Tripartite Sweat Bee Halictus tripartitus Halictidae Halictus Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Describe your image Description Halictus tripartitus has a dull green, metallic thorax, an abdomen with apical hair bands on top, and an arched basal vein in the forewing. For H. tripartitus , note head shape larger/broader than in most Dialictus , but lacking large genal projection (on the cheek) or tooth seen in large-headed Halictus ligatus . These are small bees (~5-6 mm in length). As with many female bees in Halictidae, there is a pseudopygidial groove at the abdomen tip (see red arrow above) - a good feature to narrow to family. Nectar/ Pollen Plants Like most Halictus , a generalist. Habits At least a partially-eusocial ground nester, with worker bees. Mated queens overwinter and begin new nests in Spring. Nests may have more than one entrance. Known to harmlessly lap sweat from human skin. Season March - November

Thicket Hairstreak Callophrys spinetorum Lycaenidae Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks Flies February to October Host Plant Pine Dwarf Mistletoe Nectar Plant Paul G. Johnson Underwing Daniel Fitzgerald Underwing

Wildflower Mount Diablo Bristly Phacelia Scientific Name: Phacelia nemoralis var. nemoralis Family: Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf Family) Blooms: May - Jun Color: White Perennial herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Wildflower Mount Diablo Oakland Star Tulip Scientific Name: Calochortus umbellatus Family: Liliaceae (Lily Family) Blooms: Mar - May Color: White Perennial herb (bulb) Native, endemic to California This plant is rare in Mount Diablo State Park. See full list Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Kevin Hintsa

Wildflower Mount Diablo California Honeysuckle Scientific Name: Lonicera hispidula Family: Caprifoliaceae Blooms: May - Jun Color: Red-Pink Vine or Shrub Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Wildflower Mount Diablo Iodine Collinsia Scientific Name: Collinsia tinctoria Family: Plantaginaceae (Plantain Family) Blooms: May - Jun Color: White Annual herb Native, endemic to California Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Wildflower Mount Diablo Blue-eyed Grass, white form Scientific Name: Sisyrinchium bellum Family: Iridaceae (Iris Family) Blooms: Mar - Apr Color: White Perennial herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Steven Beatty

California Tiger Salamander by Michael Marchiano The Secret Salamander of Mount Diablo April 1, 1998 Michael Marchiano The California Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma californiense is one of the least observed animals in Mount Diablo State Park. This salamander is exclusively found only in California and is now on both federal and state threatened species list. The tiger salamander is California’s second largest salamander reaching a length of seven to eight inches. Yellow bars and spots adorn a shiny black body of this robust amphibian. Found primarily in the central valley foothill, it thrives in grass lands and oak savannahs that have vernal pools and upland burrows of ground squirrels and pocket gophers. The poisoning of these rodents and destruction of their habitat leads to the demise of the salamander as well. With the introduction of agriculture and domestic grazing animals, vernal pools (long lasting seasonal pools) have all but been eradicated in California. This has forced the salamander to seek out stock ponds and occasionally slow-moving streams for breeding. Breeding pools must be fishless or the eggs will not survive. The tiger salamander is rarely seen because it is fossorial and lives under ground in mammal burrows eleven months of the year. It comes out to breed with the first heavy winter rains, usually in December. It travels at night to breeding ponds, males arriving first and then females. A short courtship takes place and the male deposits a spermatophore on the bottom of the pond which the female picks up. Several hundred eggs are laid by the female but few will reach maturity. Eggs take 10-14 days to hatch into small larva which have gills. The larva will metamorphosis over the next three to seven months and rarely do they survive over winter. Metamorphous appears to be speed up in dryer years when ponds do not stay full. In especially dry/drought years breeding does not take place at all. Salamanders reach maturity in 3-4 years and females will start to breed at six years old. They live to approximately twelve years and females may only mate once or twice in their lifetime with less than eight eggs making it through metamorphosis. Like most amphibians, Tiger salamanders feed on many invertebrates including, earthworms, insects, snails and occasionally will eat a small mammal. Habitat destruction, poisoning of rodents, slow breeding rates, and predators like the introduced Bullfrog are all threatening this unique animal. Other predators include raccoons, garter snakes, foxes, coyotes, and bobcats. Mount Diablo has a limited number of ponds in which these salamanders can breed and in the past few dry years little or no breeding has taken place obviously affecting future generations. tiger salamander larvae Salamander eggs BACK TO LIST

Echo Azure Celastrina echo Lycaenidae Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks Flies February to July Host Plant California Buckeye, Chamise, California Lilac Nectar Plant Toyon, Coffeeberry, Mustards (sinapis and brassica) Daniel Fitzgerald Male Michael Marchiano Underwing Daniel Fitzgerald Female

Wildflower Mount Diablo Little Springbeauty Scientific Name: Claytonia exigua ssp exigua Family: Montiaceae (Spring Beauty Family) Blooms: Mar - May Color: Red-Pink Annual herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Wildflower Mount Diablo California Pink Scientific Name: Silene laciniata ssp. californica Family: Caryophyllaceae (Pink Family) Blooms: May - Jul Color: Red-Pink Perennial herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Wildflower Mount Diablo White Stem Filaree, Musky Storksbill Invasive Scientific Name: Erodium moschatum Family: Geraniaceae (Geranium Family) Blooms: Mar - Jun Color: Red-Pink Annual herb Introduced Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring