Now That It's Spring, Wet Days Bring Out Salamanders Here Too, Which Is A Nice Bonus Lol! And Thank You!

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura), taken March 7, 2025, in Georgia, US

Just a nervous guy looking for seeds under the feeders. Surprisingly, he was one of few who didn't take off when I initially went outside to find my spot, so I was actually able to get decent dove pictures for once. Most of them involved him peeking his head above the rocks to look at me like in the second photo, though!

Fine-backed Red Paper Wasp (Polistes carolina), taken November 4, 2024, in Georgia, US

Sleeby!! A beautiful paper wasp drowsing on a yellowing leaf on a cool November evening. She barely reacted to my presence, likely due to the incoming cold. She was gone the next day, so she likely set out once the sun warmed her up the next morning!

Jumping Spider (Admestina wheeleri), male, taken July 17, 2024, in New Hampshire, US

His task? Uncertain, but he's doing something! This genus nests in crevices in tree bark, but I'm not sure if he's trying to create a nest, deposit sperm, or a secret third task.

The picture was taken after the video while I followed him on his journey around this tree for at least 10 minutes before I decided he wasn't of interest any more. He wandered away from where he made this possible nest in a seemingly random direction, kind of just meandering along the tree, and it has me wondering if he decided the spot he chose wasn't suitable for a nest. Regardless, this genus is known to be quite illusive, so I wanted to document the behavior in a video in case it was of interest. Who knows!

Coppery Leafhopper (Jikradia olitoria), female, taken August 24, 2024, in Georgia, US

Quite plain looking, but one of my favorite creatures in the life... This is a female leafhopper ovipositing (laying eggs) into the bark of an oak tree!

The ovipositors of Cicadomorphans (cicadas, leafhoppers, treehoppers, and spittlebugs) are reinforced with metals like manganese, zinc, and iron to make them strong enough to saw into bark, stems, and—in the cicada's case—straight into the woody branches of trees! These are some of my favorite insects, and J. olitoria is a local I've grown fond of seeing.

Here is the paper that goes into depth about the structure of the cicada ovipositor!

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), taken February 27, 2025, in Georgia, US

A rather uncommon visitor appeared yesterday! In the past, we've had a decent goldfinch presence in the yard, but the past couple years they've been quite sparse. In their absence, other birds have grown more numerous, though, and I still see them elsewhere, so I assume they either left voluntarily or got pushed out by competition.

I actually think these are two different individuals, the first picture being a different bird, but I'm not sure since the lighting is different and I didn't see both at the same time lol. Maybe if I'm lucky it's a pair that's planning to nest here this spring :)

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!

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!

Still a bit too early in the year for my mothing sheet to be as busy as I'd like, but I've still gotten a handful of interesting visitors

Ichneumonid Wasps(Family Ichneumonidae), Genus Raphia Ornate Tiger Moth(Apantesis ornata), Genus Eteobalea Genus Cameraria, White-lined Sphinx(Hyles lineata) Marbled Oak Dagger(Acronicta marmorata), Leaf Blotch Miner Moths(Family Gracillariidae) Two-spotted Leafhopper(Sophonia orientalis), Zale Moths(Genus Zale)

Ornate Millipede (Genus Cambala), taken March 28, 2025, in Georgia, US

Ornate, indeed! Look at the shine on those segments! I'm always excited to find these guys, but that often requires me to flip large chunks of wood or logs which aren't the most numerous in my area, at least when it comes to ones that are flippable. With that in mind, these are a treat! Quite large for a millipede and very pretty—the perfect combination!