e_moon60 (e_moon60) wrote,
e_moon60
e_moon60

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80 acres: new species

Yesterday's camera-walk was productive in places--the continued drought means the fall flowers are mostly delayed, but the kidneywood, Eysenhardtia texana, has flowered in response to the rain a couple of weeks ago.  Yesterday it was populated by gray hairstreak butterflies, a large black wasp, a subadult jumping spider, and this:

           

This is a tiny clearwing moth, less than an inch long.  The "tailfeathers" must have a purpose, but whether it's as a horizontal stabilizer in flight, or fanning pheromones around, I don't know.  Nor do I have this critter's ID yet.

Also on yesterday's discovery menu was a small brown and cream moth (didn't get a good shot), a jumping spider with a red heart on its back (but I think if a spider "hearts" you, it's not a good thing) and this longhorn beetle:

                                                   

It reminds me of a beetle I photographed mating back in 2005, but the antennae here are definitely longer.  (Edit--additional info.  This is the same beetle, Sphaenothecus bivitatta.  ID thanks to an entomology listserv I'm on and a very good image at Tex-Ento's website.  That makes sense; it's the right time of year for this fellow.)




Tags: photography, widlife
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  • New Gallery: Habitats

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