[Life] 🌳 Paradise: The Nature Club

[icycatelf]

There's was a rumor that purple ladybugs with fifteen spots existed, and that they could only be found in Hawaii. That's not entirely true though. The Fifteen-Spotted Lady Beetle may appear purple, albeit very subtly, but it's actually found mainly in the eastern US. This ladybug comes in two color forms: a light form and a dark form. It was once believed that the beetle darkened with maturity, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Shiny Dottler's periwinkle hue is practically identical to the Fifteen-Spotted Lady Beetle. Could it and Shiny Orbeetle be connected to this species?

Dichrorampha bittana, Doubleday's Baileya Moth, Eastern Beebalm (a member of the mint family), Fifteen-Spotted Lady Beetle (lighter form), Fifteen-Spotted Lady Beetle (darker form), Mottled Prominent, Push Pin Slime Mold, Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar, late instar Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar (aka Shiny Caterpie), and Yellow Wave Moth

 

[Lavender]

Name: Lavender
The grass or bug-type Pokémon that represents you: Spidops
The plant you will raise: Hibiscus
Your favourite bugs/insects/arthropods: Spiders

 

[Lavender]

Look at this cut lil guy! :fufu:

 

[VisionofMilotic]

Thought I'd share a nice video of the blue whale with the nature club. Their song is so majestic and otherworldly.

 

[icycatelf]

Look at this cut lil guy! :fufu:

Spoiler:

Very cute!

I unfortunately didn't do much mothing this past moth week on account of family stuff, but I did spot this newbie, a White-Striped Black, before bed one night. (I've really gotta clean off that vinyl siding...)

Was also visited by another Tuliptree Silkmoth a couple nights ago and took the opportunity to get a better pic. Isn't he handsome?

Spoiler:

 

[VisionofMilotic]

I found some cool science content about thr longest living animals in the planet.

https://www.iflscience.com/the-longest-living-animal-on-earth-can-live-for-over-2000-years-70210

 

[icycatelf]

Some recent caterpillars: a Saddled Prominent, a Tuliptree Silkworm, an Imperial Moth caterpillar (brown form, 3rd instar), a more colorful example of the Calico Paint, and a better pic of the Powdered Dagger Moth caterpillar.

Been hoping to find some new sphingid cats in particular but I haven't even seen any repeats yet.

 

[Ninetales]

Some recent caterpillars: a Saddled Prominent, a Tuliptree Silkworm, an Imperial Moth caterpillar (brown form, 3rd instar), a more colorful example of the Calico Paint, and a better pic of the Powdered Dagger Moth caterpillar.

Been hoping to find some new sphingid cats in particular but I haven't even seen any repeats yet.

These are phenomenal photographs! Your talent is undeniable! Gosh, the caterpillars are all so adorable!!

 

[Lavender]

Some recent caterpillars: a Saddled Prominent, a Tuliptree Silkworm, an Imperial Moth caterpillar (brown form, 3rd instar), a more colorful example of the Calico Paint, and a better pic of the Powdered Dagger Moth caterpillar.

Been hoping to find some new sphingid cats in particular but I haven't even seen any repeats yet.

Caterpillars are the cutest things :3

 

[icycatelf]

Some more older pics, including a flat-faced longhorn beetle (Aegomorphus quadrigibbus), some Allegheny Monkeyflowers, an itsy bitsy Black Locust Leafminer Moth, the Common Bird's Nest Fungus, Leconte's Haploa, a Masked Birch Caterpillar, Scarlet Beebalm, a Smaller Sand "Cricket" (technically a grasshopper), some Tuliptree Scale Insects, and a Variable Dancer.

I think it's neat when something has different common names depending on its life stage. The Masked Birch Caterpillar, for example, becomes the Arched Hooktip. It's like Pokémon!

Still hoping for a mole cricket Pokémon someday. I could totally see it evolving from a sand cricket aka pygmy mole cricket.

 

[Lavender]

Ant mimicking jumping spider of some sort

Spoiler:

Dunno what this is, but it's cool.

Spoiler:

Such a cute lil guy!

Spoiler:

 

[icycatelf]

I love the ant-mimicking spiders! Found a couple species for the first time myself this year. Posted one back in May, though it's not quite as convincing as the other which is similar to if not the same as yours: the Slender Ant-Mimic Jumping Spider. Didn't even realize it wasn't an ant until after I got the pic.

 

[Lavender]

Found a really old swallowtail moth. somehow it still flies!

Spoiler:

 

[icycatelf]

Found a really old swallowtail moth. somehow it still flies!

Spoiler:

It's amazing how little of their wings moths require to fly. I've seen some with practically non-existent wings still putting up a good fight!

Fantastic moth! I believe swallowtail moths are what inspired Venomoth. (The closest relatives we have in my area are the scoopwings.)

 

[VisionofMilotic]

I saw a short that interested me about why the silverback gorilla beats his chest. The sound of each individual gorilla's chest tells other gorillas quite a bit about them. It's more than just an intimidation tactic, it's more like their identity card.



Adding a video about orangutans too showcasing why they are so intelligent.

 

[Lavender]

Thought I'd show you guys the spider spidops is based on! It's called an ogre faced spider or a net casting spider, it's really unique, I love how it hunts with its homemade net!

Here is spidops for comparison!

 

[VisionofMilotic]

I can see the resemblance! That's pretty neat. I always like discovering that a pokemon is inspired by wildlife I didn't know about.

I have come with something nature-related of my own that I think will give good vibes to anyone who watches. It's one of sweetest moments in the animal kingdom, a romantic one. This is a graceful swan mating dance captured on camera, and performed to an inspiring musical accompaniment!

 

[icycatelf]

A wild Burmy (Sandy Cloak) appeared!

Appears to be one of the lichen bagworms (genus Dahlica), which may attach plant bits, insect remains, and/or sand to their mobile shelters. Siederia walshella (formerly Dahlica walshella) is another possibility.

More old photos attached: a cosmet moth (Cosmopterix teligera), the eastern red damselfly, the everlasting tebenna, an ichneumonid wasp (Lymeon orbus), the red-necked peanutworm moth, the rice stink bug, a song sparrow's nest of eggs, the double-toothed prominent caterpillar aka "Stegosaurus" (could this be related to Slither Wing?), and a feather-legged fly (Trichopoda plumipes). I believe that's everything I've got now!

 

[VisionofMilotic]

As the weather is warming I am excited to see the return of all the bug pokemon icycatelf has spotted on safari. Thank you for taking us on walk through nature. You really bring it to life with your photographs.

Anyone want to welcome spring by celebrating the gorgeous and clever hummingbird?



As a bonus I have a most unique pheasant, the Temmimick Tragopan pheasant, in an impressive mating display!

 

[icycatelf]

That is WILD!

Have you ever seen the Golden Pheasant? Real-life phoenix. *_*

- - -

Found a new mushroom the other day: Chromosera cyanophylla. When young, they have gold caps and pink/lilac gills and stalks. They eventually turn yellow and finally white, apparently. Sometimes the caps may turn pink/lilac. I've been keeping an eye on them for any interesting changes.

I'm also starting to see moths again so hopefully I'll get some new ones before long. In the meantime, I did snap some more pics of the Bluish Spring Moth and Grapevine Epimenis.