The Leafhoppers Are Back 🥰

Pine Flower Weevil (Cimberis pilosa), taken April 1, 2025, in Georgia, US

Liftoff!! While I was photographing birds, this guy landed on my hand and spent a few minutes with me. I actually took him into my house to grab my macro lens and got it on just in time to catch him leaving! You can see that he's covered in pine pollen, as his name would imply. He's likely off to the next pine tree!

Cixiid Planthopper (Xenoliarus placitus), taken May 25, 2025, in Georgia, US

A beautiful cixiid planthopper posing for me on a leaf! This is the most common species in my area, though I do very rarely find more obscure species. This species very recently was moved to Xenoliarus from Melanoliarus, which caused some confusion for me when I saw the new genus name lol. It can be quite variable in appearance, sometimes having black patterning on the wings ranging from some spots on the tops to completely black. This makes it kind of hard to ID if you're not familiar with it, but if you're looking for them you'll become familiar in no time since they tend to like to land on your stuff!

Leafhopper (Genus Gyponana), nymph, taken March 25, 2025, in Georgia, US

Sometimes life is just a leafhopper dancing... This guy was tiiiiny, probably only 1st or 2nd instar, and he was not a fan of me, as is evident by his defensive dancing! When threatened, leafhopper nymphs (and sometimes adults) will sway back and forth like this to both mimic windblown debris and skew a potential predator's perception of their form. Obviously, this has little effect on humans, but it can save their life if a smaller predator takes interest. Leafhoppers are wonderful animals, and this is one of the many reasons why they're some of my favorites!

Leaf Beetle (Sumitrosis inaequalis), taken April 19, 2025, in Georgia, US

A little leaf beetle! These guys are quite interesting and from afar look like weevils because of their pattern. Adult leaf beetles lay their eggs inside the leaves of host plants. Larvae then hatch and "mine" their way through the interior layers of the leaf, forming a pale, dried trail throughout the leaf. Larvae then pupate and, upon emergence, chew their way out of the leaf and fly away in search of a mate!

Large Lace-border Moth (Scopula limboundata) (Top) and Dot-lined Wave (Idaea tacturata) (Bottom), taken May 20, 2025, in Georgia, US

At a glance, two quite similar looking moths! When put next to each other or under the experienced eye, though, they can be quite easily differentiated. S. limboundata has a creamy overall coloration, while I. tacturata is more white and brown. I. tacturata is also noticeably smaller when they're not cropped to be the same size lol. They do, however, have the same general pattern, even with the same dark dots on each of their wings! You can see, though, that I. tacturata has dots down its abdomen that S. limboundata lacks. Regardless of their similarities and differences, both are very striking moths!

Vetch Looper Moth (Caenurgia chloropha), taken April 2, 2025, in Georgia, US

It's new moth season! I'm seeing lots of inchworms dropping from the trees as well as lots of seasonal moths! It's nice to see something more than renia moths for once lol. This guy was a little skittish, but ultimately let me get some pictures. Most moths are much worse subjects!

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), taken February 11, 2025, in Georgia, US

The wrens and sparrows prefer this one specific area underneath two bushes for foraging. Luckily, if I sit in a specific spot, it's the perfect distance for them to feel comfortable while also being close enough that I can get decent pictures! The greenery brought on by the grass coming back in suits the sparrows well, I think!

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula), taken February 10, 2025, in Georgia, US

The "king" part of this bird's name has certainly gone to their heads. I've seen these little guys pick on some pretty big birds, with notable success. It pays to be little and mean in the bird world!

Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii), taken February 13, 2025, in Georgia, US

He is assessing the situation after catching a lovely robin lunch! I saw him come in quick through the trees to land before he was spotted, and no watchful birds (blue jays, starlings, mockingbirds, etc.) were around to raise the alarm for everyone dining at the feeders. He swooped in fast and made a quick kill, then flew off after, perhaps to make it on time to a lunch date with a mate :)

Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa), female, taken April 22, 2025, in Georgia, US

What I thought was a lifer dragonfly, but turned out to be the female of a species I've seen once before! This lady seemed quite relaxed around me, flying almost lazily through the air and allowing me to get very close (for a dragonfly). As far as dragonflies go, this species is quite small, and so is the rest of their genus, aptly named "small pennants"!