Paxon Kale

The Periander metal mark was one of my big target species for Peru, and I squealed with joy when I finally saw it! One of my favorite butterflies.

I've worked on and on in the neo Tropics for years, seven months in Ecuador, a month in Columbia, a couple of visits to Mexico and two weeks in Costa Rica… And in all that time, I have never gotten a bot fly larva! Working at the Manu biological station in Peru for two weeks though…

It's late winter along the Gulf coast of Texas, and one of our earliest blooming native wildflowers is the Missouri violet.

Near the end of the Peru trip, I finally saw a wandering spider and it was huge. These things have a painful and dangerous bite!

Texas up until now has had a mild mild winter, and just last week the park was still covered with butterflies.

The last night of insect surveys in Peru, yielded a couple of absolutely huge Hercules beetles, Enema pan, absolutely ridiculous scientific name.

Texas is having an unusually warm January. I was surprised to see how many butterflies were out when I was hiking today.

Thank you juice land.

Texas spiny lizard at Quinta Mazatlan in far south Texas.

Milde's Tarantula-hawk Wasp at the national butterfly center in the southern tip of Texas. The wasps in this genus have the most painful stings of any insects in the United States.

Had an absolutely amazing day of butterfly watching at the National Butterfly Center in the southern tip of Texas. Mexican Bluewing, Theona Checkerspot, Silver Emperor, Soldier (mimics the poisonous Queen butterfly).

Had an absolutely amazing day of butterfly watching at the National Butterfly Center in the southern tip of Texas. Lots of gorgeous rare, Mexican butterflies. Red bordered pixie, Malachite, Orange-barred Sulphur, Guava Skipper.

Metallic Green Sweat Bee at the Houston Arboretum

An absolutely gorgeous Indigo Milkcap at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. My first one of the year.

This Resh Cicada was found walking across a path at the nature center at the nature center where I work here in Houston, Texas. Cicadas are the only insects that create noise by vibrating membranes over small chambers on their sides.

Clover is L O U N G I N G.

The ever elusive pallid spiny softshell turtle made an appearance for the kids in summer science camp last week. Unlike most reptiles, soft shelled turtles lack scales on their skin, and unlike most turtles, their shell is made of cartilage, and not bone.

Indiana Dunes National Park in northern Indiana, on Lake Michigan. That makes 36 National parks for me!