Natural history of Florida

With the help of fellow blipper Randy Child and his observant and knowledgeable eye, the red bugs from yesterday's blip have been identified. Randy thought they looked like 'box elder bugs' and indeed, they are related. Yesterday's blip is of Golden Raintree Bugs. We learn something every day!!! Feel better about my research skills as neither of my insect field guides mentioned these insects. Thanks, Randy!!!

Today's blip comes to you from a very prickly, Prickly Pear Cactus. These gorgeous burgundy red pods are its fruits. I know it's prickly because although I was very careful, I still managed to get some of the small, hair-like spines in my fingers. They were tricky to remove as they kept transferring themselves from finger to finger the more I tried to dislodge them. Would almost rather have had one big one stuck that could have been pulled out easily.