Thursday, January 13, 2011

tiny rock work...

Record cold for 2011 this morning...17 degrees.  Was 55 inside when I woke up.  Warmed myself up just like yesterday.  Attempted some roofing but the wind shut that down.  Resigned myself to more missed screws on top and finished laying out the strap on the high side - 8 more sheets of poly to go.  Brief tea time back at the GS then calm enough for more roofing.  Got 2 panels up then my buddy Justin Warren Graham arrived for a visit.  http://www.theoperationofthemachine.blogspot.com/  We hung out till the sun set behind Agua Fria mountain then he was on his way to a job at a ranch way west of me.  Just before he left - while we were chatting by my rock wall, I noticed this tiny structure.  I wonder what bug built these nicely conceived chambers.  The openings are about 3/16".  43,59,17,0,B
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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I name him the Stone Mason Bug.

January 13, 2011 at 8:37 PM
tffnguy said...

Damn bugs! Yo never know what they will build next. (Sort of like humans, but a lot more advanced)

January 13, 2011 at 8:59 PM
El Viejo said...

ahhhh.....the common petraarachne or as he was called by the Anasazi ......my little brother "rock spider"

January 14, 2011 at 6:03 AM
Jim Bruno said...

Enjoying your blog, John. Beats reality television by a mile. Have enjoyed so much, I started reading it from DAY 1. Thanks for documenting your experience and for connecting all of us interested readers to such a fascinating part of the world. --Jim Bruno

January 14, 2011 at 7:40 AM
Allen Hare said...

What an amazing little rock structure. The openings are perfectly round. Mr. Insect Engineer, you did an outstanding job, structurally, and aesthetically. Keep up the good work!

January 14, 2011 at 9:47 PM
Charlton said...

El Viejo stated what I was thinking as well. I don't know about the particular spider but I have seen several spider holes in the ground that are perfectly round and the entrance is surrounded with a perfectly round woven wall of small twigs. I think it's to prevent flooding of the den. But I've never seen this done with rocks however.

January 14, 2011 at 10:25 PM
Macrobe said...

Doubt nest is of Caddisfly; they are aquatic. Suspect nest might be built by a wasp (sphecoid or vespoid) that builds aerial nests (versus subterranean) or bee (some solitary bees build nests of pebbles and resin). See if you can catch an insect entering/leaving one of the chambers. Isn't it fascinating to see how animals adapt to such an environment? (we humans can, too ;)

January 15, 2011 at 11:49 AM
Emmy said...

what a beautiful structure- wish I could take a tour

March 11, 2011 at 10:35 PM

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