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Wildflower Mount Diablo Purple False Gilia Scientific Name: Allophyllum giliodes Family: Polemoniaceae Blooms: Apr - Jun Color: Blue-Purple Annual herb Native, endemic to California Also found as Allophyllum divaricatum. Typically located in Foothill Woodland and Chaparral. Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Steve Beatty Steve Beatty Leaf detail

The Birds of Mount Diablo's Woodland By Jenn Roe The Oak woodland habitat attracts and assortment of birds where oaks (the dominant tree) and other vegetation offer a variety of food to suit a range of avian eating habits: acorns and other seeds, berries, leaves, wood, sap, roots and pollen. These plant foods attract insects and other edible creatures that add to the list of menu items. Many birds find shelter here. Some nest in tree cavities, while other species make their home in the canopy of leaves and branches, or under the protection of understory plants. Birds found in Mount Diablo's oak woodlands include year-round and seasonal residents, visitors from bordering habitats, and migratory birds seeking respite before continuing their journey. Breeding birds species in the oak woodlands include: California Quail (year round) California Scrub-Jay (year round) Northern Flicker (year round) White-breasted Nuthatch (year round) Oak Titmouse (year round) California Towhee (year round) Dark-eyed Junco (year round) Western Bluebird (year round) Orange-crowned Warbler (summer) Cedar Waxwing (winter) Black-chinned Sparrow (mostly late April to June) I Northern Flicker | Daniel Fitzgerald Western Bluebird | Daniel Fitzgerald California Quail | Dave Furseth

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

Wildflower Mount Diablo California Goldenrod Scientific Name: Solidago velutina californica Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower Family) Blooms: Jul-Oct Color: Yellow-Orange Perennial herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants

Wildflower Mount Diablo Buck Lotus (Green) Scientific Name: Hosackia crassifolia Family: Fabaceae (Legume Family) Blooms: May-Jul Color: Green Perennial herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants

Wildflower Mount Diablo Brewer's Calandrinia Scientific Name: Calandrinia breweri Family: Montiaceae (Spring Beauty Family) Blooms: Feb - May Color: Red-Pink Annual herb Native Compared to Red Maids , Brewer's Calandrinia has smaller flower petals, 3-5 mm, and bigger, wider leaves. Also found in Baja California. California Rare Plant Rank: 4.2 (limited distribution ). 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 Mike Woodring

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Lovely-tailed Mourning Bee Melecta separata callura Apidae Melecta Description Melecta separata callura is a medium-to-large (~15 mm), beautiful cuckoo bee: it parasitizes the nest of Anthophora (Digger) bees by laying an egg in the completed, provisioned nest. Forewings have 3 submarginal cells. The abdomen is black, with white patching, and legs are white-patched. Females lack scopae (they don't provision nests). Nectar/ Pollen Plants Nectar generalists, without care for pollen. Habits Cleptoparasitic, these bees sneak into completed Anthophora nests (by digging down through the sealed burrows) and lay an egg on the nest cell cap. Its larva hatches, drains the Anthophora egg using its sickle like mandibles, and then eats the nest provisions. The larva pupates in the cell and emerges in Spring. Season March - May Size Medium (8-15 mm)

Lovely-tailed Mourning Bee Melecta separata callura Apidae Melecta Description Melecta separata callura is a medium-to-large (~15 mm), beautiful cuckoo bee: it parasitizes the nest of Anthophora (Digger) bees by laying an egg in the completed, provisioned nest. Forewings have 3 submarginal cells. The abdomen is black, with white patching, and legs are white-patched. Females lack scopae (they don't provision nests). Nectar/ Pollen Plants Nectar generalists, without care for pollen. Habits Cleptoparasitic, these bees sneak into completed Anthophora nests (by digging down through the sealed burrows) and lay an egg on the nest cell cap. Its larva hatches, drains the Anthophora egg using its sickle like mandibles, and then eats the nest provisions. The larva pupates in the cell and emerges in Spring. Season March - May Size Medium (8-15 mm)

Lovely-tailed Mourning Bee Melecta separata callura Apidae Melecta Description Melecta separata callura is a medium-to-large (~15 mm), beautiful cuckoo bee: it parasitizes the nest of Anthophora (Digger) bees by laying an egg in the completed, provisioned nest. Forewings have 3 submarginal cells. The abdomen is black, with white patching, and legs are white-patched. Females lack scopae (they don't provision nests). Nectar/ Pollen Plants Nectar generalists, without care for pollen. Habits Cleptoparasitic, these bees sneak into completed Anthophora nests (by digging down through the sealed burrows) and lay an egg on the nest cell cap. Its larva hatches, drains the Anthophora egg using its sickle like mandibles, and then eats the nest provisions. The larva pupates in the cell and emerges in Spring. Season March - May Size Medium (8-15 mm)

Lovely-tailed Mourning Bee Melecta separata callura Apidae Melecta Description Melecta separata callura is a medium-to-large (~15 mm), beautiful cuckoo bee: it parasitizes the nest of Anthophora (Digger) bees by laying an egg in the completed, provisioned nest. Forewings have 3 submarginal cells. The abdomen is black, with white patching, and legs are white-patched. Females lack scopae (they don't provision nests). Nectar/ Pollen Plants Nectar generalists, without care for pollen. Habits Cleptoparasitic, these bees sneak into completed Anthophora nests (by digging down through the sealed burrows) and lay an egg on the nest cell cap. Its larva hatches, drains the Anthophora egg using its sickle like mandibles, and then eats the nest provisions. The larva pupates in the cell and emerges in Spring. Season March - May Size Medium (8-15 mm)

Lovely-tailed Mourning Bee Melecta separata callura Apidae Melecta Description Melecta separata callura is a medium-to-large (~15 mm), beautiful cuckoo bee: it parasitizes the nest of Anthophora (Digger) bees by laying an egg in the completed, provisioned nest. Forewings have 3 submarginal cells. The abdomen is black, with white patching, and legs are white-patched. Females lack scopae (they don't provision nests). Nectar/ Pollen Plants Nectar generalists, without care for pollen. Habits Cleptoparasitic, these bees sneak into completed Anthophora nests (by digging down through the sealed burrows) and lay an egg on the nest cell cap. Its larva hatches, drains the Anthophora egg using its sickle like mandibles, and then eats the nest provisions. The larva pupates in the cell and emerges in Spring. Season March - May Size Medium (8-15 mm)