Jonathan Dickinson State Park 16450 SE Federal Hwy Hobe Sound, FL 33455 |
|
May 13, 2006 Martin County Greg Dahlem & Trevor Stamper |
|
Jonathan Dickinson State Park was our last big park to explore and collect in before our flight home. We had one of our best days with our carrion traps here. Of special note was the collection of many specimens of Chyrsomya rufifacies (many specimens) and C. megacephala (4 specimens, but the only place we collected this species!). Both of these are very beautiful metallic green and yellow blow flies, but they are also recently introduced species to the United States and may have big ramifications in the population dynamics of carrion fly communities, especially across the southern US. It is thought that they were first established in the US in the 1980s and they have spread rapidly (especially in the Gulf Coast states). The observation tower on Hobe "Mountain" was especially interesting. (an ancient sand dune 86 feet high - one of the highest points in south Florida!). This looked like a wonderful place to collect station taking Sarcophagidae. |
|
|
|
(View over the park to the ocean from the Observation Tower) |