September-October 2007 Photos

Field and Swamp: Animals and Their Habitats

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September-October 2007

Mt. Tamalpais State Park, Marin County, CA 10/29/07

Mt. Tamalpais is 2571 feet high and fairly close to the Pacific coast. It's not always toasty warm, but it's apparently just right for the giant Pacific Banana Slug (which can reach 10 inches in length) and some salamanders.

Pacific Banana Slug (Ariolimax californicus).   Photographer's name was removed at his request. Pacific Banana Slug.
Photographer's name was removed at this request. California Newt (Taricha torosa). Again, photographer prefers to remain anonymous.

Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, Cary, Wake County, NC 10/28/07

Mystery stink bug nymph Worm Snake (Carphophis amoenus) Termites Head of a centipede Potter Wasp (Eumenes fraternus)

Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC 10/23/07

Insects appearing on plants are getting more scarce.

The taxonomic classification of this tiny beetle (maybe 2 mm long) eludes me. It showed up in the open meadow called "the ridge." Tiny (2 mm long) weevil

Cox Mountain, Eno River State Park, Orange County, NC   10/21/07

Termites, found under a log. They were very tiny, less than 2 mm long. Beetle larva (most likely), also found under that log. Rice Stink Bug Marbled Orb Weaver. See other spiders.

Duke Gardens, Durham County, NC   10/20/07

Courting Fiery Skippers Monarch Rhopalid Bug Ailanthus Webworm Moth Fiery Skipper (photo by Karl Gottschalk)

Checkered skipper (photo by Karl Gottschalk) Checkered skipper

Little River Regional Park, Durham County, NC   10/20/07

Ambush Bug, Little River Regional Park, Durham County, NC, 10/20/07 Marbled Orb Weaver Triangulate Orb Weaver Male Clouded Skipper Micrathena mitrata, a 3/4 dorsal view Same Micrathena mitrata, ventral view. Alas, this side of the spider is very reflective!

Eno River State Park, Wake County, NC   10/18/07

Bowl and Doily Spider (Frontinella communis) Jumping spider (Phidippus genus) Snout moth

Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC   10/17/07

White-backed Garden Spider or Banded Argiope, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 10/17/07 Dorsal view. White-backed Garden Spider or Banded Argiope, ventral view of the same spider. Tipulid Crane Fly Leaffooted Bug (Leptoglossus phyllopus)

Cypress Gardens (gardens), Berkeley County, SC 10/13/07

Grasshopper Rhopalid bug. Very tiny (2 or 3 mm long): it looked like a fly at first. Brown Stinkbug nymph Love Bug (Plecia nearctica, Pleciidae family, Bibionomorpha infraorder, Nematocera suborder, Diptera order). See other flies. Cloudless Sulphur. See the Butterfly Index. Karl

Cypress Gardens (swamp), Berkeley County, SC  10/12/07

Baby American Alligator, near shore, clinging to a lily pad. Ambush Bug, on goldenrod. Braconid wasp (Atanycolus genus) Crablike Spiny Orb Weaver. See other spiders. Long-tailed Skipper, in the butterfly garden

Audubon Swamp Garden, Charleston County, SC   10/11/07

Young Common Moorhen, part of a group. ID confirmed by Simon T. of simont@charter.net Orchard Spider Another Orchard Spider Anole Another Anole

Santee State Park, Orangeburg County, SC (near park office) 10/10/07

Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus). These were sitting on top of a cabin.   See other birds. The leftmost vulture may be a juvenile. Male Tropical Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus oileus). ID confirmed by Harry LeGrand (see the Butterfly Digest for 10/15/07 ), Gulf Fritillary

Durham, NC   10/7/07

Checkered Skipper, ventral view Praying Mantis, an unusual view of an unusual insect. Multimedia egg sac art, proudly displayed by spider artist. Long-jawed orb weaver

Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, Orange County 10/4/07

Treehopper (Campylenchia latipes). Two carpenter ants came by, crawling over this treehopper while I was trying to get the photo. They apparently decided there wasn't a problem. Large Milkweed Bug on a milkweed pod. Note the fuzzy surface. Ichneumonid wasp Clouded Skipper Ailanthus Webworm Moth perhaps attempting to emerge from a cocoon. Did not have time to investigate its success in this endeavor.

American Tobacco Trail, south Durham, NC   10/3/07

Red-banded Hairstreak Dog-day Cicada was running out of steam, consistent with what its relatively skinny abdomen might suggest. An unusually large mosquito (about 15 mm long not including legs) Caterpillar, about 2 inches long.

Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, Wake County, NC   9/30/07

Mirid Bug, Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, Wake County, NC, 9/30/07, about 4 mm long. Black Swallowtail Sleepy Orange, with a typical wing pattern for this time of year Sleepy Orange, with a wing pattern more typical of mid-summer Checkered Skipper

Johnston Mill, Orange County, NC   9/27/07

Scorpion fly Female Fiery Skipper, unusually dark, though more wing pattern variation occurs in the fall. Three views of a female Marbled Orb Weaver. Note that in the third picture the spider is peeking around its leg to see the photographer.

Southpoint Swamp, Durham County, NC   9/25/07

Ground Sac Spider (Castianeira longipalpa). Thanks to Lynette Elliot for genus ID. Common Buckeye Wasp-moth, Sesiidae family

Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC   9/23/07

Hackberry Emperor. This butterfly landed on my arm and was apparently taking in my perspiration. We never see any hackberry trees there, so maybe sweaty people are the main attraction! Pearl Crescent. See other Pearl Crescents or see the main Butterflies Page. Triangulate Orb Weaver. See other spiders. Mating Differential Grasshoppers. See other Orthopterans. Crab spider

Braconid wasp (Psyttalia fletcheri), very tiny (about 2 mm). ID based on photo by Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service. Family ID provided by Richard Vernier. Cowkiller, a kind of wasp somewhat related to ants. See other Hymenopterans.

Durham, NC   9/22/07

Leaf beetle (Ophraella genus) This Dog-day Cicada had caught its wings on grass blades trying to take off. You can see all four wings here. Male Fiery Skipper Female Pearl Crescent Velvet ant (Timulla floridensis)

Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC   9/18/07

Palamedes Swallowtail, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/18/07 Perhaps a Cowkiller, a velvet ant which is normally red and black. It was hunched over, trying to hide. NOTE: the two white spots which appear to be on this insect's back are actually on the ground: it has a typically skinny wasp waist. Velvet ant (Timulla floridensis), Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/18/07. This insect was about the size of a carpenter ant (8 or 9 mm long). Yellow-necked Caterpillar (Datana ministra), a Notodontidae moth family member.

Miscellaneous New Hanover County, NC   9/17/07, 9/18/07

Willet, Carolina Beach, NC, 9/18/07 Female Boat-tailed Grackle, Kure Beach, NC, 9/17/07. This grackle may have been blind in this eye, but survived because of the safety and abundance of food at Kure Beach Pier. Black Soldier Fly, Carolina Beach, NC, 9/17/07 Pink-spotted Hawk Moth (Agrius cingulatus), Carolina Beach, NC, 9/18/07. ID thanks to J.D. Roberts.

Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC   9/17/07

Orchard Spider, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/17/07 Mystery moth, possibly of the Noctuidae family, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/17/07 Clouded Skipper, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/17/07

Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC   9/16/07

Golden Silk Spider (Nephila clavipes, Nephilidae family), Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07. These are different views of the same spider: ventral, side and dorsal.

Female Carolina Mantis, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07. The short wings and fat abdomen are characteristic of the female of this species, who does little flying. Corn Earworm (Helicoverpa zea, subfamily Heliothinae). Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07

Fort Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC 9/16/07

Swift Setwing (Dythemis velox), Fort Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07. ID thanks to Jason Forbes. Bee fly (Exoprosopa fasciata), Fort Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07. This was one of many of this species that appeared there. Bee fly (Hemipenthes genus), Fort Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07. An unusually small bee fly, with a wingspread of about 10 mm. Male robber fly (Efferia genus), Fort Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07 Mystery wasp, Fort Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07

Eno River State Park, Pea Creek Trail, 9/12/07

Ground Skink, Eno River State Park, Pea Creek Trail, Orange County, NC, 9/12/07. This skink was about an inch long including the tail. Mayfly, Eno River State Park,
Pea Creek Trail, Orange County, NC, 9/12/07. Velvet mite, Eno River State Park, Orange County, NC, Pea Creek Trail, 9/12/07. This mite was caught in a web deserted by a spider. I pulled it out of the web but don't know if it survived. Male Pearl Crescent, Eno River State Park, Pea Creek Trail, Orange County, NC, 9/12/07. Female Pearl Crescent, Eno River State Park, Pea Creek Trail, Orange County, NC, 9/12/07. © Karl D. Gottschalk

Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham, NC   9/7/07

Spider, an orb weaver (Micrathena mitrata), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 9/7/07. A very tiny spider, maybe 3 mm long. Blowfly, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 9/7/07. This fly is apparently sipping nectar from the flower. Spined Assassin Bug, next to what is apparently prey, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 9/7/07. Note the deformed wing. Spider, (Acacesia hamata), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 9/7/07. This was a very tiny spider, a few mm long. Its placement on the brown spot of this leaf effectively camouflaged it. Spider, an orb weaver, Spined Micrathena, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 9/7/07.

Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC   9/1/07

Margined Blister Beetle, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 9/1/07 Gemmed Satyr, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 9/1/07 Cowkiller (Dasymutilla occidentalis), a kind of velvet ant, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 9/1/07. See other Hymenopterans (bees, wasps and ants).

Copyright © 2006-2021 Dorothy E. Pugh. All rights reserved.


Pacific Banana Slug (Ariolimax californicus). Photographer's name was removed at his request.	Pacific Banana Slug. Photographer's name was removed at this request.	California Newt (Taricha torosa). Again, photographer prefers to remain anonymous.


Mystery stink bug nymph	Worm Snake (Carphophis amoenus)	Termites	Head of a centipede	Potter Wasp (Eumenes fraternus)


The taxonomic classification of this tiny beetle (maybe 2 mm long) eludes me. It showed up in the open meadow called "the ridge."	Tiny (2 mm long) weevil


Termites, found under a log. They were very tiny, less than 2 mm long.	Beetle larva (most likely), also found under that log.	Rice Stink Bug	Marbled Orb Weaver. See other spiders.


Courting Fiery Skippers	Monarch	Rhopalid Bug	Ailanthus Webworm Moth	Fiery Skipper (photo by Karl Gottschalk)


Checkered skipper (photo by Karl Gottschalk)	Checkered skipper


Ambush Bug, Little River Regional Park, Durham County, NC, 10/20/07	Marbled Orb Weaver	Triangulate Orb Weaver	Male Clouded Skipper	Micrathena mitrata, a 3/4 dorsal view	Same Micrathena mitrata, ventral view. Alas, this side of the spider is very reflective!


Bowl and Doily Spider (Frontinella communis)	Jumping spider (Phidippus genus)	Snout moth


White-backed Garden Spider or Banded Argiope, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 10/17/07 Dorsal view.	White-backed Garden Spider or Banded Argiope, ventral view of the same spider.	Tipulid Crane Fly	Leaffooted Bug (Leptoglossus phyllopus)


Grasshopper	Rhopalid bug. Very tiny (2 or 3 mm long): it looked like a fly at first.	Brown Stinkbug nymph	Love Bug (Plecia nearctica, Pleciidae family, Bibionomorpha infraorder, Nematocera suborder, Diptera order). See other flies.	Cloudless Sulphur. See the Butterfly Index.	Karl


Baby American Alligator, near shore, clinging to a lily pad.	Ambush Bug, on goldenrod.	Braconid wasp (Atanycolus genus)	Crablike Spiny Orb Weaver. See other spiders.	Long-tailed Skipper, in the butterfly garden


Young Common Moorhen, part of a group. ID confirmed by Simon T. of simont@charter.net	Orchard Spider	Another Orchard Spider	Anole	Another Anole


Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus). These were sitting on top of a cabin. See other birds. The leftmost vulture may be a juvenile.	Male Tropical Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus oileus). ID confirmed by Harry LeGrand (see the Butterfly Digest for 10/15/07 ),	Gulf Fritillary


Checkered Skipper, ventral view	Praying Mantis, an unusual view of an unusual insect.	Multimedia egg sac art, proudly displayed by spider artist.	Long-jawed orb weaver


Treehopper (Campylenchia latipes). Two carpenter ants came by, crawling over this treehopper while I was trying to get the photo. They apparently decided there wasn't a problem.	Large Milkweed Bug on a milkweed pod. Note the fuzzy surface.	Ichneumonid wasp	Clouded Skipper	Ailanthus Webworm Moth perhaps attempting to emerge from a cocoon. Did not have time to investigate its success in this endeavor.


Red-banded Hairstreak	Dog-day Cicada was running out of steam, consistent with what its relatively skinny abdomen might suggest.	An unusually large mosquito (about 15 mm long not including legs)	Caterpillar, about 2 inches long.


Mirid Bug, Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, Wake County, NC, 9/30/07, about 4 mm long.	Black Swallowtail	Sleepy Orange, with a typical wing pattern for this time of year	Sleepy Orange, with a wing pattern more typical of mid-summer	Checkered Skipper


Scorpion fly	Female Fiery Skipper, unusually dark, though more wing pattern variation occurs in the fall.	Three views of a female Marbled Orb Weaver. Note that in the third picture the spider is peeking around its leg to see the photographer.


Ground Sac Spider (Castianeira longipalpa). Thanks to Lynette Elliot for genus ID.	Common Buckeye	Wasp-moth, Sesiidae family


Hackberry Emperor. This butterfly landed on my arm and was apparently taking in my perspiration. We never see any hackberry trees there, so maybe sweaty people are the main attraction!	Pearl Crescent. See other Pearl Crescents or see the main Butterflies Page.	Triangulate Orb Weaver. See other spiders.	Mating Differential Grasshoppers. See other Orthopterans.	Crab spider


Braconid wasp (Psyttalia fletcheri), very tiny (about 2 mm). ID based on photo by Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service. Family ID provided by Richard Vernier.	Cowkiller, a kind of wasp somewhat related to ants. See other Hymenopterans.


Leaf beetle (Ophraella genus)	This Dog-day Cicada had caught its wings on grass blades trying to take off. You can see all four wings here.	Male Fiery Skipper	Female Pearl Crescent	Velvet ant (Timulla floridensis)


Palamedes Swallowtail, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/18/07	Perhaps a Cowkiller, a velvet ant which is normally red and black. It was hunched over, trying to hide. NOTE: the two white spots which appear to be on this insect's back are actually on the ground: it has a typically skinny wasp waist.	Velvet ant (Timulla floridensis), Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/18/07. This insect was about the size of a carpenter ant (8 or 9 mm long).	Yellow-necked Caterpillar (Datana ministra), a Notodontidae moth family member.


Willet, Carolina Beach, NC, 9/18/07	Female Boat-tailed Grackle, Kure Beach, NC, 9/17/07. This grackle may have been blind in this eye, but survived because of the safety and abundance of food at Kure Beach Pier.	Black Soldier Fly, Carolina Beach, NC, 9/17/07	Pink-spotted Hawk Moth (Agrius cingulatus), Carolina Beach, NC, 9/18/07. ID thanks to J.D. Roberts.


Orchard Spider, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/17/07	Mystery moth, possibly of the Noctuidae family, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/17/07	Clouded Skipper, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/17/07


Golden Silk Spider (Nephila clavipes, Nephilidae family), Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07. These are different views of the same spider: ventral, side and dorsal.


Female Carolina Mantis, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07. The short wings and fat abdomen are characteristic of the female of this species, who does little flying.	Corn Earworm (Helicoverpa zea, subfamily Heliothinae). Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07


Swift Setwing (Dythemis velox), Fort Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07. ID thanks to Jason Forbes.	Bee fly (Exoprosopa fasciata), Fort Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07. This was one of many of this species that appeared there.	Bee fly (Hemipenthes genus), Fort Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07. An unusually small bee fly, with a wingspread of about 10 mm.	Male robber fly (Efferia genus), Fort Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07	Mystery wasp, Fort Fisher Basin Trail, New Hanover County, NC, 9/16/07


Ground Skink, Eno River State Park, Pea Creek Trail, Orange County, NC, 9/12/07. This skink was about an inch long including the tail.	Mayfly, Eno River State Park, Pea Creek Trail, Orange County, NC, 9/12/07.	Velvet mite, Eno River State Park, Orange County, NC, Pea Creek Trail, 9/12/07. This mite was caught in a web deserted by a spider. I pulled it out of the web but don't know if it survived.	Male Pearl Crescent, Eno River State Park, Pea Creek Trail, Orange County, NC, 9/12/07.	Female Pearl Crescent, Eno River State Park, Pea Creek Trail, Orange County, NC, 9/12/07. © Karl D. Gottschalk


Spider, an orb weaver (Micrathena mitrata), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 9/7/07. A very tiny spider, maybe 3 mm long.	Blowfly, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 9/7/07. This fly is apparently sipping nectar from the flower.	Spined Assassin Bug, next to what is apparently prey, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 9/7/07. Note the deformed wing.	Spider, (Acacesia hamata), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 9/7/07. This was a very tiny spider, a few mm long. Its placement on the brown spot of this leaf effectively camouflaged it.	Spider, an orb weaver, Spined Micrathena, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 9/7/07.