
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| Rosette lichen, potential Candlelflame Lichen (yellow), and crustose lichen (lichen crust) |
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| Rosette and potential Candleflame Lichen |
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| Three-banded Grasshopper, Hadrotettix trifasciatus. |
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| A new species for us! |
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| This individual has faded bands, which are normally coal black and very stark against the grayish-tan rest of the grasshopper. |
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| Eastern Harvestman |
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Harvestman vs spider
Harvest man has undivided torso. Spider torso is divided into two parts
Spiders eat liquid food and are predators (except for that one jumping spider in Tropical America)
Harvestman eat plants, animals, and fungi, dead or alive, and eat solid food. |
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| Fall Webworms |
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| Rough Speckled Shield Lichen |
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| More Rough Speckled Shield Lichen |
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| Even more Rough Speckled Shield Lichen, though that big smoother, whiter patch of lichen in the middle is a different species. |
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| False Turkey-tails (Stereum ostrea species complex) |
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| False Turkey-tails are by far the most abundant mushroom species I have ever seen. |
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| Fraternal Potter Wasp. Contrary to the name, this wasp species does not form all-boys potter clubs, but is instead is a solitary species with females making clay nests for their babies and trapping paralyzed caterpillars in the nest for their babies to feed on. |
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| Reishi (specifically Ganoderma sessile) |
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| Reishi |
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| Rock Pigeons on top of a Days Inn sign. |
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