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Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve is in a
geologically unique area, one with alkaline soil and flora more typical of the
Midwest. As a result, it has some rare wildflower species. To see
how to get there and navigate the place, see the live map at the bottom of the
page.
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Dutch-man's Breeches
(Dicentra cucullaria),
4/5/06 |
Smooth Coneflower
(Echinacea laevigata),
6/4/06. This is an officially endangered species according to the US Fish & Wildlife Service and North Carolina
Ecological Services according to their
Smooth Coneflower Page.
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Wild Blue Indigo
(Baptisia australis),
5/6/06 |
Bloodroot
(Sanguin-aria
canadensis,
3/14/07 |
Toothwort
(Dentaria genus),
3/14/07. This is
the
plant that Falcate Orangetips come to here in the Durham, NC area -- when they can find it! We
saw four Falcate Orangetips this day, but none of them found the two Toothworts we saw on the
trail. |
Trout Lily
(Erythonium americanum),
3/14/08. These ephemera show up in early spring and die back to
the ground when new leaves on the trees cut off the sunlight to the
understory. They are common in wooded areas around here. |
Round Lobed Hepatica
(Anemone americana), 3/14/07. |
3/9/21
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Bloodroots (Sanguinaria canadensis) |
More Bloodroots (Sanguinaria canadensis) |
Field Pansy (Viola bicolor) |
Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) |
Another Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) |
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Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) |
Another Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) |
Ivyleaf Speedwell (Veronica hederifolia) |
Another Ivyleaf Speedwell (Veronica hederifolia), next to Persian Speedwell leaves |
Little Brown Jug (Hexastylis arifolia) bud |
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Mock Strawberry (Duchesnea indica) |
Big Periwinkles (Vinca major) |
Purple Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum) |
Dimpled Trout Lily (Erythonium umbilicatum) |
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Another Dimpled Trout Lily (Erythonium umbilicatum) |
Another Dimpled Trout Lily (Erythonium umbilicatum) |
Virginia Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica) |
More Virginia Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica) |
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2/4/20
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Basal leaves of a Cutleaf Toothwort |
Daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) |
Round-lobed Hepatica (Anemone americana) |
Periwinkle (Vinca genus) |
Virginia Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) |
3/22/19
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Bee |
Common Blue Violet |
More Common Blue Violets |
Cutleaf Toothwort |
Dutchman's Breeches |
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Dutchman's Breeches |
Dutchman's Breeches |
Early Saxifrage |
Early Saxifrage |
Flower fly (Toxomerus genus) |
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Green-and-Gold |
Lesser Celandine |
Little Brown Jug flower bud and some leaves |
Little Brown Jug leaves, apparently injured by recent harsh weather |
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Mayapple |
Periwinkle |
Persian Speedwell |
Purple Deadnettle |
Round-lobed Hepatica flower |
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Round-lobed Hepatica (leaf) |
Rue Anemone |
More Rue Anemone |
Another Rue Anemone flower |
Shield-backed Katydid |
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Virginia Spring Beauty |
Another Virginia Spring Beauty |
Trout Lily |
Yellow Fumewort |
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Yellow Fumewort |
More Yellow Fumewort |
More Yellow Fumewort |
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1/18/19
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Northern Cricket Frog |
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2/23/17
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Round-lobed Hepatica |
Trout Lily |
Persian Speedwell |
Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 2/23/17. Some cultivars are known as "Bradford Pears," but, since this was growing wild, it's not clear whether this was one, since that species interbreeds with members of other pear species, e.g., Pyrus communis, very easily. Intoduced and generally, though not officially, considered to be invasive. |
Common Blue Violet |
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Controlled burn across the street from the Penny's Bend parking lot |
Another view of the controlled burn |
Bloodroot with fruit |
Other bloodroots |
Cutleaf Toothwort |
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The beginnings of Dutchman's Breeches |
Field Pansy |
Fly |
Green and Gold |
Ground Ivy |
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Heart toy |
Hepatica flower |
Red-shouldered Hawk |
Spring Beauty |
Trout Lily |
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Yellowbelly Sliders |
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3/31/16
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Ashy Clubtail |
Large Bee Fly on Virginia Spring Beauty |
Winter leaves of a Crane Fly Orchid |
Cutleaf Toothwort |
Downy Yellow Violet |
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Dutchman's Breeches |
Early Saxifrage |
Male Eastern Tailed-Blue |
Another Eastern Tailed-Blue |
Green-and-gold |
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Juvenal's Duskywing |
Carolina Spring Beauty |
Wild Strawberry |
Dutchman's Breeches |
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4/28/15
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Bee fly,
hovering over a Winged Elm seed covering |
Golden-backed Snipe Fly |
Carolina Satyr |
Teneral Blue Corporal |
Male Blue Corporal |
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Mystery
fly, maybe a snipe fly |
Spider,
something like the Castaneira genus |
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6/20/14
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Dogbane
Leaf Beetle |
Mating Yellow-collared Scape
Moths |
Yellow-collared Scape Moth |
Mystery bird |
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Fowler's Toad |
Leaffooted
bug nymph |
Weevil on a daisy |
White-lined
Burrowing Bug |
Pipevine Swallowtail |
4/8/13
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Dutchman's
Breeches |
Green
Six-spotted Tiger Beetle |
Downy Yellow Violet |
Spring beauty (Claytonia
caroliniana) |
Tiny scarab beetle (Hoplia
genus) |
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Rue Anemone |
Another
Rue Anemone |
Early Saxifrage |
Another Early Saxifrage |
Bee on a
dandelion |
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Bumble Flower Beetle |
Common Vetch |
Mating click beetles |
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11/6/11
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Field near the parking lot |
Wooded hill |
Worn
Common Buckeye on the ground |
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5/10/11
I heard two species of cicadas, not always in the same
places.
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13-year Periodical
Cicada (Magicicada tredecim? trecassini?) |
13-year Periodical
Cicada, recent metamorph |
13-year Periodical
Cicada: adult and exuvia |
13-year Periodical
Cicada with damaged wing |
13-year Periodical
Cicada exuviae |
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Eyed Click Beetle |
Aphid |
Front view of a 13-year
Periodical Cicada |
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4/4/11
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Female Selys' Sundragon |
Eastern Comma |
Eastern Comma |
Female Eastern Tailed Blue |
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Snowberry
Clearwing Moth (dorsal view) |
Snowberry
Clearwing Moth at flower |
Tufted Titmouse |
Mourning Dove |
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Downy Yellow
Violet (Viola pubescens) |
Dutchman's
Breeches |
Early Saxifrage |
Rue Anemone |
Green Six-spotted
Tiger Beetle |
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This Black Rat
Snake was lying on a branch in the middle of the trail. |
It moved away, |
and went up a small
tree. |
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11/21/10
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Northern Cricket
Frog |
Pearl Crescent |
Speckled
Sharpshooter (Paraulacizes irrorata). See other
leafhoppers. |
Hepatica leaf |
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8/8/10
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Hackberry Emperor |
Sleepy Orange |
Pearl Crescent |
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail |
An aster (maybe a
Jerusalem artichoke?)
attracting many Eastern Tiger Swallowtails |
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Common Wood Nymph |
Carolina Satyr, dorsal view |
Clouded Skipper |
Delta Flower
Beetle |
Blue-ringed Dancer.
See other damselflies. |
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Cicada nymph exuvia |
Small Milkweed Bug |
Pearl Crescent |
Female Halloween
Pennant |
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5/20/10
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Calico Pennant |
Dogbane Beetle |
Crab spider |
Billbug |
Deptford Pink
(Dianthus ameria) |
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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 |
4/26/10
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Wild Blue Indigo |
Dogbane Tiger Moth
(Cycnia tenera), found on the underside of a Common Milkweed leaf |
Shield-backed
Katydid |
Ox-eye Daisy |
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Multi-colored
Asian Ladybug Beetle, anomalous with no spots |
Male Juvenal's
Duskywing |
Large Bee Fly in flight |
Mating muscid flies |
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3/6/10
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Little Periwinkle
(Vinca minor), in the process of unfolding |
Spring Beauty |
Trout Lily (leaf only) |
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Buckeye leaf buds |
Shield-backed
katydid nymph |
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5/20/09
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Female Calico Pennant. See other
dragonflies. |
Hangingfly |
Viola's Little
Wood Satyr |
Large
Bee Fly |
Blue
Corporal |
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Wild Blue Indigo flowers and leaves |
Wild Blue Indigo seed pods |
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4/22/09
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Diurnal
firefly beetle (probably Ellychnia genus). See other
beetles. |
Ichneumonid wasp |
Female
Bowl-and-doily spider |
Pink Wood-Sorrel (Oxalis corymbosa). |
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Tulip
Tree flowers and leaves |
Green-and-gold |
Honey
Locust, a fearsome tree with many thorns |
Golden Alexander |
Lyre-leaved Sage (Salvia lyrata) |
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Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) flower |
Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) leaves |
Grass Miner Moth (Antaeotricha genus, probably Schlaegeri species,
Stenomatinae subfamily, Elachistidae family. ID thanks to
John and Jane Balaban. This moth was ~5 mm long and
looked like a bird dropping at first glance. |
Cuckoo Bee (Nomada genus, Heminomada subgenus, most likely Imbricata
species). ID thanks to
John S. Ascher. |
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4/4/09
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Checkered beetle (Enoclerus ichneumoneus). ID thanks to
John and Jane Balaban. |
Bumble Flower Beetle (Euphoria inda) |
Assassin bug (Pselliopus cinctus) on a
Sugar Hackberry tree. |
White-lined Burrower Bug |
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Small
scarab beetle, maybe Hoplia trivialis, Melolonthinae family (May/June
Beetles). Small (about 8 mm long) with visible hairs. |
Two-lined Leatherwing Beetles
(Atalantycha bilineata) |
Brown lacewing, maybe. |
Dutchman's Breeches |
Downy Yellow Violet
(Viola pubescens) |
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Muscid fly |
Juniper Hairstreak |
Female Falcate
Orangetip |
Jumping spider (Phidippus genus, maybe ardens) |
Brown Lacewing |
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3/19/09
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Speckled Sharpshooter. See other
leafhoppers. |
Male
Bowl-and-doily Spider |
A type of cuckoo bee, Nomada genus. This bee was in constant
flight. |
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7/9/08
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American Lady |
Silvery Checkerspot |
Robber fly |
Clay-colored Leaf Beetle |
Casebearer Beetle (Bassareus clathratus) |
5/24/08
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Rhopalid Bug (Harmostes
genus) |
White form
Orange Sulphur |
Weevil on daisy |
Leafhopper nymphs |
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Question Mark |
Dog
Tick,
perhaps reaching out for a prospective host. |
Small spider |
Ichneumonid
wasp |
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Velvet mite |
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Solitary bee |
Robber fly (Laphria
divisor) |
Viola's Satyr |
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Mirid Bug (Lopidea genus) |
Flat-faced longhorn
beetle (Hemierana marginata argens). ID thanks to
Mike Thomas. |
5/6/08
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Leaf Beetle, about
2 mm long |
Leafhopper nymph |
Another leafhopper nymph |
Scorpionfly |
Spider |
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Ladybug beetle
larva molting |
Mirid bug adult (Lopidea
genus) |
Mirid bug nymph (Lopidea
genus) |
Click beetle (Elaterinae subfamily) |
Orchard
Spider, probably overexposed |
4/11/08
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Female Falcate Orangetip |
Male and female
Falcate Orangetips, engaged in courtship ritual |
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Two
Green
Six-spotted Tiger Beetles |
Probably a
Juvenal's Duskywing |
Common Cricket |
2/9/08
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Question Mark |
Blowfly |
Soldier Fly |
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5/25/07
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Northern Pearly Eye,
Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 5/25/07 |
Crossline Skipper,
on Blue Indigo flower at Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 5/25/07 |
Negro (Ebony) Bug (Galgupha atra, Thyreocoridae family), Penny's Bend
Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 5/25/07. For what it's worth,
"negro" and "atra" mean the same thing in English: "black." |
Xylophagid fly, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 5/25/07 |
10/23/07
Insects appearing on plants are getting more scarce.
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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 |
7/15/07
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Jumping
spider,
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 7/15/07 |
Hag moths
(Phobetron
pithecium, Limcodidae family)
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 7/15/07. This picture was taken at 9:45 am.
ID thanks to
John T. Lill. |
Robber fly, Penny's
Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 7/15/07. Note the two red
parasitic mites on the legs. |
Red-banded Hairstreak,
Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 7/15/07 |
Planthopper exuvia, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 7/15/07 |
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Jumping spider with flower fly prey, Penny's Bend
Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 7/15/07 |
(Same) jumping spider, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 7/15/07 |
Acanalonid planthopper nymph, Penny's Bend
Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 7/15/07. This bold nymph
looked ready to use fight rather than flight. This little insect
was about 1 mm long. |
8/12/07
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Leafhopper (Jikradia olitoria), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 8/12/07 |
6/15/07
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Swamp Milkweed
Beetle,
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 6/1507 |
Wheel Bug
nymph, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 6/1507 |
Leaffooted Bug
nymph, Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 6/1507 |
Moth, Tebenna gemalis, Choreutinae subfamily,
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 6/15/07. ID based
on
John Davis' Moth Photo Page, #2644. |
Orb weaver (Neoscona genus), Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 6/1507 |
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Mystery leafhopper, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 6/1507 |
Dogbane Beetle,
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 6/1507 |
Margined Leatherwing,
Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 6/1507 |
Scarab beetle, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 6/1507 |
Clay-colored Leaf Beetle,
Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 6/15/07 |
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Maybe a Florida Cooter,
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 6/1507. This turtle showed up on ridge level, far from
the river. It was very large, at least a foot long. See
other turtles. |
4/20/07
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Juniper Hairstreak,
Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 4/20/07. Seen along Eno River flying
above leaf litter. |
Jumping spider with unidentified prey, Penny's Bend
Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 4/20/07. |
Potter Wasp,
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 4/20/07. |
Green six-spotted Tiger Beetle,
Penny's Bend
Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 4/20/07. |
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Eastern Comma,
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 4/20/07. |
Solitary bee (probably Nomada species), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 4/20/07. This bee was the size of an
average ant and in frantic motion. |
Checkered Skipper, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 4/20/07. |
3/30/07
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I think these are flower flies. Penny's Bend
Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 3/30/07 |
Orb weaver (probably Mangora genus), Penny's Bend
Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 3/30/07 |
Male Falcate Orangetip
on a Spring Beauty flower,
Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 3/30/07 |
Flower fly (Toxomerus marginatus), Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 3/30/07 |
Megachilid bee on a Spring Beauty flower, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 3/30/07 |
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Mystery dragonfly, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 3/30/07 |
Dance Fly (family Empididae), Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 3/30/07 |
Lancet Clubtail,
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 3/30/07 |
Young adult
Blue Corporal, Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 3/30/07 |
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Mayfly, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 3/30/07 |
3/14/07
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Juvenal's Duskywing,
Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 3/14/07 |
Question Mark,
Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 3/14/07. You can see the dorsal side
pattern of the wings in the picture on the right because the butterfly
opened its wings. |
10/21/06
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Red-banded Hairstreak,
Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 10/21/06 |
Pearl Crescent,
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 10/21/06 |
Northern Cricket Frog,
Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 10/21/06 |
Tachinid fly (possibly genus Austrophorocera), Penny's
Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 10/21/06 |
Blowfly, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County,
NC, 10/21/06 |
8/13/06
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Jumping spider, Penny's Bend
Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 8/13/06 |
Pelecinid
Wasp, (Pelecinus polyturator), Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 8/13/06 |
Orchard Spider, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 8/13/06 |
Maybe a setwing, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 8/13/06 |
Spined Micrathena, Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 8/13/06 |
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Nursery Web Spider,
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham
County, NC, 8/13/06 |
Earlier visits
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Ichnemonid Wasp,
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve,
Durham County, NC, 4/5/06. ID thanks to
Dr. Doug Yanega of the University of California at Riverside. |
Mirid bug nymph, Penny's Bend, Durham County, NC,
5/5/06. This bug was about ¼ inch
long without the antennae. Thanks to Eric Eaton for ID. |
Squash Bug,
Penny's Bend, Durham County, NC, 6/4/06 |
Calico Pennant
(Celithemis elisa),
Penny's Bend, Durham County, NC, 6/4/06 |
Male Widow Skimmer,
Penny's Bend, Durham County,
NC, 6/4/06. Somewhat immature, seems to be in transition. |
Halictid bee (Agapostemon texanus?) on a Smooth Coneflower,
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 6/30/06 |
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Northern Pearly Eye, Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, 8/24/05. |
Toad Bug, Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham
County, 8/23/05. Found on banks of Eno River. |
Spined Assasin Bug (Sinea diadema),
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 10/15/05.
Perhaps a later Assassin Bug instar.
Again note the spiny forelegs. |
Wheel Bug nymph,
Penny's Bend, Durham County, NC, 5/23/06. |
Wheel Bug nymph,
Penny's Bend, Durham County, NC,
6/4/06 |
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Northern Cricket Frog,
Penny's Bend Nature
Preserve, Durham County, NC, 4/5/06, on land a substantial distance from the Eno River. |
Northern Cricket Frog,
Penny's Bend, Durham
County, NC, 5/23/06 |
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Fawn Darner (Boyeria vinosa),
Penny's Bend Natural Area, Durham County, NC, 9/20/05 |
Same
Fawn Darner. |
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Ashy Clubtail
(Gomphus lividus),
Penny's Bend, 4/5/06. Thanks to Randy Emmitt for ID help. |
Ashy Clubtail.
Same dragonfly as on left.
The "clubtail" feature is minimal. |
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Female
Dragonhunter (Hagenius
brevistyla), Eno River SP, Old Cole Mill Road access,
6/11/05. Thanks to Josh Rose for ID. Josh says the male has
a skinnier abdomen. |
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White-throated Sparrow, Penny's Bend
Nature Preserve, Durham County, NC, 12/28/05. |
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© 2007-2020 Dorothy E. Pugh