I'm Trying To Write About The Wonders Of Nature Again And It's Like...such A Big Thing That Has A Strangle

Drab Prominent (Misogada unicolor) larvae, taken August 21, 2023, in Georgia, US

Circles!! Curling up into a ball is this caterpillar's main defense mechanism, which doesn't really work well on humans... I find their patterns quite pretty, and they have lots of individual variation! They get their common (and scientific) name from their adult form, which is an almost patternless light beige.

Coppery Leafhopper (Jikradia olitoria), female, taken August 24, 2024, in Georgia, US

Quite plain looking, but one of my favorite creatures in the life... This is a female leafhopper ovipositing (laying eggs) into the bark of an oak tree!

The ovipositors of Cicadomorphans (cicadas, leafhoppers, treehoppers, and spittlebugs) are reinforced with metals like manganese, zinc, and iron to make them strong enough to saw into bark, stems, and—in the cicada's case—straight into the woody branches of trees! These are some of my favorite insects, and J. olitoria is a local I've grown fond of seeing.

Here is the paper that goes into depth about the structure of the cicada ovipositor!

Green Stink Bug (Chinavia hilaris), nymph, taken September 9, 2024, in Georgia, US

He is the exact same color as this leaf and I love it... A lot of the colorful insects I see aren't on their preferred substrate, so it's hard to get an idea of how well their camouflage works until you see them in their element. If I didn't know what to look for, this guy might just look like a spot of discoloration on a leaf caused by a fungus or parasitic insect, and that's super neat!

Domestic Cat (Felis catus), taken March 11, 2025, in Georgia, US

Random cat that lives in my neighborhood, probably a neighbor's. We have a few outdoor cats and strays that we see occasionally. This is the newest one. I almost poured water on it the night before because it was hiding in the shadows when I dumped aquarium water from my water change off the back deck! I apologized and clearly there's no hard feelings because it seemed very relaxed around me when I saw it again! Despite it roaming free, it's a really pretty cat!

House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), male, taken March 7, 2025, in Georgia, US

The house finches are coloring up for the spring! This guy is sporting some very deep reds, much deeper than they usually get here. He's going all out for the ladies!

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata), female, taken March 11, 2025, in Georgia, US

What a lovely lady! In terms of warblers, these guys are pretty skittish compared to others that visit. They prefer to dart quickly in and out, which makes photographing them difficult but all the more rewarding! The males of this species have started gaining their yellow crowns, as I've been seeing them appear in some individuals.

Shore Spiders (Pardosa milvina), male (left) and female (right), taken July 3, 2024, in Georgia, US

I only discovered after I was sorting through my photos from this trip that I had coincidentally gotten a male and female of this species in the exact same position, which helps emphasize their differences. You can see the difference in coloration, abdomen size, and palp size pretty well! This species is everywhere where I am, and they're especially prevalent on the shore of the creek, as their name suggests!

White-jawed Jumping Spider (Hentzia mitrata), juvenile, taken October 8, 2024, in Georgia, US

Videos of jumping spiders jumping at my camera are one of my favorite nature-related things to collect. On top of it being adorable, there is also variation in how each spider approaches the jump, especially their windup. I like scrolling through and looking at how all of them differ as individuals! This one was pretty calm about it, but I sometimes get jumpers who only aim with one leg, or even wave their legs around wildly while preparing to jump!

Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), taken May 20, 2025, in Georgia, US

This offended squirrel is staring down at me after I scared him away from his foraging spot! I didn't want to, but he was directly in my path, as squirrels often are. He did make for a cute picture before he parkoured up and away through the trees, though. Squirrels get too much of a bad rep. They're called "tree rats" for being annoyances but, in reality, they are just silly little guys. I absolutely love it when they visit the feeders, even when they jump onto them to stuff their faces!

Ornate Millipede (Genus Cambala), taken March 28, 2025, in Georgia, US

Ornate, indeed! Look at the shine on those segments! I'm always excited to find these guys, but that often requires me to flip large chunks of wood or logs which aren't the most numerous in my area, at least when it comes to ones that are flippable. With that in mind, these are a treat! Quite large for a millipede and very pretty—the perfect combination!