One of nature’s most fascinating creatures is the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. Native to Cananda and the eastern U.S.A., this insectresembles, and is commonly mistaken for , ahummingbird. At 2.5 inches in length, with a colorful”feathery” body, rapid wingbeats, and feeding on flower blossums during daylight…..it’sname is no surpize! This moth hovers briefly over flowers while […]
Author: Steven Scott
Steven Scott is a photonaturalist blogger based in Florida and Maine. He has surveyed butterflies with Earthwatch Institute in the mountains of Vietnam, tagged juvenile snook with Mote Marine Laboratory in the mangroves of Florida and filmed a BioBlitz insect survey in Acadia National Park. A registered nurse and retired Army officer, Steven believes man is an integral part of nature and travels annually to Vietnam with humanitarian medical teams from Vets With a Mission.
Florida Softshell Turtle
The Florida Softshell Turtle (Apalone forax) is an aquatic species native to Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Rarely found out of it’s fresh water habitat, this female was spotted laying eggs on the bank of a roadside canal in the Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area in Punta Gorda, Florida. The largest of the species abalone, […]
Florida Scrub-jay: Great recession beneficiary!
The Florida Srub-jay is a federally “threatened” species endemic to, and found only, in peninsular Florida. With their numbers declining 90% over the last centry, there are only approx 3000 familes remaining. “Scrubs” are habitat specialists and thrive in upland scrub oak environments…..most of which have been lost torapid development. Here they feed on a […]
Checkered White Butterfly (Pontia protodice)
A member of the Pieridae family, the Checkered White Butterfly is a wide ranging species with a fast, erratic flight and is difficult to approach and photograph. Related to the Cabbage White, it is considered a pest to plants in the mustard family, including cabbage and capers. Here seen on Beggar Tick (Bidens alba), a […]
Lionfish: Invasive species in the Gulf of Mexico
Much is being done to both study and eradicate this invasive and potentially harmful species. Scientists from Florida Gulf Coast University and Mote Marine Laboratory are both involved in local research. Reef.org is also a great resource with it’s own Lionfish Resarch Program.
Malay Lacewing
My choice for the most beautiful butterfly in Southern Asia is the MalayLacewing (Cethosia biblis). A member of the Nymphalidae family with it’s origin thought to be in the Philippines, this lacewing prefers Passifloria species (passion flower) for feeding.
Oriental Magpie Robin: the song of Hue’s Citadel
Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis) Everywhere I go there is one distinctive birdsong that I associate with the location. I recently spent the day exploring the Ancient Citadel and Royal Forbidden City in Hue, Vietnam. Constantly hunted as food or for caged pets, the birds of Vietnam and quite shy. The Magpie Robin’s beautiful song […]