Participants from the 2013 collecting trip to Davis Camp, Sequoia National Forest, Kern Co. (left to right) John Sproul, Kip Will, Pete Oboyski, Diane Erwin, Jill Lorack, Joyce Gross, David Maddison, Bob Zuparko, Ken Schwab, Jeanny Wang, Ariel Cherbowsky, (front) Anika and Maya
The 2013 Essig Field Trip was to Davis Camp near Isabella Lake in Kern County, California. We were joined this year by David Maddison of Oregon State, and his graduate student John Sproul, as well as a number of UC Berkeley staff and students. The area surrounding Davis Camp (35.615278, -118.617269) was mostly pine and oak forest being invaded by incense cedar, with scattered meadows and springs. An extensive area of chaparral (35.669055,-118.56748) was in bloom on the way to Isabella Lake and produced many flower-visiting beetles, wasps, bees, and butterflies. A weekend trip to the Kern River (35.794738, -118.449576) targeted dragonflies and damselflies as part of a 100 year resurvey project throughout California.
Cerambycid and oak gall
The snakefly spent some time chewing at this Fremontodendron flower’s nectaries
Milkweed (Asclepias sp.), one of the many kinds of native wildflowers in bloom in the Chaparral west of Isabella Lake
Kern River
Common Hairstreak butterfly (Strymon melinus) on Penstemon
Mustang Clover (Lepstosiphon montanus), one of the many kinds of native wildflowers in bloom in the Chaparral west of Isabella Lake
Kip on his iPad
Fremontodendron, one of the many kinds of native wildflowers in bloom in the Chaparral west of Isabella Lake
Patches of Clarkia flowers were scattered throughout the chaparral
Kern river shoreline
Burestid beetles (Anthaxia sp.) on Mimulus flowers
Ken Schwab netting damselflies along the Kern River
John Sproul, Oregon State grad student, working on his catch of carabid beetles
Dragonflies and damselflies defended territories in floodwater pools
Ithuriel’s Spear (Triteleia laxa), one of the many kinds of native wildflowers in bloom in the Chaparral west of Isabella Lake
Jill Lorack looking for flower visitors in the chaparral west of Isabella Lake
The Davis spring provided moist soils in this otherwise dry habitat
Bob Zuparko, working on his puzzles in the field
Kern River backwater
Beetles and wildflowers were abundant in the chaparral west of Isabella Lake
Meadow near Davis Camp
Bob Zuparko using the microscope in the Essig Field Lab
(Left to Right): Pete Oboyski, Joyce Gross, Jill Lorack, Ariel Cherbowsky (kneeling), Ken Schwab, Diane Erwin, Anika, Jeanny Wang, Maya
Polystoechodid lacewings were emerging from the ground all around camp
Soliphugae
Pete processing insects in the Essig Field Lab
Pete looking for butterflies in the meadow near Davis Camp
