May 2010 Photos

Field and Swamp: Animals and Their Habitats

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May 2010

Brackenridge Park, San Antonio, Bexar County, TX 5/28/10

Cattle Egret in flight Cattle Egret, also in flight Cattle Egret building nest, one twig at a time Cattle Egret by river

Cattle Egret in tree Some of the many Cattle Egrets in this tree, where they built nests. Cattle Egrets departing from tree to look for nest-building twigs

Green Stink Bug (Acrosternum hilare) nymph, appeared on San Antonio River bank. Asiatic Dayflower Texas Crescent (Phyciodes texana) Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) Blue-ringed Dancer

Riverside Nature Center, Kerrville, Kerr County, TX 5/27/10

Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia) Checkered White, the dominant "white" (Pierinae subfamily) butterfly of the western US. Sleepy Orange, very worn Unfolding White Prickly Poppy: the whole process took place within seconds. Maybe that's why they call them "poppies!" White Prickly Poppy with 3 beetles and 5 tiny bees.

Male Fiery Skipper Swamp Milkweed Beetle Mystery skipper Lace bug (Teleonemia genus), 2 or 3 mm long. I'd guess the species was nigrina. Dark Flower Scarab (Euphoria sepulchralis). found on White Prickly Poppy Kern's Flower Scarab (Euphoria kernii), found on White Prickly Poppy

San Antonio, Bexar County, TX 5/27/10

Yellow-crowned Night Heron Mallard family

San Antonio Botanical Garden, Bexar County, TX 5/26/10

Mimosa Yellow (Eurema nise) American Snout Water strider (Trepobates subnitidis), so tiny it doesn't dimple the water at all Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funerealis) White-winged Dove, the dominant dove species here, like the Mourning Dove in many parts of the East and the Eurasian Collared Dove on Ocracoke Island.

Great-tailed Grackle males displaying territorial aggressive bluffing. Apparently things were settled for a while. The third bird, with the skimpy tail, wasn't participating. One type of display This grackle tried to join us for lunch, but his attitude wasn't persuasive. We did enjoy admiring his magnificent tail, though.

Brown Thrasher taking a bath. Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus genus) Rose Mallow (Pavonia lasiopetala) Water measurer, Hydrometra genus, Hydrometridae family. In same infraorder as water striders (Gerromorpha). About 12 mm long.

Downtown San Antonio, Bexar County, TX 5/25/10

Yellow-crowned Night Heron, on River Walk Male grackle Flower fly Female grackle, most likely a Great-tailed Grackle Female House Sparrow

San Antonio, Bexar County, TX 5/24/10

Prussian Carp? In captivity, they're called "goldfish." This large fish (about one foot long) appears to be diseased.

Southpoint Swamp, Durham, NC 5/21/10

Appalachian Brown. It had a piece torn out of its right hind wing and a small part of its right forewing.

Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC 5/20/10

Question Mark. See the white sideways "question mark" in the middle of the hind wing. Carolina Satyr Mourning Cloak Boxelder Bug nymph Zabulon Skipper

Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham, NC 5/20/10

Calico Pennant Dogbane Beetle Crab spider Billbug Deptford Pink (Dianthus ameria)

Leatherwing Beetle Pink penstemon, may be Eastern Gray Beardtongue (Penstemon canescens). Most Penstemon species are found in the West. Apparently leucistic Ornate Snipe Fly Flea beetle (Kuschelina petaurista), about 10 mm long Katydid nymph

Durham, NC 5/19/10

Checkered beetle (Enoclerus rosmarus) Female Eastern Tailed Blue Half-grown cockroach Leaffooted bug nymph Rice Stink Bug

False blister beetle (Xanthochroa lateralis, Oedemeridae family). ID thanks to v. belov. Info about this family: Ross H. Arnett's account.

Durham, NC 5/16/10

Scudder's Bush Katydid nymph on a mossy fence

Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, Orange County, NC 5/15/10

Northern Pearly Eye fresh from cocoon Golden-backed Snipe Fly Male Spicebush Swallowtail Ashy Clubtail Hackberry Emperor

Bumble Flower Beetle (Euphoria inda) Millipede (Sigmoria aberrans) Lichen Moth (Lycomorpha pholus) Flower fly (Blera badia).

Kure Beach Pier, New Hanover County, NC 5/14/10

Brown Pelican Female Boat-tailed Grackle

Lake Park, New Hanover County, NC 5/14/10

Tricolored Heron

Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC 5/13/10

Dung Beetle (Canthon imitator)

Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC 5/12/10

Spreadwing damselfly (probably Lestes genus) Robber fly A very fast-moving caterpillar, which crawled under more pine needles than over them Blueberry, with small flowers (~7 mm long) Fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), with larger flowers (~10 mm long). These were very common in this park.

Large Bee Fly (rear view)

Fort Fisher, New Hanover County, NC 5/12/10

Firewheels Maybe Daisy Fleabane, but the petals are suspiciously purple.

American Tobacco Trail (Miles 0-2), Durham, NC 5/10/10

Ground sac spider (Castaneira longipalpa) Part of a rainbow-like circle around the sun

North Carolina Botanical Garden, Orange County, NC 5/9/10

Fringed Phacelia, in the mountain garden section Bristly Mallow, in a wild section off the parking lot Young mantid, about 1 inch long Venus' Fly Traps, with buds Phacelia bipinnatafida, in the mountain garden section

Fly Hearts-a-bustin' Southern Magnolia

Piedmont Wildlife Center Trail, Durham, NC 5/8/10

Thanks to the sharp eyes of my friend, Lori Musick, I was able to get photos of the Little
Wood Satyr and the Black Rat Snake.

Blue-eyed Grass Black Rat Snake Funnel Web Spider, emerging from the "funnel" part of its web Hearts-a-bustin' Question Mark (summer form)

Seven-spotted Ladybug Beetle Venus' Looking Glass Robber fly with ladybug beetle prey Little Wood Satyr Beetle (Babia quadriguttata), about 2 mm long. There are two more red spots at the beetle's rear.

Wolf spider (Schizocosa crassipes), a large spider, almost an inch long Mating Buprestid beetles on Oxeye Daisy Thistle

Durham, NC 5/6/10

Golden-backed Snipe Fly

Durham, NC 5/4/10

Question Mark

Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC 5/2/10

American Snout Silvery Checkerspot, ventral view of wings Silvery Checkerspot Male Zabulon Skippers, in a brief and unusually peaceful interaction Big Periwinkle

White Blue-eyed Grass Mourning Cloak caterpillar turning into a pupa Assassin bug Snowberry Clearwing Moth Buttercups. Photo by Karl D. Gottschalk

Miami Mist (Phacelia purshii), one of many near the parking lot. ID thanks to Bailey Winstead, who says they are common in the Smoky Mountains and to Philip Johnson. They are not native this far east, according to Harry LeGrand, who confirmed the species ID. Thanks also to Taylor Piephoff, whose ID of the genus came first. These are similar the Fringed Phacelia, which has fewer flowers per stem.

Copyright © 2010-2021 by Dorothy E. Pugh. All rights reserved. Please contact for rights to use photos.


Cattle Egret in flight	Cattle Egret, also in flight	Cattle Egret building nest, one twig at a time	Cattle Egret by river


Cattle Egret in tree	Some of the many Cattle Egrets in this tree, where they built nests.	Cattle Egrets departing from tree to look for nest-building twigs


Green Stink Bug (Acrosternum hilare) nymph, appeared on San Antonio River bank.	Asiatic Dayflower	Texas Crescent (Phyciodes texana)	Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)	Blue-ringed Dancer


Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)	Checkered White, the dominant "white" (Pierinae subfamily) butterfly of the western US.	Sleepy Orange, very worn	Unfolding White Prickly Poppy: the whole process took place within seconds. Maybe that's why they call them "poppies!"	White Prickly Poppy with 3 beetles and 5 tiny bees.


Male Fiery Skipper	Swamp Milkweed Beetle	Mystery skipper	Lace bug (Teleonemia genus), 2 or 3 mm long. I'd guess the species was nigrina.	Dark Flower Scarab (Euphoria sepulchralis). found on White Prickly Poppy	Kern's Flower Scarab (Euphoria kernii), found on White Prickly Poppy


Mimosa Yellow (Eurema nise)	American Snout	Water strider (Trepobates subnitidis), so tiny it doesn't dimple the water at all	Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funerealis)	White-winged Dove, the dominant dove species here, like the Mourning Dove in many parts of the East and the Eurasian Collared Dove on Ocracoke Island.


Great-tailed Grackle males displaying territorial aggressive bluffing.	Apparently things were settled for a while. The third bird, with the skimpy tail, wasn't participating.	One type of display	This grackle tried to join us for lunch, but his attitude wasn't persuasive.	We did enjoy admiring his magnificent tail, though.


Brown Thrasher taking a bath.	Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus genus)	Rose Mallow (Pavonia lasiopetala)	Water measurer, Hydrometra genus, Hydrometridae family. In same infraorder as water striders (Gerromorpha). About 12 mm long.


Yellow-crowned Night Heron, on River Walk	Male grackle	Flower fly	Female grackle, most likely a Great-tailed Grackle	Female House Sparrow


Prussian Carp? In captivity, they're called "goldfish." This large fish (about one foot long) appears to be diseased.


Appalachian Brown. It had a piece torn out of its right hind wing and a small part of its right forewing.


Question Mark. See the white sideways "question mark" in the middle of the hind wing.	Carolina Satyr	Mourning Cloak	Boxelder Bug nymph	Zabulon Skipper


Calico Pennant	Dogbane Beetle	Crab spider	Billbug	Deptford Pink (Dianthus ameria)


Leatherwing Beetle	Pink penstemon, may be Eastern Gray Beardtongue (Penstemon canescens). Most Penstemon species are found in the West.	Apparently leucistic Ornate Snipe Fly	Flea beetle (Kuschelina petaurista), about 10 mm long	Katydid nymph


Checkered beetle (Enoclerus rosmarus)	Female Eastern Tailed Blue	Half-grown cockroach	Leaffooted bug nymph	Rice Stink Bug


False blister beetle (Xanthochroa lateralis, Oedemeridae family). ID thanks to v. belov. Info about this family: Ross H. Arnett's account.


Northern Pearly Eye fresh from cocoon	Golden-backed Snipe Fly	Male Spicebush Swallowtail	Ashy Clubtail	Hackberry Emperor


Bumble Flower Beetle (Euphoria inda)	Millipede (Sigmoria aberrans)	Lichen Moth (Lycomorpha pholus)	Flower fly (Blera badia).


Spreadwing damselfly (probably Lestes genus)	Robber fly	A very fast-moving caterpillar, which crawled under more pine needles than over them	Blueberry, with small flowers (~7 mm long)	Fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), with larger flowers (~10 mm long). These were very common in this park.


Firewheels	Maybe Daisy Fleabane, but the petals are suspiciously purple.


Ground sac spider (Castaneira longipalpa)	Part of a rainbow-like circle around the sun


Fringed Phacelia, in the mountain garden section	Bristly Mallow, in a wild section off the parking lot	Young mantid, about 1 inch long	Venus' Fly Traps, with buds	Phacelia bipinnatafida, in the mountain garden section


Blue-eyed Grass	Black Rat Snake	Funnel Web Spider, emerging from the "funnel" part of its web	Hearts-a-bustin'	Question Mark (summer form)


Seven-spotted Ladybug Beetle	Venus' Looking Glass	Robber fly with ladybug beetle prey	Little Wood Satyr	Beetle (Babia quadriguttata), about 2 mm long. There are two more red spots at the beetle's rear.


	Wolf spider (Schizocosa crassipes), a large spider, almost an inch long	Mating Buprestid beetles on Oxeye Daisy	Thistle


American Snout	Silvery Checkerspot, ventral view of wings	Silvery Checkerspot	Male Zabulon Skippers, in a brief and unusually peaceful interaction	Big Periwinkle


White Blue-eyed Grass	Mourning Cloak caterpillar turning into a pupa	Assassin bug	Snowberry Clearwing Moth	Buttercups. Photo by Karl D. Gottschalk


Miami Mist (Phacelia purshii), one of many near the parking lot. ID thanks to Bailey Winstead, who says they are common in the Smoky Mountains and to Philip Johnson. They are not native this far east, according to Harry LeGrand, who confirmed the species ID. Thanks also to Taylor Piephoff, whose ID of the genus came first. These are similar the Fringed Phacelia, which has fewer flowers per stem.