Silvery Checkerspot Caterpillar – Butterflies and Moths of North America Silvery checkerspot caterpillars are typically black with yellow lines and spots This family of caterpillars (Nymphalidae) are known for their branched spines. If you look at the silvery checkerspot caterpillar from above, these spiked spines are easier to see. Silvery checkerspot caterpillars are typically black with yellow […]
Yellowstone National Park [Opal Pool] can eject water up to 70 feet in the air! This lesser-known hot spring in the Midway Geyser Basin is called Opal Pool. This hot spring sits at roughly 132 degrees Fahrenheit. It is classified as a fountain geyser. Although its eruptions are rare and random Opal Pool is still considered active. Typically, the […]
Black-Tailed Deer – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern I was hiking Kestner Homestead Trailhead when I came across this black-tailed deer You have probably heard of white-tailed deer, but did you know there is a black-tailed deer? These deer are found in the coastal areas of western North America. I saw this black-tailed deer in the Olympic […]
Sawfly Larvae – More Info These groups of eggs are referred to as pods or rafts What is a sawfly? Sawflies are a wasp-like creature. However, this photograph shows sawfly larvae, which is the worm-like stage of this animal. This is what a sawfly looks like after hatching from an egg, but before metamorphosis transforms this caterpillar-looking creature into […]
Spined Micrathena – iNaturalist Their webs are tightly woven with a diameter up to about eight inches This spooky spider is called a spined micrathena. Although it produces venom, this venom is harmless to humans. These spiders are in the orb-weaver family of spiders (Araneidae). Wild Boyz Photography has featured a variety of orb weaver spiders over the years. Below […]
Green Sweat Bee – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Green sweat bees will lick the sweat from human skin Check out this metallic green pollinator. As the name suggests, this green colored bee is attracted to human sweat, primarily for its salt content. Male and female green sweat bees will lick the sweat from human skin. These bees are […]
Speckle-Winged Rangeland Grasshopper – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data If you look closely, even their eyes are speckled! This interesting looking grasshopper is called a speckle-winged rangeland grasshopper. Its name is a mouthful so for the remainder of this article we will refer to it as the SWRG. This grasshopper is relatively small. The one in this photo is […]
Cabbage White Butterfly – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data There were lots of pollinators amongst the thick vegetation. The last few years I’ve made a concerted effort to visit the few states I have not seen. This summer I made it to Nebraska for the first time. Just south of Omaha is an awesome riverside park called […]
Black Shouldered Drone Fly – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Black shouldered drone flies are a species of hoverfly This month Wild Boyz Photography is highlighting the beauty of Midwest nature. Ben currently lives in the Midwest. Before living in New Hampshire and Florida, I also spent ten years in Indiana. Both Ben and I have shot many […]
Laughing Gull – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern One flew by that had obviously caught something Every October, Wild Boyz Photography celebrates the weird and wild side of nature. This is a series of photographs of a laughing gull capturing and eating a starfish. I had walked out on the rocks at a jetty near where I […]