The Insect Community on the Soil Surface (ENY859/IN876)

It’s easy to find and collect insects, related arthropods, and other invertebrates from the soil surface using simple materials that are readily available. This 7-page fact sheet describes several collection methods and introduces common invertebrates that are found on the soil surface in agricultural fields and gardens in Florida. It was written by Harsimran K. Gill, Robert McSorley, and Lyle Buss, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, January 2011.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in876

Purple Tabebuias are starting to bloom

Not much is blooming now but if you are lucky, you may drive by some purple Tabebuia trees, Tabebuia impetiginosa. I just started noticing them begin to bloom last week and now they are becoming quite colorful. These are the first of the Tabebuias to begin blooming. Because they are deciduous trees, their blooms are very noticeable. They are a small growing tree reaching a heighth of 12-18 feet and a spread of only 10-15 feet.