#flwildlife

[travelella]

Everglades National Park, Florida, USA

Joseph Corl

[bone-lust]

Finally another Luna Moth, we haven’t seen one since March! Normally we see a lot more of our local giant silk moths annually but I’m afraid our extra hard repeated freezes this Winter was too much for them. Making this visitor extra special. _ As adults, luna moths have one purpose — to reproduce. In fact, they don't even have a mouth for feeding. They survive on stored fat from when they were a caterpillar and live for only a week. Active at night, the adult female releases a pheromone to attract males. 🐛❣️#bonelustnightfriends #bonelustflwildlife #flwildlife _ Please follow all of my accounts on IG: Main account - @bone.lust Sales outside my shop - @osteo.lust Self funded rescue with @forgotten_boneyard - @jonesysfriends Pet Memorials - @bonelustpetmemorials And at FB: @bonelustofficial @boneluststudio https://www.instagram.com/p/CQxGDWqMqIM/?utm_medium=tumblr

[travelella]

Jupiter, Florida, United States

Chase Baker

[bone-lust]

Had to share this amazing Cicada Killer Wasp female working on her burrow where she places the cicadas she lays eggs on. As well as the outside of the burrow itself. —- Cicada killers, or giant ground hornets, are among the largest wasps in Florida (up to 40 mm in length). They are conspicuous insects, since the males are territorial and will butt or grapple with intruders including other males. The females of the common Florida species, Sphecius speciosus, hunt Tibicen spp. cicadas and can dig 4-foot burrows in the ground with several branches and cells. The fertilized female begins the reproductive cycle by making burrows 0.3 to 1.2 meters in length, with numerous branches and cells. The front legs rake the soil which is pushed out behind the female with her hind legs, resulting in a large dirt mound. The burrows are left open during provisioning and may never be closed. However, the cells are carefully closed when completed. From one to four cicadas per cell are deposited depending on the size of the cicada. The female paralyzes the host by stinging the membrane at the base of the foreleg, then carries the cicada venter to venter by dragging or flying to the nest. One egg is placed on the last cicada in each nest. Apparently, the mother wasp can determine the sex of the egg and places the female egg with the more abundant provisions. Lin and Michener (1972) saw up to four females of S. speciosus provisioning a single nest simultaneously which may indicate a step toward sociality. https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/cicada_killers.htm#intro #bonelustwildlife #flwildlife #bonelustflwildlife https://www.instagram.com/p/CRxnm_YMmBu/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bone-lust]

My favorite insect, the cicada, has arrived! Love this time of year for their songs. This is a Hieroglyphic cicada, Neocicada hieroglyphica. Total length (head to tips of forewings) is 32 mm (about 1 1/4 inch). _ This is an annual cicada. We don’t get the periodical cicada species here that emerge every 13 or 17 years. Instead I get to see several species annually right on the property. If I travel throughout the state there’s a chance I can see more. There are 19 known cicada species here in FL. Cicadas have long been a favorite insect although ants are my first love. 🐜❤️ #flwildlife #bonelustflwildlife #cicada #Hieroglyphiccicada _ 🔥🔥🔥A friendly reminder that all negative “burn it with fire” type comments are not tolerated on my posts. Please do not tag you friend that has a fear of the creatures I post to upset them! I share these things for others that might never see them. To help an appreciation of wildlife grow. Not to perpetuate the fears that someone already has. Thanks! ❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/COAASWQgKcM/?igshid=vix4xm34uuiy

[bone-lust]

Very excited for this rare moth sighting - a big beautiful male Io Moth, Automeris io. _ Form "lilith" is thought to range along the Gulf coast from Louisiana east across coastal Mississippi, Alabama, most of Florida northward along the Atlantic to extreme coastal Georgia & South Carolina. This "variety" is subject to color and pattern variations; however, most males are characterized by stronger contrasts in pattern and possess a deeper pinkish-tan (buff colored) wash to the forewings, while the females are often a deep brown with a strong purplish or wine colored wash. Both have one big black to bluish eyespot with some white in the center, on each hindwing, a defense mechanism meant to frighten off potential predators, especially when the moth is sitting in the head-down position. _ It ranges from the southeast corner of Manitoba and in the southern extremes of Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick in Canada, and in the US it is found from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, ^Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, east of those states and down to the southern end of Florida. More - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automeris_io _ #flwildlife #bonelustwildlife https://www.instagram.com/p/CEqC8cRA7Vs/?igshid=avhcztzlp6vb

[bone-lust]

Sorry for the lack of posts I’m being kept really busy with a new @jonesysfriends rescue kitty and @bonelustpetmemorials lately. Here’s an assortment of wildlife photos I’ve taken really recently mostly on our property here in Florida. Fair warning of 🕷 🐞 a plenty. _ 🔥🔥🔥A friendly reminder that all negative “burn it with fire” type comments are not tolerated on my posts. Please do not tag you friend that has a fear of the creatures I post to upset them! I share these things for others that might never see them. To help an appreciation of wildlife grow. Not to perpetuate the fears that someone already has. Thanks! ❤️ #flwildlife #bonelustflwildlife https://www.instagram.com/p/COMtbt_A01z/?igshid=9unjbx59fk0m

[bone-lust]

Because we could all use some hope and happiness in our lives right now: here’s a mating pair of Luna moths on our property and a newly emerged Luna moth. Never get tired of seeing them! #bonelustwildlife #flwildlife https://www.instagram.com/p/CBL7AjtAosr/?igshid=aocmmqlij8st