CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Red Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa atalanta)
One of the brush footed butterfly species. This one landed on the covered patio in 45F cloudy weather.
Learn: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/wildflower/completebutterflydata.asp?id=36
Citizen Scientist Project: http://vanessa.ent.iastate.edu/node/2170
Larval host: Pellitory (Parietaria floridana), Stinging Nettle (Urtica urens), False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica)
From 2016:
June 2016
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)
White Ibis
Hanging out in Florida native Baldcypress tree at my neighbors place, overlooking their pond.
Diet: mostly insects but also aquatic fauna.
From June 2010, a juvenile in my pond.
Learn: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White_Ibis/id
My take: Treetops to Marsh: The White Ibis
September 2013 Across the street in a marshy lot a mix of adults and juveniles.
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Cribellate Orb Weaver Spider (Uloborus sp.)
New to my buggy life list. Very tiny. This one has brushes of hairs on front tibiae which would indicate it is female.
Learn: http://bugguide.net/node/view/1956
Species in the Uloboridae family do “not possess venom glands, relying instead on cribellate, a fuzzy non sticky silk that they use to trap and then wrap their prey.” source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uloborus_glomosus
Shown on Florida Native Plant: DOCTORBUSH (Plumbago zeylanica)
How tiny is this Cribellate Spider? Those are seeds of Florida Native Plumbago zeylanica aka Doctorbush
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Yellow-collared Scape Moth (Cisseps fulvicollis)
A member of the tiger moth tribe.
Host plants: grasses, lichens, and spike-rushes (Eleocharis spp.). (SOURCE: http://bugguide.net/node/view/447)
Shown on Florida Native Plant: BLUE MISTFLOWER (Conoclinium coelestinum)
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)
EUREKA!!!! After discovering sapsucker wells on a live oak back in 2014, I finally got to see our winter visitors in action. Another tick on my Florida birdy life list!
Learn: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-bellied_Sapsucker/id
Shown on Florida Native Plant: LAUREL OAK; DIAMOND OAK (Quercus laurifolia)
My take: Solving Garden Mysteries
http://web.archive.org/web/20140701011549/http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/solvinggardenmysteries.html
From May 2014, a tell tale sign of a Sapsucker visit:
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker wells in a Live Oak tree.
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus)
Shown on Florida Native Plant: OAKLEAF FLEABANE (Erigeron quercifolius)
Larval Host Plants: Florida native PARTRIDGE PEA (Chamaecrista fasciculata) (aka Cassia fasciculata) and non-native hairy indigo (Indigofera hirsuta), creeping indigo (Indigofera spicata),
Learn: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/wildflower/completebutterflydata.asp?id=25
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CENTRAL FLORIDA CRITTER OF THE DAY: Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
There were several titmice flitting from Wax Myrtle to Magnolia to Saltbush ultimately landing in the laurel oak where they snagged some acorns.
“Tufted Titmice eat mainly insects in the summer, including caterpillars, beetles, ants and wasps, stink bugs, and treehoppers, as well as spiders and snails. Tufted Titmice also eat seeds, nuts, and berries, including acorns and beech nuts. Experiments with Tufted Titmice indicate they always choose the largest seeds they can when foraging.”
Learn: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Titmouse/id
Acorn is from a Florida Native Plant: LAUREL OAK; DIAMOND OAK (Quercus laurifolia)
Sitting in the oak.
From February 2015:
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Central Florida Critter of the Day 