Home Field and Swamp: Animals and Their Habitats

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Archived-by-Date Pages

 

May 2021

Durham, NC  5/31/21

Meadow Garlic (Allium canadense) Meadow Garlic (Allium canadense) Yellow Nutsedge Moth Appalachian Brown Basilica Spider

 
Mystery beetle Firefly beetles mating Mystery bug on Stiff Marsh Bedstraw Click beetle  

Jumping spider Picture-winged fly (Delphinia picta) Sweetgum buds Tarnished Plant Bug early-instar nymph Tumbling flower beetle

Durham, NC  5/30/21

Buffalo Treehopper nymph Same Buffalo Treehopper nymph Common Milkweed Jumping spider with leafhopper prey Tachinid fly (Trichopoda lanipes).  ID thanks to Steve Scholnick.

     
Same Tachinid fly (Trichopoda lanipes) White Avens (Geum canadense)      

Durham, NC  5/29/21

Lace bug (Corythucha genus) Pale Legume Bug (Lygus elisus) Tumbling flower beetle (Mordellistena genus) Weevil Broad-headed Sharpshooter nymph

 

   
Cuckoo Bee Dwarf Blue-eyed Grass Japanese Beetle    

Durham, NC  5/27/21

Carolina Horsenettle (Solanum carolinense) Lace bug (Corythucha genus) leafhopper (Graphocephala coccinea) Buffalo Treehopper nymph Lizard's Tail (Saururus cernuus)

Durham, NC  5/26/21

American Lady Antmimic Jumping Spider (Synemosyna formica) Appalachian Brown Dwarf Blue-eyed Grass Glassy-winged Sharpshooter

Green lacewing larva Carolina Horsenettle Jumping spider Lauxaniid fly Leafhopper (Scaphoideus genus) nymph

   
Leafhopper (Scaphoideus genus) nymph Mystery moth Picture-winged fly (Delphinia picta)    

   
Polished Ladybug Beetle (Cycloneda munda) Polished Ladybug Beetle (Cycloneda munda) Sedge?    

   
Tumbling flower beetle Rubarb Curculio (Lixus concavus) White-banded Crab Spider    

Durham, NC  5/25/21

Appalachian Brown Common Milkweed Crab spider Dusky ladybug beetle Eastern Gamagrass

 
More Eastern Gamagrass Firefly beetle Sweet William  (Dianthus caryophyllus) Red-headed Bush Cricket  

Durham, NC  5/23/21

Asian Multi-colored Ladybug Beetle Lobed Tickseed (Coreopsis auriculata), by Karl D. Gottschalk Blue Jay Dusky ladybug beetles (Scymnus rubricaudus) mating Ebony bug

Swamp Milkweed Beetle larva Flower thrip Turkey Vulture Same Turkey Vulture Neighborhood unicyclist

Wild Garlic (Allium vineale) Brown-headed Cowbird pair Lobed Tickseed (Coreopsis auriculata) Ochre Dagger moth (Acronicta morula) Large Milkweed Bug

       
Monarch caterpillar on Common Milkweed        

Durham, NC  5/22/21

Ants tending aphids on a dock plant Clouded Plant Bug (Neurocolpus nubilus) Convergent Ladybug Beetle (Hippodamia convergens) European Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) Hearts-a-bustin' (Euonymus americanus)

Moth (Pandemis lamprosana), in Tortricinae subfamily Plume moth (Pterophorini tribe) Spotted Ladybug Beetle Thrip Tumbling flower beetle

White-marked Tussock Moth caterpillar Venus' Looking Glass Warty leaf beetle White Clover Wild Garlic (Allium vineale)

Durham, NC  5/21/21

 
Leafhopper (Scaphoideus genus) nymph Orb weaver Southern Magnolia Swamp Milkweed Beetles mating  

Tarnished Plant Bug on fleabane Orb weaver in web Web Wild Garlic (Allium vineale) American Black Elderberry

Spoonleaf Purple Everlasting (Gamochaeta purpurea) seedheads Spoonleaf Purple Everlasting (Gamochaeta purpurea) flowers and seedhead Spoonleaf Purple Everlasting (Gamochaeta purpurea) flowers and seedhead Firefly beetle Cat Greenbrier (Smilax glauca) fruits

 

 
American Black Elderberry Question Mark      

Durham, NC  5/19/21

Snapping Turtle Same Snapping Turtle Spined Soldier Bug nymph Eupelmid wasp (Brasema rhadinosa). ID thanks to Jeong Yoo. Probably a Green June Beetle suffering from sun exposure

   
Jumping spider (Colonus sylvanus) Planthopper nymph exuvia Planthopper nymph exuvia    

Durham, NC  5/18/21

Appalachian Brown Plant bug (Amblytylus nasutus)  ID thanks to Vassily Belov. Green lacewing larva Same green lacewing larva Treehopper (Entylia carinata)

Appalachian Brown Blue Toadflax Broad-headed Sharpshooter nymph Ame Broad-headed Sharpshooter nymph Japanese Mazus

     
Large Milkweed Bug Stink bug      

Durham, NC  5/17/21

Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass Dwarf Blue-eyed Grass Common or European Honeysuckle Partridgeberry flowers and leaves

Durham, NC  5/16/21

American Black Elderberry American Hornbeam Mystery beetle Carolina Cranesbill Firefly beetle

   
Ghost Spider Grass Leafhopper (Scaphoideus genus)    

Leafroller moth Long-legged fly Moth Pennsylvania Leatherwing Beetle Peppergrass

Scarab beetle Sedge Spotted Ladybug Beetles mating Stiff Marsh Bedstraw

Same Stiff Marsh Bedstraw

Common Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) Warty Spurge Wasp Wild Garlic (Allium vineale) Female Zabulon Skipper

Durham, NC  5/14/21

Jumping spider (Phidippus otiosus) Spotted Ladybug Beetle larva (Coleomegilla maculata) Broad-headed Sharpshooter nymph Longhorn bee Mite (Penthaleus genus)

Planthopper (Criomorphus genus) Same planthopper (Criomorphus genus) Stilt Bug Same Stilt Bug Swamp Milkweed Beetle

Cone carrying moth (Lepidoscia genus).  A similar insect was spotted in the Melbourne, Australia, area: https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/9299244. It might have arrived in the U.S. on an imported eucalpytus tree. Woodland Spurge flowers, male on left, female on right Whirligig mite Male Zabulon Skipper Antmimic jumping spider (Synemosyna formica)

Aphids and ant Assassin bug Bee Beetle Why they call it blue-eyed "grass"

Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass Bristly Mallow Plant bug Chinese Privet Dusky Ladybug Beetle

Red Admiral White Avens (Geum canadense) Male Eastern Bluebird Same male EAstern Bluebird (his age showing here more clearly) Lauxaniid fly

Durham, NC  5/13/21

Dovefoot Geranium Field Madder Fleabane Grass with mite Gray Hairstreak, with anomalous dorsal orange

Hawkweed Little Brown Jug flower, fading Orange Sulphur Pillbug Shepherd's Purse

     
Japanese Meadowsweet (Spiraea japonica) Probably Yellow Passionflower vine, later killed by herbicide sprayers around 5/21/21      

Durham, NC  5/11/21

Azure on White Clover Bristly Mallow bud Bristly Mallow flower Antmimic jumping spider (male Synemosyna formica) Freshly molted crab spider

Annual Blue-eyed Grass Dwarf Dandelion Fleabane Flower fly Ground Ivy

Japanese Mazus Jumping spider (probably Paraphidippus aurantius) Jumping spider (Hentzia genus) with prey Jumping spider (male Hentzia mitrata) Jumping spider (male Pelegrina proterva)

Leafhopper nymph Same leafhopper nymph Another leafhopper nymph Long-legged fly Longhorn beetle

Low Hop Clover Mock Strawberry Moth Narrow-leaf Blue-eyed Grass Needle-tip Blue-eyed Grass

Picture-winged fly Shepherd's Purse Swamp Milkweed Beetle Same Swamp Milkweed Beetle Wasp

 
Mystery wildflower Wolf spider Yellow wood-sorrel Female Common Whitetail  

Durham, NC  5/9/21

Treehopper (Entylia carinata) Seven-spotted Ladybug Beetle larva Sycamore Seed Bug nymph Wolf spider (Schizocosa crassipes) Spoonleaf Purple Everlasting (Gamochaeta purpurea)

Aphids Broad-headed Sharpshooter nymph Bulbous Buttercup flower Chinese Privet Dusky Ladybug Beetle

Golden-backed Snipe Fly Hearts-a-bustin' flower and bud Ladybug beetle larva Little Quaking Grass (Briza minor) Longhorn beetle

       
Needle-tip Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium mucronatum)        

Durham, NC  5/8/21

Should be called Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), although it's generally accepted that Narrowleaf and Needle-tip look identical, and not like this.  It was as big as these species, definitely not Dwarf Blue-eyed Grass. Male Northern Cardinal The last Deerberry flower Field Madder Frank's Sedge

Hearts-a-bustin' (Euonymus americanus) Hearts-a-bustin' (Euonymus americanus) Hearts-a-bustin' (Euonymus americanus) Littleleaf Buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus) Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica)

Maybe a 17-year Cicada?  Wings seem immature.  Dorsal view. Same cicada, ventral view Brookweed (Samolus parviflorus) Carolina Cranesbill (Geranium carolinianum) Cat's Ear Dandelion

Common Cinquefoil (Cinquefoil simplex) Dock Dwarf Blue-eyed Grass Golden-backed Snipe Fly Hemp Dogbane

Little Brown Jug (Hexastylis arifolia) Littleleaf Buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus) Painted Skimmer Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) Another Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)

Pennsylvania Bittercress Shepherd's Purse Little Periwinkle (Vinca minor) Violet Wood-sorrel (Oxalis violacea) Same Pink Wood-sorrel (Oxalis violacea)

 
Sedge Shepherd's Purse Shield-backed Katydid Shotgun shell.  Yes, there is hunting in my neighborhood.  

Southern Blue Flag Iris Venus' Looking Glass Another Venus' Looking Glass Violet Wood-sorrel (Oxalis violacea) Virginia Spiderwort

Weak Rush (Juncus debilis) Seven-spotted Ladybug Beetle larva Southern Blue Flag Irises Spiraea japonica Toy found here

Durham, NC  5/6/21

Low Hop Clover (Trifolium campestre) Low Hop Clover (Trifolium campestre) Crab spider (Synema parvulum) Hearts-a-bustin' (Euonymus americanus) Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

Ladybug beetle larva Little Quaking Grass (Briza minor) Low Hop Clover (Trifolium campestre) Lyreleaf Sage (Salvia lyrata) Mock Strawberry (Potentilla indica)

 

Moth Common Rush (Juncus effusus) Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) Swamp Milkweed Beetle Warty leaf beetle

       
Mystery caterpillar        

Durham, NC  5/5/21

Fledgling Northern Mockingbird Same bird slid down between the trunks of a Crape Myrtle. Same fledgling Northern Mockingbird, after flying onto a fence    

Same fledgling Northern Mockingbird     Pearl Crescent Pileated Woodpecker

 
Female Eastern Pondhawk Tufted Titmouse Male House Finch Two male and one female House Finches  

 

American Hornbeam bracts Bulbous Buttercup? Common Whitetail Corn Earworm Multiflora Rose

Durham, NC  5/4/21

American Lady Antmimic jumping spider (Synemosyna formica) Aphids Brazilian Vervain (Verbena brasiliensis) Brown-headed Nuthatch at nest

   
Hairy Buttercup Caterpillar Another caterpillar    

Caterpillars Common Dandelion Dwarf Dandelion Flower fly (Toxomerus genus) Black scavenger fly (Sepsis punctum), Durham, NC, 5/4/21.  Genus ID thanks to Hexapoda.

Frank's Sedge (Carex frankii) Jumping spider Lauxaniid fly Leafhopper Mock Strawberry

Orb weaver Probably a Yellow Passionflower vine Third Fork Creek, seen from bridge Vine Male Zabulon Skipper

Ocracoke, NC  5/1/21

Largeseed Forget-me-not Part of an Ocracoke house near Route 12, viewed from the ball field Frog sculpture at Heron's Landing Hawkweed Formerly named Heron's Landing, on Cedar Lane, viewed from the ball field

 

 
Morning Glories (Ipomoea purpurea) Mourning Dove Ballfield scoreboard Sow Thistle seedheads  

 

 

 

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

 

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