You deserve to be well chuffed! Gorgeous!
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Cheers, been back at work for a month and a half, still catching up on the thousands of pics. But luckily home is still a National Park in NZ, so it is still very much summer/peak season here.
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Have to agree, they are awesome. One of the projects I follow is specific to that.
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/spiny-orbweavers-gasteracantha-and-kin
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I had to look up more about that bamboo ant, Camponotus mirabilis. Wow, what an amazing adaption that head is.
Don’t you just love it when a species has one extremely distinctive feature like that? (I bet the IDers sure do!)
Definitly, I would consider myself very weak when it comes to IDing ants or even knowing what specific features to shoot on some of the trickier ones. But this one is certainly very distinctive.
The winter has slowed down my iNatting a lot this week, so by default this tentatively ided observation is my favorite lifer this week, because it is my only lifer. :
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/257237131
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Congrats! So beautiful!
I saw a Snowy Owl and Snow Buntings yesterday!
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I found this really bizarre patch of…. “Something” a few days ago, and after a small goose chase hopping from one taxa suggested to another, it ended up being a freshwater sponge. Not in a million years did I ever expect to find a sponge so close to home, especially in a freshwater river! Huge thanks to everyone that helped identify this thing ^^
Spongillidae, Freshwater Sponge
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/257429558
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Pervian Amazon week 6 (Only one more after this).
Sidymella excavata(?)
Cool to see, since it looks similar to some local NZ sidymella, but also very different.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/256866856
Marañón Poison Frog Excidobates mysteriosus
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/257324576
Prostygnid Harvestmen Family Prostygnidae
Saw a few of this family this week (One I didnt really know prior) in the entire family 4/7 obs are mine. Talking with one of the most published south american harvesten specialists, likely most of the species/genera I am posting for peru are yet to be described.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/256739800
Subfamily Discosomaticinae
As above although there are hundreds of obs in this family, with several well known species. But this is also likely undescribed.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/256739816
Marsupial Frogs Genus Gastrotheca
Saw my first two from this genus this week.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/256866866
Genus Fufius
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/256739809
Cajamarca Gecko Gonatodes atricucullaris
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/257100664
My first recluse Loxosceles of any kind. Pretty sure I saw some in the states back in 04, but wasnt really shooting much then.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/257209011
Whilst I do have a drymaeus obs before, this certainly isnt the same species.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/256866851
Genus Aplatacris
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/257100667
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Those harvestmen are awesome!
Is that a mite on its back?
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Yeah, so many awesome harvestmen there, it is one of the groups I am primarily looking for though.
Yes, on the obs, the second image has the mite in better focus.
I feel this front image kind of looks like its wearing a small hat, feels kind of christmassy in a weird way.
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There’s been an escapee black swan around my area who’s gained a bit of popularity and had a few Inat observations from them already. Finally got a chance to see the bird yesterday and it was an amazing experience. (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/257593914)
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I especially love the second photo in your observation of this frog:
charming to see it seemingly “standing”, like a little human
and, bonus points for best genus name:
it just makes me laugh
Incredible photos of amazing creatures, as always. It’s wonderful that someone with your talent is out there documenting these rarely or never before seen / described species!
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Thanks, yeah I kind of wish I got a better focus on that shot. It was a pretty small frog, at night, in a bromeliad, on a really akward hard to balance slope. But yeah I agree the pose is pretty cool.
And likewise, kind of makes me think of foofa from that southpark episode. I looked up the etymology, just seems to point back to someone around Caesars time, and although he named his kids likewise, seems the name didnt spread very wide.
Thanks, I appreciate it, its nice that I can get the time off work, and that even though I am pushing my budget I can get to some really nice spots. Also being able to upgrade my camera to something very current has helped a lot.
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Being on crutches at the moment, I can’t really go out and explore nor take pictures. Imagine my joy when a blue banded bee came to visit and staid long enough for a decent picture. Bonus point, my non-natter husband was amazed too.
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It’s an iNat lifer as I’ve heard the species many times and seen it once while driving but this is my first photo. After having it scurry around my feet as I tried to get it in focus, it ran back into the grass then reemerged only to be followed by its hatchling chick! I can’t find another photo of one this tiny.
White-throated crake from La Virginia, Colombia.
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iNat doesn’t call it lifer, because I have seen three dead ones already, but here is my first live ladder snake (Zamenis scalaris)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/258073081
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That gives new meaning to lifer. The other three were deader…
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My only lifer from this week would be a sea louse found in some frozen salmon.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/257835740
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