marytschopp's Favourites
Photos / Sounds
What
Ferruginous Carpenter Ant (Camponotus chromaiodes)Observer
cyclamenDescription
Very large ant, carpenter ant like. Stark bicolor coloring, possibly Camponotus chromaiodes? Only one seen, never seen others like it before.
Photos / Sounds
What
Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus)Observer
allisonbfDescription
Male? Never noticed one with a white marking.
Do you guys know if it’s a territorial behavior when two of these will zoom through the air? In the same manner as male X. virginica? Or is that always two females having a dispute over foraging on Asclepias? Or a mating/courtship ritual? It’s a constant and reliable behavior about which I’ve always been curious. Thanks:)
Photos / Sounds
What
Fan Moss (Forsstroemia trichomitria)Observer
gillydillyDescription
Pee Dee NWR
Photos / Sounds
What
Violet Coral Fungus (Clavaria zollingeri)Observer
danafitzDescription
One of the best parts of my job!!!
Photos / Sounds
What
British Soldier Lichen (Cladonia cristatella)Observer
cindydarnellDescription
Lake Crabtree County Park/Lake Crabtree perimeter
Photos / Sounds
What
Smoky-winged Beetle Bandit Wasp (Cerceris fumipennis)Observer
nancykDescription
On Bronze Fennel
Photos / Sounds
What
Yellow Crownbeard (Verbesina occidentalis)Observer
gillydillyDescription
Roadside
Photos / Sounds
What
Typical Potter Wasps (Genus Eumenes)Observer
boabernethyDescription
On Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)??
Photos / Sounds
What
Frost Michaelmas-Daisy (Symphyotrichum pilosum)Observer
gillydillyDescription
Roadside. Blooming early.
Photos / Sounds
What
Maryland Meadowbeauty (Rhexia mariana)Observer
gillydillyDescription
Roadside
Photos / Sounds
What
Least Brook Lamprey (Lampetra aepyptera)Observer
jerryreynoldsDescription
In small tributary feeding into my backyard stream downstream of my house. Observed 3 working a gravel nest. First observation in this tributary.
Photos / Sounds
What
Timulla vagansObserver
cotinisDescription
I found this small (~9mm length) velvet ant running down a road in a suburban neighborhood and captured it for some shots. It was identified by an expert on BugGuide as Timulla vagans:
bugguide.net/node/view/68201
Detailed images of this individual posted at:
bugguide.net/node/view/678260
So-called velvet ants (Mutillidae) are actually wasps. The males have wings and broadly resemble other wasps. The females are flightless and often rather hairy. They are parasitoids of other hymenoptera (sometimes other insects) and the females are seen racing around, apparently in search of hosts. Large species have a nasty sting, but I do not know about these. Members of this genus are reported to form a Mullerian mimicry complex:
doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.06.053
