Rio Grande Valley Chapter

Author: Anita Westervelt

  • The siren song summer

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    Anita Westervelt

    Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Last summer brought us the superb dog-day cicada, Neotibicen superbus and its nostalgic, resonating song. Another Texas songster is filling the night air this summer with decibel-alarming pitch: the giant cicada, Quesada gigas, the widest ranging cicada in the Western Hemisphere — and quite possibly, the…

  • Moth Week project

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    Anita Westervelt

    Set up a simple moth-attracting activity for a summer project             — National Moth Week is July 18 – 26 Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist The number of moths far outweighs the number of butterflies around the world with a suspected 200,000 species existing to only 17,500 species of butterflies, according…

  • Rattle purr, knock, knock, knock

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    Anita Westervelt

    Story by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist In the eerie stillness between late afternoon summer storms, I heard the soft guttural rattle of a rain crow — a vocal yet illusive summer visitor to our yard these past three or four years. I raced to the house, grabbed my camera and swiftly swept back into…

  • Anita’s Blog — Siren Song of Summer

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    Anita Westervelt
    in ,

    Last summer brought us the superb dog-day cicada, Neotibicen superbus and its nostalgic, resonating song. Another Texas songster is filling the night air this summer with decibel-alarming pitch: the giant cicada, Quesada gigas, the widest ranging cicada in the Western Hemisphere — and quite possibly, the loudest insect in Texas. The giant cicada’s northern most…

  • Anita’s Blog — Nature’s Smokescreens

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    Anita Westervelt
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    Camouflage isn’t always all it’s kicked up to be. Just when you think it’s safe, along comes a mockingbird and plucks a large green something out of the grass, flies off with it and lands not quite close enough to capture with a phone camera. This particular quarry was bright green — the color of…

  • Odd things in the garden might be beneficial

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    Anita Westervelt

    Story by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Tiny baubles suspended on strings might look odd hanging from leaves in your garden but check them out before you wipe them out, they may be lacewing eggs. Green lacewings are a beneficial insect with a unique way of laying eggs. The eggs are usually found on vegetation…