Why try?

Identification of various insects and spontaneously appearing plants can be tricky.   I've complained written here often, bemoaning hours of time spent fruitlessly trying to match a photo taken to images online, hoping to establish the correct name of something.

Why?  Why even bother?  Why not just throw up my hands, assign my own names to everything and call it a day?

Part of the answer is that I am (extremely) stubborn.  Once I begin a search for a name, if I'm not rapidly rewarded with what I feel are reasonably accurate results my efforts become a Quest.  The more time I spend not finding what I am looking for, the more determined I become to find it.  (see "Top Management Mistake:Throwing good money after bad")...

Most of the rest of that "what IS it!?" energy comes from the fact we are trying to take a no-kill approach here.  If a plant appears that we didn't plant, we usually accept it as a gracious gift until it is proven otherwise.   Several plants others consider weeds, we prefer to regard as native ground covers.

To properly identify a plant I typically rely upon the LBJ Wildflower Center's Native Plant Database, but I also keep an eye out on local garden blogs. Common things being common, most if not all the plants I run across are not strangers to others in my area.  Just because I don't know what something is, rarely means somebody more experienced in my area does not.  And potentially, somebody else in my area is also wanting to know.

Recently I experienced a small frisson of recognition while reading a post on Sheryl Smith-Rodger's wonderful "Window on a Texas Wildscape" blog.  She was updating readers on the watchful-waiting attitude she'd taken towards a horseweed, or mane's tail weed, aka Conyza canadensis.  Her plant was tall, and getting taller.  She had decided to let it grow until it bloomed and then she planned to take it out of the ground to prevent its spread from seed.

Please understand Ms. Smith-Rodgers is a certified master naturalist and quite a skilled gardener.  I am neither, but I do share a great deal of curiosity about the world around me, so it was a bit of a thrill to realize that the mystery plant I'd been observing in one of our front beds is the very same plant she'd written about.

The Mystery Plant appears center stage, a bit spindly with the tiniest of blossoms up top.

So, not to steal any thunder, but Sheryl, here are those blooms we've been waiting for.  Such as they are.

I nearly missed the opened flowers, mistakenly thinking the blossoms might fan further out in wider fashion.  They never did, and the appearance of the first seed ball let me know it was "time!" to pull the plant.

And you'll have to forgive me - I didn't get a photo of the seed ball because I reflexively trapped and disposed of it safely before I thought of recording its appearance.  Imagine a miniscule dandelion seed head. That's pretty close. Rather than risk seed dispersing while I waited for a photo, I pulled the plant.

Take a closer look at the blooms to the right and left of center in this frame.  Those are opened blooms.  Easy to miss.

Update:  The bloom stalks I cut and put in a vase in my kitchen window (I think they're pretty) have yielded up a seed head.  Here for posterity...the seed head of Conyza canadensis.

Bloomed and seeded and gone.  Bye-bye horseweed!  I enjoyed your tall slender stalks while they were safe to keep around.  Next time (and place) you appear I'll know just what to expect.

By similar token, when a new (to us) creature appears in our midst, we'd rather find out about it before deciding the appropriate measure to take (if any). Co-exist, relocate, or potentially exterminate, as stewards we try to establish the wisest course. Those decisions all require accurate information.

Supporting that same no-kill approach with insects and arachnids drives me to other blogs and sites established to help amateurs make good choices. Toxicity, aggression, tendency to overrun a biome, we strongly believe all these factors must be taken into consideration before doing anything other than admiring these drop-in time-share partners.

Just yesterday my daughter and I were wrapping up a lovely visit and a swim, when I noticed a nearly 3 inch long spider sitting in the skimmer basket opening.  I wasn't really worried about it, but we do have other local family (including canines) who might take issue over sharing the water with such a large arachnid.

Does it swim?  Does it bite?  Is it aggressive?  I watched for a while and it seemed to be hanging there, waiting for prey.  I knew I needed more information to convince everyone involved it would be safe to let it stay there undisturbed.

I tried (and TRIED! I promise!) to make some definitive identification, but to no avail.  Finally I sent the image in to What's That Bug and asked for their weigh-in.  Soon I had my answer.  It is their opinion the Mystery Spider of August 2015 is Dolomedes triton, also known as a six-spotted fishing spider.

Probably a female, she might stay there by the pool and hunt until she's ready to lay eggs, at which point she'll move out into the vegetation, spin a nursery web, and then stay on guard there, protecting her babies.

I read these water bug hunters might dive to 7-8 inches and grab a plant to hide if frightened, but they don't live in the water and they don't really swim per se.  No need to stress, no need to relocate, and most definitely no need to exterminate her.  We can safely admire her and swim securely knowing she's keeping the water's surface patrolled for other bugs we might not be so happy with in close quarters.

So thank goodness for other bloggers and interweb identification helpers. They all make this attempt of ours to peacefully co-exist a lot easier to support with some peace of mind.

Do you ever struggle with identification?  If you aren't surrounded by knowledgeable gardening neighbors, here are a few of the other sites I rely upon frequently.

Bug Guide
     The experts there recently helped me pinpoint what to this beauty is called:  Melipotis indomita

Valerie's Austin Bug Collection
    I don't have a recent story utilizing this website, but I turn here frequently as a first step.  When searching out identities of the locals, it never hurts to limit the starting point to the usual suspects for your locale.  Valerie has done most of that work for Austin and the surrounding area.  (Thank you, Valerie!).

For those of us living in the Lone Star State, there are a whole host of other "fill-in-the-bug type here" of Your County or "Birds of Texas" type sites to consult.  Your results will vary depending on where you live, and occasionally on how prevalent agriculture is in your neck of the woods.

Not surprisingly, there's a wealth of information to be had from the extension agencies serving farmers and ranchers.  Granted, a lot of that information includes data on eradication and/or control, but armed with the facts, you can feel more secure in making your own choices about how to respond to the various surprise appearances life delivers into your yard or garden.

There you have it.  Now you know.  I am curious, stubborn, and I am trying (hard!) to co-exist peaceably with everything and everybody Momma Nature throws our way.   What's important about all those names?  Oh, only everything...