Eastern Hercules Beetle - Dynastes tityus (male, 40-50 mm, up to 60 mm with horns)
Found at a lighted wall in the morning. I had found them dead a few times at this site, but this one was uninjured.
Comedy. When I tried to manipulate it for photography on the wall, it backed onto my hand and would not let go. I had to drive home (a couple of miles) with it attached to the back of my hand. It rasped my hand with its mouthparts, but did not draw blood. Later I was able to coax it onto a stick and release my hand. A polarizing filter was used here to reduce reflections.
The fourth image shows it responding to an object placed up against its head--the object is clamped and then tossed to the rear. I tried this first with a pencil and the beetle tossed that quite a ways.
Also uploaded at:
bugguide.net/node/view/4461
References
Encontrado en Cerro grande, La Serena
Observed at Highlands Biological Station. Captured somewhere on the grounds. I cannot be sure of the exact location.
40x magnification. Used a razor to slowly peel back bark/phloem.
Unsure if Banded or Northern
Moonseed Moth (Plusiodonta compressipalpis)
17 May 2023
Avondale Park
Denton, Denton County, Texas
I held this spider up, looked it directly in the eyes, and it jumped directly onto my nose.
Looks like it has a mohawk
A lovely little critter who jumped away before I could get a better photo!
Unsure what kind, perhaps Eastern painted juvenile. Found on asphalt. Size of a half dollar.
I was quite surprised to flush a Woodcock from the drainage ditch behind my house this morning (5 August 2009, this observation is pulled from old Flickr photos). It flew up into a woodland clearing and remained in the open for a while, preening. I was able to get close enough to get a recognizable photo--just for fun.
Some years ago, I heard one calling during the late winter breeding period from the small woodlot behind my house, so perhaps this is a resident bird, though it could be an early migrant. (They breed in this area, but are probably more abundant in winter, with an influx of migrants from the North.)
Update: saw the same bird (presumably) in my yard on 10 August, so it seems to be hanging around. (Perhaps an early migrant or disperser from better habitat in the area.)
Location: Durham NC (USA)
Years ago (1990's) I could find these birds displaying at an abandoned farm about two miles distant, but that site has been developed. There are other marshy wetland habitats suitable nearby, but as of early 2023 this is the only sighting I've had from my yard.
Great Purple Hairstreak - Atlides halesus
bugguide.net/node/view/2844
Location: Durham NC (USA)
I encountered this fresh butterfly on a cool evening thanks to my dog, who found it on the road under a street light and tried to eat it. After losing it once, I returned a couple of hours later and was able to photograph it. The hostplant is mistletoe, which is uncommon in this neighborhood, but I have found the butterfly a few times over the last several years. Happy Wing Wednesday!
Edit. Added some studio shots taken later to highlight possible aposematic and mimetic markings.
Appreciation to Matthew Bertone and Charley Eisemen for confirming id.
Caterpillar. Separate entry for parasite.
Interesting beetle on the sand near a lake in the NC Sandhills, Richmond County. They appeared to be:
Oblique-lined Tiger Beetle - Cicindela (Tribonia) tranquebarica (11-15 mm)
Subspecies Cicindela tranquebarica tranquebarica, I guess?
References:
Emerged 9-10 days after collection mines in White Clover here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/98736916
Perched in a fringe tree in our backyard, about 800 feet (as the heron flies) from a small lake. Ungainly flyer. Was happy to pose for quite some time.
4" hatchling, first one I've seen in November.
Unusual deep red color, but single flower on each stem rules out Pinesap.
Plenty on Rudbeckia subtomentosa but this pair were on Sneezeweed
I found this interesting lady beetle on a vine in a woodland near Bynum, Chatham County, North Carolina (USA), on 30 August 2020. I captured it for some studio photos, along with some foliage from the plant it was on. It proceeded to chew holes in the leaf, confusing me to no end--I was sure it was a leaf beetle. Aha! It is a member of subfamily Epilachninae--Plant-eating Lady Beetles. Note the defensive reflex bleeding common among lady beetles visible in a couple of frames.
Squash Lady Beetle - Epilachna borealis (9 mm)
bugguide.net/node/view/61612
Morton Arboretum west side
large dragonfly at lake's edge, approachable
Presumably two species of slime molds on the same rotting conifer log ~8400' elevation. This observation is for the black one in the back. The observation for the gold species in the front can be found here.