Natural History Photographs


After the first stop at Moapa Town, I noticed some plants along the highway that looked suspiciously like cacti - but at 90km/h it's difficult to be certain about a plant I had never seen before. At the first good opportunity we took the exit from the interstate highway, and I looked around at three nearby locations. Indeed, my guess that I had seen cacti was soon enough confirmed after finding several species. I also photographed a small fly, which later turned out to be a hitherto undescribed species of Bombyllidae! Not bad for the first day and second stop...


Cylindropuntia echinocarpa
Authority:(Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow) F.M.Knuth, 1930
Synonyms:Opuntia echinocarpa Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow, 1856
Orthoptera
Authority:Latreille, 1793
Nederlands:Rechtvleugeligen
Deutsch:Heuschrecken
Myrmeleontidae
Nederlands:Mierenleeuwen
English:Antlions
Deutsch:Ameisenjungfern
Funastrum utahense
Authority:(Engelm.) Liede & Meve, 2002
Synonyms:Astephanus utahensis Engelm., 1875
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa
Authority:(Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow) F.M.Knuth, 1930
Synonyms:Opuntia acanthocarpa Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow, 1856
Ferocactus
cylindraceus
Authority:(Engelm.) Orcutt, 1926
Synonyms:Echinocactus viridescens var. cylindraceus Engelm. 1852
Echinocereus
engelmannii
Authority:(Parry ex Engelm.) Lem. 1868
Synonyms:Cereus engelmannii Parry ex Engelm. 1852
Cylindropuntia
echinocarpa
Authority:(Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow) F.M.Knuth, 1930
Synonyms:Opuntia echinocarpa Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow, 1856