This observation is for the Luna Moth, #2 at light this night. Separate observations for the two smaller moths. The 2nd photo is the same moth the morning after, in the grass, where it blends in so well.
Photographed on the hairs of my own arm. I don't know when I picked this up; the location is where I was when I noticed it.
Weird lines in a leaf of a weed growing in the crack of a household patio. Not sure what this could be.
This plant was growing at my grandma's house on a stone path near the front door (the house was demolished recently). It was definitely unplanted.
The story of the last catamount found in Vermont can be read here: https://vermonthistory.org/explorer/people-places/animals-farm-wild/the-last-catamount-in-vermont
I witnessed a 2nd flock, about 2 km up the road.
Wild snake well known at the Observatory. Entered my open donga bedroom while I was in the shower.
Not sure what is going on but this is the fourth birder that I know of who has had a phoebe perch on their binoculars or on their person at Commons Ford.
Brown anole who fell in love with a fairy!
Uncertain ID. Found indoors during cold winter weather.
Lindneromyia flavicornis male. Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC, USA.
Keys to Platypeza flavicornis in Johnson 1923. The current valid name for this species is Lindneromyia flavicornis according to diptera.org.
Originally found Dec 17 on Sackville Christmas Bird Count
Activity near the Canso Causeway due to migration of Atlantic saury
Well this was quite a head trip to figure out, but I think I have it now. @cdorsay @e-aus-kanada @borisb I hope you agree ;)
It even has the black shoulder spot :D
Video of this mating pair: https://youtu.be/pBt88fB4eV4 with cricket sounds in the background which I think may be a different species.
Fresh out, and hasn't developed its spots yet :-)
Vine(s) growing wild in a regenerating native bush reserve. Kiwifruit orchards close by.
Male and female duetted at 10.45am and 11.10am. Went up the track after second call and captured this lovely female on video as she walked past me on the track
This series shows Watshamiella alata watching Sycoscapter cornutus oviposit into a Ficus burkei syconium (fruiting body) for over seven minutes; after the Sycoscapter female departs, the Watshamiella female proceeds to oviposit into the same hole. Compton et al. (2009) described this behaviour for different species of Watshamiella in Uganda and Kenya on Ficus sycomorus and Ficus artocarpoides.
Compton, S.G., Van Noort, S., McLeish, M., Deeble, M. and Stone, V., 2009. Sneaky African fig wasps that oviposit through holes drilled by other species. African Natural History, 5, pp.9-15. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230580629
Eating western honeybee.
This adult, measuring 0.8cm in length, emerged yesterday morning from a pupa that I collected the evening before.
I first found it as a larva ( See https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111143644) on the underside of a rock on top of an ant nest (Formica sp.). There were two and I checked on them regularly. When it looked like one had already emerged from its puparium I brought the other home.
My first thought was M. tristis, though the pupa does not match the hand drawn images in Greene, Charles T. “Larvae and Pupae of the Genera Microdon and Mixogaster (Diptera, Syrphidae).” Transactions of the American Entomological Society (1890-), vol. 81, no. 1, 1955, pp. 1–20, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25077694. In particular, the anterior spiracles of the pupa are very short. Calcars are small and the tibiae are not orange.
Another possibility is M. ocellaris but again the pupa is not an exact match for the drawings in Thompson 1981.
See for prior to pupation https://inaturalist.nz/observations/120339351
See for pre-pupa https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120339352
See for pupa https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120339353
For three additional specimens that emerged from similar pupae that I collected see:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/121323000
Say Hello to 'Bubba.' This magnificent, adult, male Mohave ground squirrel (MGS; Xerospermophilus mohavensis) was captured and released near Coso Junction, California, on June 6, 2019. It was a bit late in the year to capture an adult MGS, especially one so obviously well fed, above ground. That is because this species not only hibernates through the winter months, but it estivates through the hottest months of the summer; they hibernate or estivate for ~7 months of the year. Sadly, because of the pandemic, I could not return to my field site in 2020 and it does not look very promising either for 2021.
dinner for the osprey
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) with victim, Eastern Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus ventral) in the family Anguidae, 5/30/2022, The Landings Sparrow Field, Skidaway Island, Savannah, Ga.
Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC, USA
Also posted this observation to BugGuide: https://bugguide.net/node/view/2111532
See https://bugguide.net/node/view/601838 and in particular:
"native to Europe (widespread), adventive in NA (NS-ON & NH-NY; BC)(1)(BG data)"
full text of the citation on that page: http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/environment/NHR/PDF/Introduced_Maritime_Staphs.pdf
Introduced Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in the Maritime Provinces of Canada
By Majka C.G., Klimaszewski J.
The Canadian Entomologist 140: 48-72, 2008
Found roaming in grass in pine wetlands. About 3mm long.