Mites on Ectemnius continuus (see https://inaturalist.ca/observations/232578822). Winterschmidtiidae includes known phoretic associates of Eumeninae and of Megachile spp. bees, whether this is an accidental association or yet a different group within the family is unclear.
Mites on molting Pyractomena borealis larva.
Light trap per UAF study. ~1cm long
Found these while taking the dog for a walk, they were in the mossy/grassy section near a some buildings.
Even the (noisy) flight pattern was the same as that of a wasp, no hovering like most hoverflies.
Okay, this joke is too easy, but I gotta do it: It's a dog-eat-dog world. And if you don't get it, look closely... this fox (a regular resident) ran through my yard carrying a hot dog. Where did it get a hot dog? Not from me.
I was so excited to see this. It's the first time I've ever seen a male Nordmann's Orbweaver and the only time I've seen a mating ritual in a spider of any kind.
The male tried to impress the female but she was very unimpressed and went back inside her crack after a while of watching and the male sat at the entrance for over an hour waiting.
These amphipods were literally crawling over this pacific lion's mane jelly. I was super excited to get to see this for the first time.
Maybe two inches in length, larger than most rockweed isopods I've found.
host plant is a trillium, entered as observation 77272392 https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/77272392. here I am referring to the Phytoplasma infection leading to the green pigmentation in the white petals
With an Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta ssp. picta) riding around on its back! Observation here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/39611588.
When I first spied this Pustulated Carrion Beetle (N. pustulatus), the mites were swarming all over him, back & front. After I captured him for closer inspection of the mites, they must have sensed his imminent departure, for they all quickly assembled in a line on his wing right before he took flight. How did they know it was time for take off?
Saw this Cross Fox just outside of the town of Churchill, in Manitoba, while out looking for polar bears. It ended up being one of my favorite animal interactions I’ve ever had and gave me one of my favorite photos. I saw it just off the road and got out of the van dropped to the ground and watched as it carried this bird. It was running straight towards me and looked right down the barrel on my lens. The winds kicked up a flurry of snow and the shot was memorialized forever. Then as it got closer to me (about 10 feet) it moved away from the road and further into the frozen wilderness.
I just love the new hat this fellow has, but why does it look more bird-like then hat like...
Probably either the start, or the straggling tail end, of a hermit crab swap meet. The one on the right is clearly too small for the shell that it's sheltering in, and the one on the left is firmly hanging on to it, presumably to reserve its place in an anticipated future shell game.
NOID hopper (Auchenorrhyncha) on Anemone virginiana flower, Ice Meadows, Hudson River Recreation Area, Warrensburg, NY, June 2023
Black & white wasp-mimic syrphid/flower fly.
Floral host is Verbena hastata, in my backyard in Flatbush, Brooklyn, NYC.
Coelioxys octodentata on Pycnanthemum muticum in my garden, August 2014
On flowers of Doellingeria umbellata (Flat-top White Aster).
A similar wasp was seen on a leaf of this plant about 3 minutes later: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/241095868
found on grape.
wish the camera and lighting would’ve cooperated.
There is a jumping spider, the Twin-flagged Jumper, on its back...
This observation is for the species on the left. The one on the right is at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/83044188
on Rubus sp. (see last image)
This individual was solo around the edge of residences of Keflavik. Made for a very good model.
The field drawing was separated from the photo because it was observed at a different occasion.
Look at how he takes up an entire lane! That thing had to be pushing 1.8 or 1.9 meters and still was hardly as big around as my finger.
That first picture was later stolen off of my website and turned into numerous memes, many of which were shared tens of thousands of times. It then was taken by a software company for use in a viral ad campaign that was very successful. Finally, I was contacted by a board game company asking my permission to use the picture in their meme-based board game, which was the first I had known that people on Twitter and Instagram were using the photograph with abandon. I mean....he WAS a very photogenic snake, and I'm all for sharing pictures, but it feels dirty for people to just grab something off of someone else's page on the web and then profit off of it, especially the shady profits that come from viral advertising.
https://bangkokherps.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/long-nosed-whip-snake/
Because of the colouration, I'm no longer thinking this is B. dimidiata.
Found in the grates on the outside of an air conditioner. There was a porch light about 8 feet away though and they’ve been known to be found a little further away when found at artificial lights as opposed to directly by the light. Still could be a connection there though.
Now the 3rd time(atleast to my knowledge but maybe more) that this genus has been found at an air conditioner.
Surrounding habitat was just a good amount of mixed deciduous forest in urban setting.
I’m guessing it likes either the heat or humidity of the ac. Only other thing i can think of would be the smell or the look of the ac but i don’t think it would be those. Maybe, idk.
Either that or all times one was found at an ac there was a light present close by.
Always a cool species to see though .
found on the lawn during a light rain
has parasite, spider wasp larva(?), attached on the back of cephlothroax.
some kind of egg? 1~2mm in size, stuck pretty well to the leaf
on a velvet ant, Dasymutilla vestita, but I suspect they hopped on from the soil, or from the sheltering Kochia weed
minuscule insects, probably bugs, on the flower stem of a Goodenia
about 1mm
found under large oak tree. not really sure if this is an ant, beetle or something else lol.
2024 juvenile screeching up to its mother on a branch above.
Toxomerus politus, Old Gick Farm Parcel, Wilton Wildlife Preserve, Wilton, NY, August 2021