2025 was a Banner Year for our Mesoxaea texana on the South Texas Sand Sheet in Puerto Rico, Texas!

by C. M. Smith Rich

The Mesoxaea texana were out for two observed, documented emergence cycles in 2025 on the South Texas Sand Sheet:
  • First Cycle: May 17, 2025 – June 20, 2025
  • Second Cycle: September 6, 2025 – October 1, 2025

Observed, documented associated taxa for our Mesoxaea texana from 2021 – 2026:

  • Waltheria indica / Hierba Del Soldado
  • Salvia ballotiflora / Shrubby Blue Sage
  • Eysenhardtia texana / Texas Kidneywood
  • Aloysia gratissima / White Brush / Common Bee Brush
  • Citharexylum berlandieri / Berlandier’s Fiddlewood
  • Cynanchum barbigerum / Thicket Threadvine / Aphid Vine
  • Funastrum cynanchoides / Climbing Milkweed
  • Chloroleucon ebano / Texas Ebony
  • Caesalpinia mexicana / Mexican Ceasalpinia
  • Clematis drummondii / Old Man’s Beard / Barbas De Chivato
  • Lippia graveolens / Mexian Oregano / Redbrush Lippia
  • Florestina tripteris / Three Lobed Florestina
Saliva ballotiflora
Eysenhardtia texana
Waltheria indica

Mesoxaea texana behaviors observed/documented from 2021 – 2026:

  • Territorial Patrol
    • Hovering
    • Challenging
    • Zooming
  • Territorial Aggression
    • Combat Behaviors Observed:
      • Head-butting aka “Booping”
      • Dive-Bombing / Shoving
      • Grappling / Wresting, aka “Bee-Nado”
  • Foraging
  • Grooming
  • Copulation

Female Mesoxaea texana appears to be grooming on this gusty day:

Female Mesoxaea texana hanging on to Waltheria indica.
Female Mesoxaea texana appears to be impaled on Prickly Pear spines just after the male Mesoxaea texana that was mating with her flew away.

One of our male Mesoxaea texana fell prey to a stealthy Lynx spider:

Male Mesoxaea texana found in a deadly Lynx spider embrace.

A male Mesoxaea texana, aka our “El Guapo,” under a microscope:

Male Mesoxaea texana under a microscope.

Micrographs of our male Mesoxaea texana:

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“El Guapo”

Male Mesoxaea texana

Stay tuned for preliminary 2026 data for the Mesoxaea texana‘s emergence cycle that was observed and documented as of April 21, 2026–and which is still currently on-going as of July 7, 2026!!!!

Thank you for your visit!!!!

P.S. I am still searching for a Mesoxaea texana nest site!!!!

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