Hello!
Now as the spring songbird migration winds down and with summer around the corner, I am wondering what some of the best types of organisms to look for in South Florida (Miami Dade, Everglades, and top half of Monroe) could be.
I recently got myself a blacklight set up so I hope to do a lot of that this summer.
What are considered the “treats of the summer” for observation purposes down here?
Thanks.
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Insects:
- Eastern Lubber Grasshopper: one of the most easily found insects in Florida, but brightly colored and adults get impressively large.
- Atala: butterfly with striking colors both as an adult and as a caterpillar. Many other cool butterflies as well.
- Faithful Beauty: moth with striking colors both as an adult and as a caterpillar.
- Polka-Dot Wasp Moth: wish-list species for me.
Other Invertebrates:
- Blue Land Crab
- Florida Tree Snail among other cool snails.
Reptiles:
- American Crocodile
- Many cool but invasive species such as Brown Basilisk.
Amphibians:
- Not a whole lot of easy-to-find natives for this category in South Florida, but invasives like Cuban Tree Frog, Cane Toad, and Greenhouse Frog.
- Southern Toad is probably the most common native.
Birds
- Swallow-tailed Kite: classic Florida bird.
- White-crowned Pigeon: harder to find outside of the keys, but still possible in the Everglades.
- Non-native parrots in the cities: Monk Parakeet, Red-masked Parakeet, and Mitred Parakeet to name a few.
- Spot-breasted Oriole: non-native but a wish-list species for me.
Mammals
- West Indian Manatee: classic Florida mammal.
- Bobcat
Fish
Plants
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There are very many mosquito and midge species to document in South Florida in the summer.
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