rrmeehan87's Favorites
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus PhausisObserver
mpmoskwikDescription
Female 'Piedmont Ghost'. Slowly walked ~200m over thirty minutes (8:35-9:05PM). Approximately 3 males and 4 females were seen. Overcast skies, 63 degrees Fahrenheit, no wind, and mGDD from February 1 was ~825.
Photos / Sounds
What
American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)Observer
mkosiewskiDescription
"Pinky"
Photos / Sounds
What
Jagged Ambush Bugs (Genus Phymata)Observer
cotinisDescription
Ambush bug - Phymata species (male, female, 8-9 mm)
bugguide.net/node/view/4833
Location: Durham NC (USA)
These were found on goldenrod in my back yard and brought into a studio dish for some detailed photos. The bright green color inside the abdomen on a couple of frames is interesting.
Photos / Sounds
What
Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)Observer
mrwildlife91Description
In the field near Milepost 330.1 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, less than a mile north of the Mineral Museum.
More photos and videos available if needed.
Confirmed sightings from multiple individuals.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus SynchloraObserver
cotinisDescription
Decorated Looper - Synchlora species
Wagner notes that this is the only widespread North American caterpillar that decorates itself for camouflage. Apparently, adults must be reared to determine the species. This one was found on fleabane (Erigeron species).
References
- BugGuide: bugguide.net/node/view/8002
- Wagner, Caterpillars Eastern North America (Princeton Univ. Press, 2005), p. 200
Photos / Sounds
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Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon ssp. sipedon)Observer
jilliankernDescription
Finally got a better picture of my albino friend (is albino the best descriptor of this pigment lack? with xanthophores? Erythrophores? Unsure)
Photos / Sounds
What
American Pelecinid Wasp (Pelecinus polyturator)Observer
cotinisDescription
American Pelecinid Wasp - Pelecinus polyturator (female)
bugguide.net/node/view/6945
Males are rare in this species--most reproduction is by parthenogenesis/thelytoky (females produced from unfertilized eggs). I have seen this striking species just a few times and photographed it twice. This one was found in my yard in Durham NC. I was going out to get the mail and I noticed it on a shrub right by the front door. It stayed put long enough for me to return with a camera.
Photos / Sounds
What
Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)Observer
gman122Description
Some interesting coloring (or lack thereof) in this one.
Photos / Sounds
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Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)Observer
mkosiewskiDescription
Mist netted, banded, and released by local researchers.
Photos / Sounds
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Chrysanthemum Lace Bug (Corythucha marmorata)Observer
cotinisDescription
These elegant little bugs were found on the foliage of Groundseltree, Baccharis halimifolia (Asteraceae), in Wake County, NC (USA) on a pleasant spring day--18 May 2021.
Chrysanthemum Lace Bug - Corythucha marmorata (3 mm)
References:
- bugguide.net/node/view/51599
- Slater and Baranowski, How to Know the True Bugs (Wm. C. Brown Company, 1978), pp. 108-109, fig. 195
Shown to me by expert naturalist @tracysfeldman, as were most other finds this day.
Photos / Sounds
What
Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus)Observer
aredoublesDescription
Late
