Male inflorescences (catkins) of live oak in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 21, 2008
Catkins on oak tree in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 10, 2009
Catkins and young leaves of oak tree on Post Oak Trail in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 27, 2009
Close-up of catkins on an oak tree after a rain in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, April 2, 2009
Catkins and young leaves on an oak tree in TAMU Horticultural Gardens in Texas A&M University. College Station, Texas, March 12, 2009
Oak catkins in TAMU Horticultural Gardens in Texas A and M University. College Station, Texas, March 22, 2010.
Young leaves and catkins on an oak tree after a rain in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, April 2, 2009
Catkins with water drops on an oak tree in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, April 2, 2009
Catkins and red young leaves of an oak tree in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 27, 2009
Catkin cup fungus (Ciboria batschiana) on rotten acorns in an oak grove near Razliv Lake, in Sestroretsk area west from Saint Petersburg. Russia, October 2, 2017
Catkin cup mushrooms (Ciboria batschiana) on rotten acorns in an oak grove near Razliv Lake, in Sestroretsk area west from Saint Petersburg. Russia, October 2, 2017
Large oak with catkins in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, February 27, 2019
Catkins on a large oak in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, February 27, 2019
Young leaves and catkins of willow oak (Quercus phellos) in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 11, 2019
Catkin cup mushrooms (Ciboria batschiana) growing on rotten acorns in an oak grove near Razliv Lake, in Sestroretsk area west from Saint Petersburg. Russia, October 2, 2017
Close up of catkin cup mushrooms (Ciboria batschiana) on rotten acorns in an oak grove near Razliv Lake, in Sestroretsk area west from Saint Petersburg. Russia, October 2, 2017
Oak catkins in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, March 22, 2021
Catkins on oak in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, March 22, 2021
Catkins and young leaves of oak near Ferry Road in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, April 4, 2022
Oak catkins in Leach Teaching Gardens at Texas A and M University. College Station, Texas, March 9, 2023
Caney Creek with floating oak catkins on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, March 12, 2023
Oak catkins on Post Oak Trail in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 12, 2024
Masses of oak catkins in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 12, 2024
Shoot of oak with catkins in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 12, 2024
Live oak catkins on Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
Several rust-colored, spiky-bodied ants can be seen navigating the deeply furrowed bark of an oak tree, acting as a miniature logging crew. Some of the ants are carrying entire green, beaded oak catkins--the tree s string-like flower clusters--while one prominently hoists a freshly cut, bright green section of an oak leaf in its jaws. The ants carry these heavy loads hoisted high over their heads, a posture that resembles someone carrying a sunshade. These are Texas leafcutter ants (Atta texana), a highly destructive but fascinating native species also known as the "town ant" or "parasol ant" due to their unique carrying technique. They climb high into the canopies of oaks and other trees to use their powerful, scissor-like mandibles to slice away fresh foliage, preferring new, tender, high-water-content growth like young leaves and spring catkins. Working in massive, organized trails, a large colony can entirely strip the leaves from a small- to medium-sized tree in a single night, and they frequently travel hundreds of feet from their underground nests to find a suitable harvest. Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
A miniature procession of rust-colored ants traverses the deeply grooved, dry bark of an oak tree. In the center foreground, one ant acts as the focal point, hoisting a freshly cut, bright green slice of an oak leaf high above its head. Because the leaf fragment curves directly over the ant s body like a small green canopy, it perfectly illustrates why this species is often nicknamed the "parasol ant". Surrounding this central figure, three other ants march in the same direction, each carrying large, beaded green oak catkins gripped tightly in their mandibles. These are Texas leafcutter ants (Atta texana), a native species famous for its highly organized and destructive foraging behavior. Working in massive, coordinated trails that can span hundreds of feet, worker ants climb into the canopies of oaks and other trees to systematically slice away fresh, tender vegetation. The workers possess powerful jaws capable of cutting through leaves and flowers with remarkable speed, allowing a large colony to completely strip the foliage from a small tree in a single night. Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
Fresh oak leaves and catkins in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 15, 2026
