The Flickr Arroyowillow Image Generatr

This is a bee-size and bee-like Cimbicid Sawfly (Cimbicidae) in the order Hymenoptera, probably species Abia -- and probably species Abia americana which is said to be only member of this genus in western North America. It's perched on a new leaf of a Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) in the woods today. It has no hairs on its legs and no sign of a "wasp waist" -- but sawflies in the "Symphyta" group are like that. This is the first one of these I've managed to photograph this year. (San Marcos Pass, 21 March 2025)

This is another mosquito-like Dance Fly (Empididae, Diptera) working a pollen-bearing staminate catkin of Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) down by the creek a few days ago. It's my understanding that these flies are primarily predators, but I find them every year nectaring on the willow catkins. HFDF! (San Marcos Pass, 9 March 2025)

This is a mosquito-like Dance Fly (Empididae, Diptera) butts-up (or butts-down?) on a pollen-bearing staminate catkin of Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) down by the creek a few days ago. It's my understanding that these flies are primarily predators, but I find them every year nectaring on the willow catkins. HBBBT! (San Marcos Pass, 9 March 2025)

We had rain last night and today that was even better than expected -- I was hoping for an inch or two, and we've had 3-3/4 inches so far! I tried to take a walk, but my camera got soaked and I gave up.

I caught this Chestnut-backed Chickadee gazing at his favorite seed giver, the Arroyo Willow.

This is a mosquito-like Dance Fly (Empididae, Diptera) on pollen-bearing staminate catkin of Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) down by the creek today. It's my understanding that these flies are primarily predators, but I find them every year nectaring on the willow catkins. (San Marcos Pass, 9 March 2025)

This is a male pollen-bearing staminate catkin of a Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) down by the creek today. The is the first one I've photographed this year. These trees are dioecious with male and female flowers on different plants, and the ladies look quite different from the gentlemen. These catkins look wind-pollinated, but I'm sure that both male and female catkins produce nectar and are host to many insects that will hopefully soon appear. (San Marcos Pass, 8 March 2025)

Photographed along the Packrat Trail in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on March 5, 2024.

This is another mosquito-like Dance Fly (Empididae, Diptera) on pistillate catkin of Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) down by the creek today. It's my understanding that these flies are primarily predators, but I find them every year nectaring on the catkins. (San Marcos Pass, 5 March 2024)

This is another mosquito-like Dance Fly (Empididae, Diptera) on pistillate catkin of Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) down by the creek yesterday. It's my understanding that these flies are primarily predators, but I find them every year nectaring on the catkins. HFDF! (San Marcos Pass, 29 February 2024)

This is a mosquito-like Dance Fly (Empididae, Diptera) on pistillate catkin of Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) down by the creek a couple of days ago. It's my understanding that these flies are primarily predators, but I find them every year nectaring on the catkins. HFDF! (San Marcos Pass, 20 February 2024)

This is a mosquito-like Dance Fly (Empididae, Diptera) on an pistillate catkin of a Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) down by the creek today. It's my understanding that these flies are primarily predators, but I find them every year nectaring on the willow catkins. HFDF! (San Marcos Pass, 3 March 2023)

These are pistillate catkins of a Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) tree down by the creek today. Alas, our usual staminate tree was removed after the creek flooded last month. Julie did plant the stems from that tree, and maybe they'll root. (San Marcos Pass, 12 February 2023)

This is a collection of galls on a leaf of Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) I found down by the creek a few days ago. I'm not sure what kind of galls these are, but they might be galls of the Willow Tube Gall Midge fly in the genus Iteomyia of the family Cecidomyiidae of the order Diptera. (San Marcos Pass, 17 September 2022)

I found this Robber Fly (Asilidae, Diptera) with prey on a leaf of Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) down by the creek today. It's prey might be a tiny Planthopper (Fulgoroidea, Auchenorrhyncha, Hemiptera). I don't have many photos of these flies because they don't visit flowers to feed. It takes sheer luck (and good eyes) to find one perched in the woods like this. (San Marcos Pass, 11 September 2022)

This is another California Sister (Adelpha bredowii) butterfly on leaves of native Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) down by the creek today. Compare the similar Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini) butterfly in this photo from yesterday. (San Marcos Pass, 25 August 2022)

Here is a handsome Lorquin's Admiral (Basilarchia lorquini aka Limenitis lorquini) butterfly perched on a leaf of native Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis, Salicaceae) down by the creek today. Compare the similar California Sister (Adelpha bredowii) butterfly in this photo from yesterday. (San Marcos Pass, 24 August 2022)