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Posts Tagged "invertebrate"

Lovely Luna

Posted on Jun 23, 2016

Lovely Luna

Over the past couple of weeks we have had a number of lovely Luna moths (Actias luna) appearing around Jamestown in search of a partner to reproduce with before their short lives are over. Adult Luna moths, appropriately named after the moon-like eyespots appearing on their wings, only live for about a week or so. These beautiful moths can reach wingspans of four inches and glide delicately as they move from place to place. For such a gorgeous insect, why is it they only live for such a short time? Well, these moths actually lack any functional mouth parts, hence why they are so short-lived....

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Pearl Crescent

Posted on May 18, 2016

Pearl Crescent

Here is a Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) butterfly as photographed in the grass last week – the insects are coming!

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What’s Under That Rock?

Posted on Oct 9, 2015

What’s Under That Rock?

As a little girl growing up in rural Western New York, I always had an affinity for animals. My mom worked at a veterinary clinic and would often take me to work with her where, at a young age, I learned to respect animals and treat them with gentleness and compassion. I also spent a lot of time in the woods going on hikes with my dad and grandpa finding whatever was along the trail or fishing out whatever was in a nearby fishing hole. For the longest time I loved all things furry, with horses, dogs, and guinea pigs being amongst my favorites. But as I grew a little older and spent more time...

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Common Eastern Millipede up close

Posted on Jul 1, 2014

Common Eastern Millipede up close

Millipedes don’t really have 1,000 legs, but rather are characterized by the fact that each of their body segment bears two pairs of extremities (versus a single pair per body segment in centipedes). This feature can be observed nicely in this close-up photograph of a common eastern millipede (Narceus americanus), a species found in wooded habitats throughout eastern and central U.S. With a total length of up to 4 inches this is an impressive invertebrate! Even though it is big, it is completely harmless. Unlike their centipede ‘cousins’, millipedes lack the modified...

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