spencerpote's Favorites

I set up three sheets at Mitchell's Landing in Big Cypress National Preserve for blacklighting. I usually try to document just about everything, with a bit of a bias for the big and flashy but usually also with an eye for tiny and unusual stuff but because it was Moth Week, I almost exclusively photographed moths.

I finished setting up the last sheet around 11:30PM and then a strong storm rolled through, totally drenching my sheets and lights. I picked up two of the sheets and lights but left the bioquip one on since it was protected from the rain. I only snapped two pics at one of the sheets that I took down early and the rest are from the first sheet that I left up and running until around 1:30AM

1: Mitchell's Landing campground, first campground area. Bioquip blacklight hooked up to the campground outlet.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2022-07-26&d2=2022-07-27&nelat=25.755746895753024&nelng=-80.92789229991335&order=asc&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&project_id=blacklighting-florida&swlat=25.75508256428238&swlng=-80.93072799107044&user_id=joemdo

2: Mitchell's Landing campground, second campground. Sheet hung up on side of bathroom facing open area. 2 DJ blacklights connected to USB powerpack. Only snapped 2 pics due to the weather
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2022-07-26&d2=2022-07-27&nelat=25.75569903798286&nelng=-80.92534458854625&order=asc&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&project_id=blacklighting-florida&swlat=25.755034706244466&swlng=-80.92853507616947&user_id=joemdo

3: Mitchell's Landing campground near the airboat ramp. 2 DJ blacklights connected to USB powerpack. Had to pick this sheet up without any photos because it was soaked and I needed to downsize my efforts :-(

Here's a video showing the DJ blacklights in action at the Pinecrest campground (Big Cypress) from Summer 2019: https://youtu.be/tavmTa7WoPk

Info about the cheapy DJ blacklights used on the second and third sheet, great for getting started with blacklighting: https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/damontighe/11836-diy-moth-light

Blacklighting project for Florida on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/blacklighting-florida

I came out for some blacklighting after pre Tropical Storm Alex crossed Florida from the west, passing near Lake Okeechobee. South Florida was doused with rain, some places reported 10+ inches in Miami-Dade county. Most of the rain stopped in the early evening. There was light wind and a small shower that passed over while I was blacklighting. Moon was illuminated around 26%, temps in the mid to high 70's.

I set up three sheets in total and the one near the beginning of the Anhinga Trail was dominated by aquatic insects including toe biters and water scavenger beetles. This observation is from the second sheet described below.

1: Near the beginning of the Anhinga Trail, facing North, lit by a bioquip blacklight connected to battery with 12v outlet made for jumping car/inflating tires:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?captive=any&d1=2022-06-04&d2=2022-06-05&nelat=25.38251535211241&nelng=-80.60699945111232&order=asc&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&project_id=blacklighting-florida&swlat=25.381848946886805&swlng=-80.60983454604106&user_id=joemdo

2: Close to the beginning of the Old Ingraham Highway trail close to Royal Palm Visitors Center. Lit by two DJ blacklights connected to USB battery pack:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?captive=any&d1=2022-06-04&d2=2022-06-05&nelat=25.382105242961273&nelng=-80.60959391640706&order=asc&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&project_id=blacklighting-florida&swlat=25.38143883547254&swlng=-80.61031408952756&user_id=joemdo

3: Further down the Old Ingraham Highway, but still not very far down the trail. Lit by two DJ blacklights connected to USB battery pack:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?captive=any&d1=2022-06-04&d2=2022-06-05&nelat=25.382121221097417&nelng=-80.61009460990776&order=asc&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&project_id=blacklighting-florida&swlat=25.38145481369685&swlng=-80.61081478302826&user_id=joemdo

All of my blacklighting observations from tonight:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?captive=any&d1=2022-06-04&d2=2022-06-05&order=asc&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&project_id=blacklighting-florida&user_id=joemdo

Here's a video showing the DJ blacklights in action at the Pinecrest campground (Big Cypress) from Summer 2019: https://youtu.be/tavmTa7WoPk

Info about the cheapy DJ blacklights used on the second and third sheet, great for getting started with blacklighting: https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/damontighe/11836-diy-moth-light

Blacklighting project for Florida on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/blacklighting-florida

I met Jesse and Ellie soon after setting up the first sheet Old Ingraham Highway sheet and then Max, Michael and a couple of their friends after setting up the sheet near the opening of the Anhinga Trail.

I found this fly in some dirt by my water hose in Thousand Oaks. It is very small (about 1.5mm). It has wings so it is in the subclass Pterygota. It has halteres, large eyes, no chewing mouthparts, and 3 pairs of legs so I know it is diptera.

Gathered in mass at the corner of a plastic tote that I had recently filled with finely shredded Oak leaves. There were a number of flies hovering over the shredded leaves, but I cannot say for sure if they were one in the same species.