astrobirder's Favorites

Jerusalem cricket impaled on a yucca stalk by a shrike.
discovered by Daria McKelvey, @dare2bloom
ID from this source:

https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/nongame/grants-research/media/2014-insects-monahans.pdf
TX Parks and Wildlife regards this as a species of greatest concern:

http://texasento.net/TPWD_Invert_SGCN_2012.pdf

Observation is for the creepy crawlies all over this gator's mouth. (But take a nice look at those pearly-white teeth while you're at it!)

Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, Richmond County, Georgia. October 8, 2022.

• Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
• Sunrise 7:27 am; Sunset 7:03 pm
• Daylight Hours: 11 hours, 36 minutes (-2m 1s)
• Moon: 98.1% Waxing Gibbous

Updated 11/26/2022. ID’d to species. Photos of male pleopod II added. Curvature on appendix masculina is not exactly as illustrated in the description, but is quite similar. Uropod exopod is subequal in length with endopod: a diagnostic character for the species. Without material from the type locality, I’m calling it T. subequalum.

Probably the most abundant invertebrate in most of the spring runs in the Lower Canyons. ID assumed to be T. subequalum based on proximity to the type locality in Big Bend National Park. This is the only described species in the region.

Whole body dorsal photo is a female. Ventral photo is a male showing appendix masculina on pleopod II.

Dissection and more detailed comparison with T. subequalum will be made in the future.

Clung to the beak of a Whimbrel that was foraging in the seaweed, the bird could not dislodge it, after a couple of minutes the isopod dropped off. The Whimbrel continued to feed with the isopod on board.