#backyardnature — Public Fediverse posts

The orchard spider (Leucauge venusta) shows beautifully irridescent silver, yellow, and black on its abdomen, and its green legs are distinctive. They like to spin their webs in low shrubs or small trees, usually close to the ground. #backyardnature #arachnology

Here's the red-banded leafhopper (Graphocephala coccinea), aka candystriped leafhopper. They prefer to feed on sap from blackberry and raspberry leaves, but will feed on roses, rhododendrons, and other ornamental plants as well. #backyardnature #entomology

Not what I expected to find on my video doorbell footage...and it knocked twice! #backyardnature #entomology

This is a #backyardnature #mycology help request...can anyone identify this #fungus? They're appearing in my front and back yards, but only in locations where trees (redbud and Bradford pear) have been removed; this one is roughly 8" in diameter, with a 1.5" woody stem.

Basically - what is this, is it toxic to animals, and is there a suitable pet-safe fungicide?

Walking through my neighborhood, I almost went right past the young eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) circled in the first picture; at that size, it's likely that they've only recently left the nest and become independent. #backyardnature

Here's an odd one - it's a typical Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis), but take a close look at its posterior...see those green filaments? Those are parasitic fungi, Hesperomyces harmoniae, a member of the "beetle hanger" class Laboulbeniomycetes. It is transmitted by prolonged physical contact - so, yes, it's basically the STD of Asian lady beetles. #entomology #backyardnature #mycology

https://www.dannyhaelewaters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Haelewaters-et-al.-2022-Hesperomyces-harmoniae-a-new-name-for-a-common-ectoparasitic-fungus-on-the-invasive-alien-ladybird-Harmonia-axyridis.pdf

I've been trying to capture one of these tiny #backyardnature visitors for a long time. It's a planthopper nymph, probably Acanalonia conica. The "fluffy butt" in the first picture is extruded wax that helps the nymph avoid predators and diffuse the sugar water it constantly expels. #entomology

More #backyardnature - here's the Baltimore snout moth (Hypena baltimoralis), the second Hypena species I've identified. They're native to the eastern USA, where their larvae feed on maple leaves. #entomology

Here's something a little different - the two-spotted tree cricket (Neoxabea bipunctata). The two "spots" on the forewings identify females; the males are spotless. They're native to North America; this one probably visited our front door from the deciduous woods nearby. #backyardwildlife #backyardnature #entomology

This tiny #backyardnature visitor is the peach tree weevil (Pseudoedophrys hilleri). They feed on the foliage of rosaceous plants (e.g. apples, pears, plums, peaches, roses, rowans, etc.) Native to Japan, it is an adventive species in the eastern US. #entomology #backyardwildlife #weevilwednesday

The Ohio DNR has a wonderful series of free PDF field guides and "Backyard Wildlife" materials, covering everything from reptiles, lichens, moths and millipedes to trees, fish, mussels and wildflowers. #backyardnature #backyardwildlife

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-odnr/wildlife/documents-publications/backyard-wildlife-documents

We’ve lived here for 20+ years; I believe this is the first time I’ve seen a #frog on our property. #backyardnature #amphibian

Window's open, about 2 metres from where I'm sitting at my desk.

Bird (probably juvenile robin) sits on the window frame and looks at me.
I look at bird.
Bird bops up and down where it's perched.
I bow a bit and say "hello".
Bird hops onto bottom edge of grate in front of window, about 10cm further out, and looks back at me.
I keep looking at bird.
Bird flies off.

Robins are among the more cheeky birds.

#backyardNature #birds

I almost missed this one in nighttime viewing - it's a tiger bee fly (Xenox tigrinus). Native to eastern North America, it's named for the black pattern on its wings, which can resemble tiger stripes. #entomology #backyardnature

At first glance, one might think that this is a June beetle; however, a closer look finds the black spots characteristic of another member of family Scarabaeidae, the grapevine beetle (Pelidnota punctata). This scarab beetle is found throughout eastern North America. #entomology #backyardnature

Finally got a couple of bad photos of Wee Bunz, who is Mama Bunz' only surviving kit from spring 2026.

As you can see, Wee Bunz has already adopted the family habit of not caring about me or my dog (who is always on a leash when we are outside.)

I do not yet have a guess as to whether Wee Bunz is a male or female. I was about 50 feet away when I took these photos.

#alttext #backyardnature
#BackyardWildlife #wildrabbits
#NatureLovers #naturephotography
#backyardphotography #easterncottontail

On a personal note, I am so excited to tell you that Wee Bunz is alive and well. I have not seen Wee Bunz since he or she was a tiny toddler who popped out of the nest under my neighbor's tarp-covered woodpile one morning, to play in the spring rain. Mama Bunz moved in quickly to safely relocate Wee Bunz back to the nest, and not long thereafter, the Wandering Fox came through, sniffing for food. I was genuinely concerned that Wee Bunz was no more.

But yes! Wee Bunz has grown a lot, and most likely outgrown the nest, so he or she has been making appearances almost every afternoon, in my neighbor's fenced back yard, or in my unfenced one. He or she stays close to "home" and is quite skittish (which is a good, and totally normal behavior for a wild rabbit.)

To be clear, for those reading my bunny tales for the first time: I don't interfere with their wild lives. I don't feed them; I don't approach or talk to them. I've made no attempts to "tame" them by any means. I document their little lives, as they hang out in my back yard, but otherwise, they are free to come and go as they please.

#wildrabbits #easterncottontail
#BackyardWildlife #backyardnature
#goodnewsthread #goodnewsfeed
#goodnewspost #NatureLovers
#WildlifeMoments

Today's edition of #backyardnature is one of the more common butterflies in the Western Hemisphere - the gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus). This small butterfly (average wingspan 1 inch) can be found from Canada to Venezuela. #entomology

Here's the green cloverworm moth (Hypena scabra). It's identified by its triangular resting shape and protruding "snout" (actually mouthparts/palps). They're native to the eastern USA and Canada, and they vary widely in coloration. #backyardnature #entomology

Today's fuzzy-headed visitor is the walnut caterpillar moth (Datana integerrima), a member of the Notodontidae family (prominent moths). Its larvae feed primarily on the leaves of walnut, hickory, willow, and oak trees. #entomology #backyardnature

Finally, one good photo of yearling Cottontail. She's so pretty.

FYI though: this was taken at a distance of about 30 feet, with a digital zoom camera on my phone. I don't use the flash on the bunnies. I also don't feed them, don't talk to them, and generally leave them to their wild bunny business. I have made no attempt to "tame" them, so it's really interesting that they have decided to make my yard their seasonal home. They are not concerned about me, my car, or my dog (who is always on a leash, when we are outside).

#BackyardWildlife #backyardnature
#easterncottontail #wildrabbits
#NatureLovers #naturephotography
#NaturePhoto #rabbitphotography
#rabbitsofmastodon #alttext

New photos of Mama Bunz and her yearling, Cottontail, in my backyard, from early this morning. The quality is regrettable but I took these from the driver's seat of my car, before pulling away for work.

#wildrabbits #rabbits #bunnies
#BackyardWildlife #backyardnature
#gardenwildlife #easterncottontail
#northcarolina #alttext

Three Good Things

🐇 The older, female wild Eastern Cottontail rabbit that lives in my yard had a single kit to survive from last year. Young adult males tend to wander off to establish new territory, but this surviving yearling is staying in the neighborhood, very close to Mama Bunz' current kit nest (under my nextdoor neighbors covered wood pile) so I assume this yearling is a female. This particular yearling has a big, white, fluffy tail, so I have named her "Cottontail". She is understandably skittish around humans, even me.

🐇 Mama Bunz was enjoying the sunshine this morning in my backyard, completely unfazed by my presence, when I took my dog out to potty. She didn't even look in my direction. I never bother the wild bunnies, and it tickles me that she feels that comfortable sharing my space.

🐇 This year's kit is still safe, under the woodpile. My nextdoor neighbor chased off a wandering fox, after I told them about the kit nest. So maybe there will be another yearling to watch in my yard, in 2027.

#3goodthings #threegoodthings
#wildrabbits #easterncottontail
#NatureLovers #BackyardWildlife
#backyardnature

Here's the white-margined burrower bug (Sehirus cinctus); zoom in, and you'll see the white border around its thorax and abdomen. This species is rare among insects, in that mothers actively nurture their young - carrying them on their backs, bringing them food, etc. #entomology #backyardnature

Photogenic profile of a #BaldFacedHornet.

#wasp #yellowjacket #insects #pollinators #BackyardWildlife #BackyardNature #nature #wildlife