Terrestrial Arthropods of San Diego County's Journal

Dr. King-Lou James Hung will be giving a lecture through Cabrillo National Monument. 6:30pm.
RSVP at this link: https://cnmf.org/events/
And Cabrillo National Monument is bringing the focus on our little friends this year with the POLLINATORPALOOZA, a bioblitz aiming to identify plants and pollinators from March to September 2021!
So come visit the park and start "the hunt" with your cameras! The park will feature one observation every week on its social media platforms. It could be yours!
Bioblitz info here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/2021-pollinatorpalooza-at-cabrillo-national-monument

Ripiphorus Species (possibly R. rex).
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/25228961
by @merav

San Diego County only has two observations of these unique looking beetles, both in the month of May at Anza Borrego State Park.
These beetles have very short elytra that leave their wings exposed. They are often active on Sweetbush, though our observation is a very popular bachelor hangout (possibly near a patch of sweetbush?). Can anyone identify the plant?

Ripiphorus species have a fascinating life cycle. The female will lay eggs in flower buds and the larva will emerge at the same time the bloom matures. The larva will then hitch a ride on a bee and end in a bee nest cell, where it will parasitize a bee larva. Adults only live one to two days so the race is on to mate and lay eggs again!

The preferred bee species hosts are unknown.

Our two observations were in the month of May but Desert Insects & Kin (Lynn & Gene Monroe) describe an encounter in mid-March so both the Border Bioblitz 2021 and the City Nature Challenge should offer opportunity for some sightings if you find yourself in the desert region.

Who's up for the challenge?? I know these are now on my "bugket list" :)

Note: There is some controversy about the spelling of this genus, sometimes with an 'h' after the first 'R'. I stopped fighting the autocorrect which did not want to accept the more recent spelling iNat is using.

Are you ready for the 2021 San Diego City Nature Challenge?
It starts at 12am Friday morning and ends Monday night at 12pm. Any observation within SD County made during that time counts.
Cities across the world will be competing for the most observations, the most observers and most species. Let's find the critters in your own backyard.
Put down a couple of boards on dirt patches and see what likes to hides underneath. Explore all the critters that enrich your compost bin. Look under leaves and flowers. Lift up an old flower pot. Pull up a chair in front of a patch of flowers and see what flies by. See what critters your porch light attracts. "Who" else uses your bathtub ;), ...
Get your better half, your kids, your parents, your cousins, your friends to join iNaturalist and contribute at least 10 observations of wild animal or wild plants during the weekend (they'll get hooked :)
Between May 4th and May 9th, you can explore the project and see if you can help identify any critter that was found: it's a great way to virtually visit the County.
To know more about the project,
visit:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-san-diego-county