Education, Brazilian Pepper

I gave a talk on Lake Blue Scrub June 16 to the Suncoast Chapter of the Florida  Native Plant Society with an emphasis on the Scrub Lupine recovery project.
The talk my generate some additional visitors.

I also got back today to begin trimming some of the Brazilian Pepper  that is coming in over the north fence. I got the worst out with loppers, but I'm going to have to return with a saw.

I walked along the north fire lane. It seems the Corona beer bottle accumulation has subsided  bit. Perhaps my habit of throwing the bottles back toward the[ fence sent a message.

A New Polyphylla Beetle

While I was doing some night invert work the other night, primarily in search of new moth species for the site, one remaining Auburndale Scrub Beetle appeared.
He was followed by a related beetle species that I had not seen here before.
These genus appears at lights only in spring here, as far as I know.

Finally Fixing The Rail Crossing

CSX is finally going to fix that bumpy rail crossing on Hobbs Road near the preserve.
That project was first announced a couple of years ago and I 've been waiting  for the work to begin.
I'm sure the neighbors have been, too.
This has got to be one of the bumpiest rail crossings in Polk County.

Beetles To The South Of Me...

I followed up on my recent beetle search with another search in the south tract, where very little work has ever been done.  I've had a couple in the past, the same as recently in the north tract.

This new location yielded as many as 23 at one time, which may have  scared away the moths I was looking for.

It was truly impressive.

Moths and Beetles

I was out tonight to check on the status of the beetles and to see if anything else was stirring between thunderstorms today.

The beetles, which weren't out a couple of weeks ago, are back, along with some other critters, such as Sand Cockroach, another endemic.

I also found  a common moth called a Small Mocis, which was not as exciting as the Scopula I had over the weekend.

Moth List Grows

While I was checking on the status of the scrub beetles the other night, I did find an interesting moth, which I believe is called a Six-spotted Aroga.
It's the first one I can recall seeing.
I had no luck with the beetles. I might have been a little off on my timing.
I have not seen or heard any Common Nighthawks yet, either.

Cogon Grass Work Continues

Yesterday afternoon I went to the south tract to check on the results of my earlier attack on a small patch of cogon grass next to the fire lane in the disturbed wind row left from the widening of the fire lane a few years ago.

I filled a bag and also dug up two of the Brazilian pepper bushes that had shot up nearby. I've got to go back this weekend and dig up the other two. I had cut them back and had earlier collected and bagged the branches containing berries to prevent them from spreading as much as possible.

It's one of the things that will require periodic monitoring.

I also removed a small amount of trash that I unearthed in the process of digging up the cogon grass.