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BrightestCrayon posted:
This is most likely a mud dauber nest. They sting the spiders to paralyze them and then lay eggs in them so the baby wasps get some fresh paralyzed spiders to snack on. Different species build different nests, but the amorphous blob of mud filled with jumpers or other bright spiders is typical mud dauber.
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| # ? Mar 26, 2012 16:36 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 21:40 |
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Quisty posted:I'm soooo jealous! Black-capped Chickadees are my favorite bird and I've never had one get that close, let alone land on me. Yeah it was awesome, he'd come take a seed, fly back to the tree, eat it, and come back for another, he actually even followed me down the path for a while. I'm not sure where you're located, but there are a ton of these wildlife preserves around. In that one trip I saw, the Chickadees, an otter, some ducks, a small herd of deer, and some turtles, frogs, and snakes. Next time I go I'll take an actual camera to capture all this stuff for the thread.
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| # ? Mar 26, 2012 16:44 |
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Can someone tell me what the hell I just saw? I was out in the woods near my house, flipping some logs, when I noticed that a few feet away, a ton of bees were buzzing around in an area about eight feet in diameter. There were no flowers, I didn't see any sort of hive (and they weren't disappearing into anywhere) and they weren't really landing. My first thought was that they were a swarm of honeybees (my hive absconded last winter, so I thought it was either them, or a swarm from them), but there wasn't a big ball of bees anywhere. And then when I finally got a look at one of them, it seemed off; it looks a lot like a honeybee, but is it a honey bee, or some honeybee-looking native? I stayed there for ten minutes or so, trying to figure out what they were doing, but there was no pattern or anything that I could figure out; bees didn't seem to be flying in, or leaving. They were just there, doing nothing that looked productive. Here's a shot I managed to get of one of them.  Can someone clue me in? I found a pair of worm snakes and a ground skink, but only got a few pictures of the one snake, so I'll post them after I go herping next (tomorrow?) Edit: Just noticed the frass on the plants. That explains why it sounded like it was raining. Caterpillars were falling from the sky everywhere, but I couldn't figure out what the noise was.
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| # ? Mar 26, 2012 18:35 |
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Tiny little guy making a tiny little web in the fairy lights
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| # ? Mar 26, 2012 18:56 |
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OneTwentySix posted:some honeybee-looking native? It's this. You're right, it resembles a honey bee, but it's pretty distantly related (different family). What you saw was a bee from the family Colletidae. It looks like Colletes to me, but I work with apids so don't take my word for it.
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| # ? Mar 26, 2012 18:58 |
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Any idea what they were doing? Would there be a hole in there ground where their nest would be, and that was just how they were guarding it or something? I've got a crappy picture of the area, but it's just a bunch of ivy plants. I guessed that there were around 100 of them. Nice to know it's not a honeybee, though; I kept looking at it and thinking, "this isn't a honeybee," but I couldn't explain why it wasn't a honeybee, so I was really confused. OneTwentySix fucked around with this message at Mar 26, 2012 around 19:15 |
| # ? Mar 26, 2012 19:11 |
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OneTwentySix posted:Any idea what they were doing? Would there be a hole in there ground where their nest would be, and that was just how they were guarding it or something? I've got a crappy picture of the area, but it's just a bunch of ivy plants. I guessed that there were around 100 of them. Hell if I know. Colletids are solitary so they don't nest in societies like honey bees and bumble bees do. They apparently build nests next to each other, however. Maybe they were forming a mating swarm or something? I have no idea.
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| # ? Mar 26, 2012 19:21 |
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 This little spider is going to eat like a king for the next couple days.
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| # ? Mar 26, 2012 20:15 |
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My mantis nymphs shipped today 
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| # ? Mar 26, 2012 20:46 |
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Critter Quest Big Game Hunter Edition: So, it is early spring in a lot of the US, the leaves haven't quite come in yet, which means it is a good time to find giant silkworm cocoons. This is a Polyphemus cocoon:  polyphemus-cocoon by RReiheld, on Flickr They are egg-shaped, the silk is white. They often feed on oak leaves, which often don't drop in the winter. So you can look at oak trees and if you see what looks to be 2-3 leaves glued together, there is every chance that there is a cocoon in there. Here is the pupa that lives inside the cocoon:  polyphemus-pupa by RReiheld, on Flickr They've got about a quarter inch of breathing room, so with a steady hand, you can open up their cocoon and see who lives inside. You can see his antennas, wings, and legs curled up there. I'm pretty sure from the size of the antenna-prints that this is a male. This is what he will look like in a month or two:  polyphemushand by RReiheld, on Flickr In the northern states polyphemus have one brood per year. The adults hatch out in the spring, mate, lay eggs. The caterpillars eat like it is their job for 6 weeks, spin their cocoons, then chill out over the winter till next spring. Further south there are two, or even three generations of moth per year. This is a Prometheus cocoon. They are much smaller, and often very easy to find, since they stay attached to the tree over the winter.  prometheus-cocoon by RReiheld, on Flickr Unfortnately, since they are easy to find, predators and parasites will often find them first. So when you find a cocoon it might have had the innerds sucked out...or worse. Here is an adult male promethus:  prometheus2 by RReiheld, on Flickr One of the interesting things about prometheus is that they have a ton of sexual dimorphism. The males and females look nothing alike. Here is a female:  72Promethea0963 by RReiheld, on Flickr But when I said big game, I ment way big. This is a Cecropia cocoon. It is the largest silkworm native to North America.  cecropia-cocoon by RReiheld, on Flickr Cecropia like to feed on Willow, mulberry, sweetgum, or sometimes maple. Here is an adult cecropia:  cecropiaface by RReiheld, on Flickr A few fun giant silkworm facts: The adults don't eat. They don't have mouths. They live on stored up fat from caterpillarhood and only live a week or two as adults to mate and lay eggs. Silkworms find eachother to mate by pheromones, and they are some of the best scent-trackers in the animal kingdom. A male polyphemus can detect and fly to a female some 30 miles away. That is one molecule per cubic meter. While none of these species are endangered, and indeed, some years Polyphemus are numerous enough to be a minor pest on fruit trees, they are all much rarer than they should be, as they are heavily predated by wasps imported to control tobacco horn worms. With any luck I'll get fertilized eggs from all three of these species and will be able to post an enstar-by-enstar guide to what the caterpillars look like from egg till they spin their cocoons around midsummer. Slo-Tek fucked around with this message at Mar 26, 2012 around 21:24 |
| # ? Mar 26, 2012 21:19 |
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 Found this big guy in my car this morning. No clue how he got inside but he was very reluctant to leave. I didn't actually get a picture of him then, but when I got home he was just chilling on the roof of my neighbors car. He was probably about the length of the first joint on my pinky, really big for a jumping spider.
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| # ? Mar 26, 2012 23:00 |
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One thing I would like to request added to the OP is that if you post a Flickr photo, to make it unprotected so goons can save them. I love pictures of Giant Silkworm Moths and Flickr's photo protection is a complete joke.BrightestCrayon posted:
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| # ? Mar 26, 2012 23:10 |
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Dalax posted:Thats a really nice shot!
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 01:01 |
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Slo-Tek posted:Here is an adult cecropia:  It puts the lotion on it's skin. Content: 
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 01:23 |
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I took this last summer, and I posted it in the last thread. The new thread reminded me of the picture and I was hoping someone could ID what type of jumper this is. It was extremely tiny. I don't remember quite how small, but it could easily fit on a pinky fingernail. Click for bigger. 
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 01:26 |
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I like these threads. Animals are awesome. Just a few hours ago this evening, I saw some pretty dramatic stuff happening right in my front yard. I looked out the window and saw this hawk (I don't know the species) standing there right on top of a fresh kill which looked like a Mourning Dove, which are very common here. These photos were taken through my window:   The kill must have only just happened, as the dove looked pretty much intact, and the hawk spent a few minutes just standing there constantly glancing back and forth and scanning in all directions with the dove still in its grip. I'm guessing it was checking for threats or if something would try to steal its new kill, or whether it was safe enough to begin eating right then and there. After a few minutes it started pecking and tearing at the dove's head and body, ripping off mouthfuls of feathers and tossing them aside. Sure enough, a threat did show up; a very pissed off Blue Jay began screeching and chirping loudly and started diving on the hawk repeatedly. There may have been multiple birds including a mockingbird circling around the hawk, but I'm not sure. Even from inside the house though, I could hear lots of loud chirping and squawking and those birds seemed pretty obviously upset. I shot video of the whole thing and made these crappy gifs. In the first you can see the Blue Jay swoop down. About 10 seconds later the hawk decided to get the hell out of there and flew off in a shower of feathers.   Can anyone tell me the species? I've been trying to search for hawk or falcon species and I haven't found a good match yet. I don't really know much about birds. This is in north Texas by the way.
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 03:22 |
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OK that is really awesome.
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 03:31 |
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Aufzug Taube! posted:"Alright looks like the coast is clear, time to chow dow- woah what? What the gently caress was that?" That story is amazing. In case you're wondering, the other birds are doing a predatory threat response known as mobbing. Mak0rz fucked around with this message at Mar 27, 2012 around 03:53 |
| # ? Mar 27, 2012 03:48 |
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Aufzug Taube! posted:I like these threads. Animals are awesome. Man, Blue Jay's are jerks, and I love them for it. They have the uncanny knack to know just how close they can get to me without letting me get a good picture, and they just hang out that far away looking at me. As for the bird, it looks like a Accipiter of some kind, like a Cooper's Hawk, or a Sharp-shinned Hawk. It's a little hard to tell from the gifs, but the tail seems a bit rounded, so I'd say it's a Cooper's Hawk. Captain Invictus posted:One thing I would like to request added to the OP is that if you post a Flickr photo, to make it unprotected so goons can save them. I love pictures of Giant Silkworm Moths and Flickr's photo protection is a complete joke. I can do that. Also, someone asked for rabbits, so here's the rest of the pictures I have of the one in my back yard.  DSC_0454.jpg by MrDespair, on Flickr  DSC_1387.jpg by MrDespair, on Flickr  DSC_1409.jpg by MrDespair, on Flickr  DSC_1068.jpg by MrDespair, on Flickr  DSC_0431.jpg by MrDespair, on Flickr  Dinner by MrDespair, on Flickr  DSC_1440.jpg by MrDespair, on Flickr  DSC_1431.jpg by MrDespair, on Flickr e. holy crap I had a bunch of pictures of this one rabbit. Mr. Despair fucked around with this message at Mar 27, 2012 around 03:54 |
| # ? Mar 27, 2012 03:50 |
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DrakoDWyvrex posted:Some pink moth.
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 04:01 |
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Mr. Despair posted:As for the bird, it looks like a Accipiter of some kind, like a Cooper's Hawk, or a Sharp-shinned Hawk. It's a little hard to tell from the gifs, but the tail seems a bit rounded, so I'd say it's a Cooper's Hawk. Seconding the adult Cooper's Hawk ID. Those two Accipiters are tricky to tell apart, but I finally got to see a Sharpie up close the other week, and they're tiny relative to Cooper's (example of just how petite they are). Based on the size of the hawk in question relative to the dead dove and ticked-off jay, I'm leaning toward Cooper's. E: Juvenile Sharp-Shinned on a dove, for comparison. Strongylocentrotus fucked around with this message at Mar 27, 2012 around 05:16 |
| # ? Mar 27, 2012 05:13 |
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VendaGoat posted:Content: This is a Polygonia butterfly. They winter in the adult stage, and are some of the first butterflies you seen in spring. They usually look really beaten up with torn wings and faded colors. The next generation appears in summer. http://bugguide.net/node/view/297/bgimage
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 08:35 |
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Mak0rz posted:"Alright looks like the coast is clear, time to chow dow- woah what? What the gently caress was that?" "Behavior includes flying about the intruder, dive bombing, loud squawking and defecating on the predator." So birds will literally try to poo poo on predators? With dive-bombing attacks with bombs of poop? I did not know that. I should get into bird watching more. Mr. Despair posted:Man, Blue Jay's are jerks, and I love them for it. They have the uncanny knack to know just how close they can get to me without letting me get a good picture, and they just hang out that far away looking at me. As for the bird, it looks like a Accipiter of some kind, like a Cooper's Hawk, or a Sharp-shinned Hawk. It's a little hard to tell from the gifs, but the tail seems a bit rounded, so I'd say it's a Cooper's Hawk. So it's a Cooper's Hawk then. It does look to be the best candidate, that's interesting. I've seen these hawks around here for a long time but I've never had a good look up close or a good opportunity to photograph one. Amazing that the first time I get to see one up close is when it's ripping another bird apart.
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 10:36 |
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Aufzug Taube! posted:From that article: Make sure you keep a good distance. Because as far as most birds are concerned you are a predator. You know those cartoons where the bird deliberately shits on the guy's head? Based on a true story, man.
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 10:40 |
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Aufzug Taube! posted:From that article: More pics: I've been out with the camera again in merry ol' England:  Reeves's Muntjac - this deer is small and runs with its head down so it can push through undergrowth quite easily. First time I saw one I thought I'd just seen a small dog. Another invasive species; sadly they're getting a bit out of hand overgrazing the woodland vegetation.   Fox!  The toad migration was in full swing last week. This dude was sitting dead-still on the path and let me take a few photos before threat-inflating like a doofus.  With temperatures hitting around 20°C this weekend, the bugs finally came out. This bristly horror is a tachinid fly (Gonia sp.?), it parasitises certain moth caterpillars.   Also saw the largest insect (~ 2.5cm) I've seen this year so far. This is one of the sexton beetles: Nicrophorus vespillo which normally feed on carrion and have these adapted antennal clubs packed full of chemoreceptors for sniffing out dead animals over long distances.  Urban London wildlife!    Eurasian Green Woodpeckers probing the yellow meadow ant mounds in my local park. There was a lot of noise and activity. The female in the first photo got chased off by the one in the second who did a fair bit of raising her crest and yaffling. Then the male (with the red moustache stripe) popped down and tried to sidle up to the new female arrival, which only succeeded in chasing her off too.
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 12:31 |
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Mr. Despair posted:And please continue to post all that you have. Bunnies are wonderful! More Content:  I was out taking pictures of Pittsburgh and this little guy decided to hitch a ride on me. It was odd, he actually crawled up to my shoulder and just sat there as I took pictures. After about five minutes he crawled back down my sleeve and hopped off, roughly twenty feet from where he started.
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 12:52 |
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VendaGoat posted:
Love it. I can almost hear him asking what the big deal about getting a lift is.
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 22:14 |
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I credit these threads with curing my friend of her rampant arachnophobia, at least a little. From being reduced to a quivering wreck at the sight of any spider, she's now a quivering wreck with anything but a jumping spider. Her reason for exempting jumping spiders? "Because they have FACES!" So cute.
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 22:36 |
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Can anyone ID eggs? These were found under a log in Baldwin County, Alabama.
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| # ? Mar 27, 2012 23:58 |
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Looks like slug eggs to me.
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| # ? Mar 28, 2012 01:02 |
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Awesome! Thank you!
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| # ? Mar 28, 2012 01:21 |
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I could be wrong; I'm just a salamander nerd. One of the invert people will need to confirm, but I'm pretty sure they're slug/snail eggs.
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| # ? Mar 28, 2012 01:27 |
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Batsarse posted:I credit these threads with curing my friend of her rampant arachnophobia, at least a little. From being reduced to a quivering wreck at the sight of any spider, she's now a quivering wreck with anything but a jumping spider. I'm pretty terrified of spiders but I can be okay with jumping spiders for this exact reason.
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| # ? Mar 28, 2012 02:18 |
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All spiders have faces, sometimes you just need to look a little bit more closely. Behind those hairy pedipalps they're really smiling. 
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| # ? Mar 28, 2012 02:30 |
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Yes but jumping spiders will make eye contact.
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| # ? Mar 28, 2012 02:35 |
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Bad Munki posted:Yes but jumping spiders will make eye contact. How you doing?  Edit: content so I'm not eaten like a ButterFly in a spider's web!  
VendaGoat fucked around with this message at Mar 28, 2012 around 03:00 |
| # ? Mar 28, 2012 02:57 |
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We've had some stormy weather down here recently, and I found this Granny Moth (Dasypodia selenophora) hunkered down against the wild wind, in a sort of "gently caress this poo poo" manner. My phone camera didn't pick up the subtle purple and blue iridescence on its wings and 'eyes'. I would have liked to have taken it in out of the rain, but I wasn't sure what my colleagues would think if I rocked up with a cool new pet moth.
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| # ? Mar 28, 2012 03:03 |
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 This little guy has been hanging out on my calendar for a couple of days now. Pretty sure he lives somewhere else but every morning he walks down to the calendar and just sits there with his lil' butt up in the air.
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| # ? Mar 28, 2012 03:41 |
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On the same day?  Set up a camera to see which days he lingers on and then do some sort of amazing analysis and get rich on the stock market overnight! 
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| # ? Mar 28, 2012 03:54 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 21:40 |
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Is that a pseudoscorp of some sort or just a kind of spider I've never seen?
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| # ? Mar 28, 2012 03:55 |
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