Conifer Bark Beetles (Boros Unicolor), Larvae, Taken February 26, 2025, In Georgia, US

when u are holding a hammer everything looks like a nail -> when u are holding a point and shoot camera every sight looks incomparably ephemerally beautiful

Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata), female, taken April 24, 2025, in Georgia, US

The damselflies are finally coloring up! The variable dancers are all still teneral, but the fragile and citrine forktails are turning their brilliant colors! Females of this species come in two colors: orange and olive. I've yet to see an olive female, but these guys are fairly uncommon, so I'm not surprised. Regardless, it's nice to see these tiny pops of color flying around!

woke up this morning to ABSOLUTELY NO BIRDS WHATSOEVER when we always have a couple dozen every morning

Waited half an hour and still none

No squirrels either, no woodpeckers, no chickadees, not a single junco

What the fuck is going on

House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), male, taken October 29, 2024, in Georgia, US

Another bird getting a little sip of water! I just love watching them visit the bird bath lol. This guy was a very delicate drinker, unlike some others I know (looks at the starlings) and later shared with a juvenile finch who came to take a bath!

Really really love the additions to this—they're all very correct lol.

Most prey animals, especially birds, have a notable field of binocular vision. Binocular vision offers both enhanced vision quality and depth perception, which is why most predators have a larger field of binocular vision than prey animals. Predators need to know exactly where their prey is in relation to them and need to be able to accurately assess the state of the prey which requires depth perception and detailed sight. Prey animals need a large range of monocular vision to scan for movement and a small range of binocular vision to better assess the possible threat once it's detected.

One of the coolest things to remember is that because prey animals have eyes on the side of their head, they are looking at you when they're in profile, not facing you! Hot tip for artists and animal lovers!

Buffalo Treehopper (Stictocephala militaris), nymph, taken May 14, 2025, in Georgia, US

What a wicked-looking treehopper nymph! I see lots of these guys when they're very small, but this is my first time seeing a large nymph of this species, and I was certainly not disappointed! He was an excellent subject as well, sitting completely still even as I manhandled the vine he was sitting on for a better angle. The adults of this genus, like most treehoppers, look unrecognizable next to their nymphs. All of the spikes disappear, and what is left is a smooth, teardrop-shaped green hopper with clear wings and two red horns on either side of its head, kind of like a buffalo as the name would imply!

Leaf Beetle (Sumitrosis inaequalis), taken April 19, 2025, in Georgia, US

A little leaf beetle! These guys are quite interesting and from afar look like weevils because of their pattern. Adult leaf beetles lay their eggs inside the leaves of host plants. Larvae then hatch and "mine" their way through the interior layers of the leaf, forming a pale, dried trail throughout the leaf. Larvae then pupate and, upon emergence, chew their way out of the leaf and fly away in search of a mate!

Rough Stink Bugs (Brochymena arborea), taken September 17, 2024, in Georgia, US

My favorite stink bug friends to see around!! There's honestly nothing about them that really stands out, but they have neat spiny protrusions on their shoulders that can be used to ID the species and cool camouflage for life on trees! Occasionally I'll see a fresher adult that's almost completely black and white instead of brown, which looks pretty neat!

Wedgling Moth (Galgula partita), taken April 4, 2025, in Georgia, US

A small moth hidden in the leaves! This guy was super skittish, and I spent a couple minutes just chasing him around before I was able to get any pictures. More skittish flying insects like moths and grasshoppers have to be approached a certain way to minimize the chances of them fleeing, and that requires knowing exactly where they are before you get in startle range. Sometimes I have to purposefully make a moth or grasshopper fly a couple times before I finally see where they land and can approach correctly. This guy was a little difficult, but not the worst I've had to deal with!

100% agree lol. I've gotten better over the years, but my astraphobia combined with liking to look at bugs and southeast tornado shenanigans makes storms suck a lot.

You're right that the best part of a storm is directly after when the sun has just started to come back out! A lot of insects that are usually flying out of reach are grounded from the weather and easy to photograph, and some that prefer wet weather are more common after rain. I remember going out the day after hurricane Helene hit last year and finding a ton of bugs I'd never seen before because everything was out of sorts from the unusual weather. It was a nice reward for weathering the storm!

It sucks that I can't enjoy thunderstorms that much comparatively to a lot of other people, but as someone who currently lives in a tornado zone and whose hobbies include going outside and walking around looking for bugs, the thing I like most about rain is the immediate aftermath—otherwise it's just, like, a loud, stressful inconvenience to me, sadly