CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
Visiting my pond.
Learn: http://myfwc.com/media/152524/alligator-brochure.pdf
My take: https://floridawildlifegardentails.wordpress.com/2015/10/21/big-guns-in-the-wildlife-garden/
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Ceraunus Blue Butterfly (Hemiargus ceraunus)
Larval Hosts: hairy indigo (Indigofera hirsuta), creeping indigo (Indigofera spicata), partridge pea (Cassia fasciculata),
Listed as federally threatened because of their similar appearance to the Miami blue, an endangered butterfly.
Learn: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/wildflower/completebutterflydata.asp?id=25
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Juvenile Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus)
The babies are learning from mom (dad?). They were hanging out on the margin of the pond. When they took flight you could see that they are just beginning to fly. I love their “baby” feathers.
An earlier species post will provide you with information. https://centralfloridacritteroftheday.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/black-vulture-coragyps-atratus/
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Antlion (Myrmeleon spp.)
A member of the Myrmeleontidae Family. Predacious in both larval and adult stages.
Antlions stay in larval stage from 1 to 3 years and are commonly called doodle bugs. the larva dig a shallow cone-shaped pit in sand and wait at the bottom for an ant or other insect to slip on the loose sand and fall in.
Adults eat nectar, pollen and feed on caterpillars and aphids. These weak flyers are usually nocturnal.
Learn: http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/neuroptera/Glenurus_gratus.htm
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Bee Killer Assassin Bug (Apiomerus floridensis)
predacious so can be beneficial, although it seems it shows a preference toward bees, not such a good thing it also eats hornworms and beetles and such.
Learn: http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2011/08/25/bee-assassin-eats-hornworm/
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway)
This was an exciting encounter. I spotted this falcon in my neighbors yard in a tall pine. I knew it was something special but I didn’t have my field glasses, so relied on my camera to i.d. it. New Life Lister for me.
According to Cornell: “Although it looks like a long-legged hawk and associates with vultures, the Crested Caracara is actually in the same family as falcons.”
Diet: “Insects; small and occasionally large vertebrates, including fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals; eggs; and carrion of all types.”
Learn: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Crested_Caracara/lifehistory
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Bluegill Fish (Lepomis macrochirus)
A member of the Sunfish family. These may actually be a hybrid since I also have largemouth bass which may “form hybrid fish by spawning with the smallmouth bass, rock bass, bluegill, warmouth, and black crappie.” (source FL Museum of Natural History)
Learn: http://eol.org/pages/207661/overview
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Checkered White Butterfly (Pontia protodice)
Larval host: Virginia pepper grass (Lepidium virginicum)
Learn: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/wildflower/completebutterflydata.asp?id=11
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Red-headed Pine Sawfly Larvae (Neodiprion lecontei)
pests that look like caterpillars which feed on young pine trees; easily eliminated by hand picking
Learn: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/trees/sawfly/redheaded_pine_sawfly.htm
My take: http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/caterpillar-gangs-i-dont-panic.html
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Clouded Crimson Flower Moth Caterpillar (Schinia gaurae)
larval host: Gaura spp. — shown on SOUTHERN BEEBLOSSOM (G. angustifolia), a Florida native plant.
Learn: http://bugguide.net/node/view/26702
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
diet consists mainly of fish but can include insects and frogs and other invertebrates.
Learn: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green_Heron/lifehistory
My take: http://floridawildlifegardentails.wordpress.com/2017/06/14/being-green-in-the-wildlife-garden/
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Robber Fly (Efferia spp. likely albibarbis)
Robber Fly larvae (maggots) live in soil and decaying wood. larvae feed on larvae of other insects. so both adults and immatures can be considered beneficial, although the adults may catch some other beneficial insects as well as pests. Robber flies can give a painful bite, but they won’t chase you down or anything.
Learn: http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/flies/robber_flies.htm
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
I’ve got quite a nice group of these guys in the pond. Get the frying pan!
“Largemouth bass may consume small fish, insects, mosquitoes, blackfly larvae, mayfly nymphs, worms, adult insects, mussels, crayfish, snails, tadpoles, frogs, small fish, salamanders, mice, turtles. In general largemouth bass feed at all hours, but most often in the early morning or late in the day. In some cases, the prey is not completely swallowed up initially; it is caught and held in the jaws and then it is sucked in.”
Learn: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/LargemouthBass/LargemouthBass.html
My take: http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/pondering-new-residents-in-the-garden.html
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Blue Dasher Dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis)
Similar in looks to yesterday’s entry of the Little Blue Dragonlet, the face is a dead giveaway in the difference. This Dasher has a white face and is somewhat larger than the dragonlet.
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Little Blue Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax minuscula)
Small dragonfly likes to rest on low vegetation ; Male (top), female (bottom). Like all dragonflies, it is beneficial in both the aquatic larval stage where it will eat mosquito larvae, and as adults where it catches flying insects, often pests.
Learn: http://www.odonatacentral.org/index.php/FieldGuideAction.get/id/47029
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Twostriped Walkingstick (Anisomorpha buprestoides)
This leaf eater provides rich nutrition for birds, reptiles and bats, but stand back: capable of squirting a strong-smelling defensive spray that is painfully irritating to the eyes and mucous membranes. Almost always found “coupled”, the male is the smaller specimen.
These two were flushed out when I was mowing the meadow. I saw the female first, walking through a cleared area, with the male frantically chasing her down until he was able to climb aboard her back.
Learn: http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/walkingstick.htm
from Nov 2010:
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly (Erythemis simplicicollis)
This species of dragonfly is noted for resting on the ground. They blend in with grasses so are barely noticeable.
Beneficial in both larval stage (aquatic) and as adults where they take flying insects. Some in this species are blue at certain stages of development.
Learn: http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/odonata/odonata.htm
My take on dragonflies: http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/dragonfly%e2%80%a6oh-the-humanity.html
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Peninsula Cooter Turtle (Pseudemys peninsularis)
aka Pseudemys floridana subspecies peninsularis
Endemic to Florida (http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/species/reptiles.pdf)
Florida has approved strong conservation measures for freshwater turtles. “prohibited is taking species that look similar to the imperiled species, which include common snapping turtles and cooters.”
Learn: http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/freshwater-turtles/
More photos of my new pond residents: http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/pondering-new-residents-in-the-garden.html
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Long-tailed Skipper Caterpillar (Urbanus proteus)
In my garden, this butterfly larvae uses TICKTREFOIL (Desmodium spp.). During the day they wrap themselves in leaves as shelter.
Learn: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/wildflower/completebutterflydata.asp?id=46
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Four-toothed Mason Wasp (Monobia quadridens)
This parasitoid wasp gal was zero-ing in on Gulf Fritillary Butterfly larvae (Agraulis vanillae) on the caterpillar host plant passionflower (Passiflora spp.) in order to paralyze the caterpillar as the food source for her own larvae.
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Central Florida Critter of the Day 