It’s possible to get so caught up in watching the wildlife along Zarzamora Creek that you forget to look down at your feet.
The sidewalks are full of pillbugs, which we used to call “roly-polies” because they roll up into a ball when you bother them. The scientific name is Armadillium vulgare. They are crustaceans, not insects, and they are composters, turning decaying vegetation into soil.
Last month, you had to watch your step for scarab beetles, also known as Junebugs, in the genus Cyclocephala. There are so many species, I wouldn’t attempt an identification. But the Masked chafter is notorious among gardeners.
The adults are about a-half inch long and brown. They are clumsy fliers. They’ll bump into you if you stand near a porch light at night. The larvae are white grubs that eat up lawns and plants.
Last year, I found about 100 dead beetles on a short stretch of the trail. I’m guessing an outraged gardener resorted to poison.
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