Archive for the ‘Critters’ Category

Golden Orb (Banana Spider) Graces Breaking Ground Green Roof

Golden Silk Orb Weaver (Nephila clavipes) spider on BGGR The Breaking Ground green roof has so much life and activity, it’s hard to document it all! Our newest find is this beautiful Golden Silk Orb Weaver, Nephila clavipes, sometimes called a […]


Bees have a new home on the Breaking Ground Green Roof (and a Green Roof of their own too!)

Home for the Bees on the BGC Green Roof The Breaking Ground Green Roof now has a beehive with a green roof itself!  Honey bees visit the rooftop native wildflowers on a daily basis, searching for nectar and assisting in […]


Black Swallowtail Visits Breaking Ground Green Roof

(Beautiful Black Swallowtail pollenating the Breaking Ground green roof) The black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenesis, has joined the list of amazing critters that have come to pollinate the flowers, vegetables and fruits on the green roof at Breaking Ground Contracting […]


Ceratina, Apidae, Bee ~ Another species arrives on the Green Roof

The Ceratina bee is closely related to the Carpenter Bee (see Catherine’s post about the BGC Carpenter Bee here) Halictid Bee, Ceratina spp. on the BGC Green Roof – Biodiversity Expanding Ceratina bee is also know as the small carpenter […]


Beautiful Monarch Finds the Breaking Ground Green Roof!

This morning, as I was enjoying  a quiet moment on our amazing green roof here in Jacksonville, FL, I was privileged to spy the beautiful Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) shown in the attached pictures. We had just had a long […]


Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly Enjoys Breaking Ground Green Roof

Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly (Erythemis simplicicollis) on Breaking Ground green roof The Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) has been seen enjoying the various grasses and flowers up on the Breaking Ground green roof in Jacksonville, FL. This colorful and energetic dragonfly is also […]


Green Roof Biodiversity support, Hyla cinerea, escaping Osteophilus septentronalis by occupying the rooftop

The American Green Tree Frog, Hyla cinerea, has found refuge on the Breaking Ground Green Roof, adopting the Green Roof okra plants. H. cinerea is under immense predatory pressure from the much larger brown Cuban Tree Frog, Osteophilus spp., especially […]


Green Roof, Obscure Bird Grasshopper, Schistocerca obscura

Schistocerca obscura, Obscure Bird Grasshopper, Breaking Ground Green Roof Biodiversity is building on the Breaking Ground Green Roof.  We first saw the appearance of honeybees, followed by other pollinators including moths, wasps, flies and lady bugs. Recently dragonfly have been […]


Eastern Carpenter Bee Finds Its Way to the Breaking Ground Green Roof

Xylocopa virginica. Eastern Carpenter Bee on Breaking Ground Green Roof Many gardeners mistake the Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) for a large bumble bee. Although both bees are large and colorful, they are only distantly related, both belonging to the large family […]


Beautiful, Agapostemon splendens, Green Metallic Bee (Sweet Bee) Visits BGC Green Roof

Jacksonville has seen torrid temperatures lately.  The hot dry and windy weather has allowed lightening strikes to turn into wildfires, covering much of the state in smoke and haze, driving many pollinators from the woods and away from their nests. […]