Though other insects (garden varmints!) are mentioned, the star of this show is a type of stink bug called the harlequin bug or Murgantia...
There are a dozen species of Melampodium and I wonder which one Linnaeus was looking at when he honored Melampus with the genus name....
Berberis fremontii is in the Barberry family or Berberidaceae…that’s fun to pronounce. Fremont barberry has quite a range north of the Salt River in...