floridensis
janson jones
Category: Volusia county
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris, 19 March 2005
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris, the Florida banded watersnake; Volusia county, Florida (19 March 2005). Here’s an old, adorable one. This is a photo of a juvenile Florida banded watersnake peering down the lens of my good friend, Adam, during a visit from Oklahoma. I can’t… Continue Reading “Nerodia fasciata pictiventris, 19 March 2005”
Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (5 of 5)
Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Volusia county, Florida (24 May 2022). Here’s a slightly-wider profile shot. Here you can see the large, fleshy-pink dewlap of the anole. You can also see that impress line of chompers. Cuban knight anoles have a fairly strong… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (5 of 5)”
Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (4 of 5)
Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Volusia county, Florida (24 May 2022). Here’s a view of the lesser-seen side of the Cuban knight anole — its belly. The lime-yellow/green of its belly is really beautiful, right? And check out how the lower jaw fades… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (4 of 5)”
Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (3 of 5)
Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Volusia county, Florida (24 May 2022). Again, just check out those textures! While anoles generally seem to sport fairly fantastic scale variations, I find these variations to be extremely dynamic with the Cuban knight anole. And don’t get… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (3 of 5)”
Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (2 of 5)
Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Volusia county, Florida (24 May 2022). A tight macro shot of the Cuban knight anole’s scaling. Check out the variations of scale-and-tissue around the forearm joint. Cuban knight anoles are noted for their brilliant colors, but I’m particularly… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (2 of 5)”
Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (1 of 5)
Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Volusia county, Florida (24 May 2022). The first of five shots for today and tomorrow, this is an adult Cuban knight anole I finally managed to get close to in Daytona Beach, Florida. Though abundant in south Florida,… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022 (1 of 5)”
Ascia monuste, 30 June 2014
Ascia monuste, the Great southern white; Volusia county, Florida (30 June 2014). The Great southern white is a butterfly species that ranges throughout much of South America, Central America, and the southeastern United States. In Florida, this is also one of the few butterfly… Continue Reading “Ascia monuste, 30 June 2014”
Arenaeus cribrarius, 22 May 2014
Arenaeus cribrarius, the Speckled swimming crab; Volusia county, Florida (22 May 2014). This crab species is quite abundant along the beaches of Volusia county, Florida. Really, they can be found on nearly any sandy beach — typically in shallow water. They range from New… Continue Reading “Arenaeus cribrarius, 22 May 2014”
Scolopocryptops sexspinosus, 15 February 2015
Scolopocryptops sexspinosus, the Eastern red centipede; Volusia county, Florida (15 February 2015). The Eastern red centipede is a fairly large Chilopodan species. They range throughout much of the eastern portion of North America and are fairly abundant in central Florida (at least in my… Continue Reading “Scolopocryptops sexspinosus, 15 February 2015”
Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022
Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Volusia county, Florida (24 May 2022). My second-day encounter with the two Cuban knight anoles in the Daytona Beach area last year. This was the first set of shots of these two Cuban knight anoles on this day.… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 24 May 2022”
Trichonephila clavipes, 11 July 2015
Trichonephila clavipes, the Golden silk spider; Volusia county, Florida (11 July 2015). Locally, we called these “banana spiders” when I was a kid in the late 70s and early 80s. Golden silk spiders (also known as Golden silk orbweavers) are fairly large and have… Continue Reading “Trichonephila clavipes, 11 July 2015”
Papilio troilus, 24 July 2020
Papilio troilus, the Spicebush swallowtail; Volusia county, Florida (24 July 2020). Here’s a quick iPhone snapshot of a Spicebush Swallowtail loitering around our backyard a few short years ago. We have a variety of Papilio species in this region, and I’d definitely like to… Continue Reading “Papilio troilus, 24 July 2020”
Coluber constrictor priapus, 22 July 2016
Coluber constrictor priapus, the Southern black racer; Volusia county, Florida (22 July 2016). Southern black racers make for great photos if you can get them to pause and peer back at your for a few seconds. This is truly an incredibly rowdy and active… Continue Reading “Coluber constrictor priapus, 22 July 2016”
Spragueia onagrus, 02 June 2014
Spragueia onagrus, the Black-dotted spragueia moth; Volusia county, Florida (02 June 2014). Mostly limited to Florida and some other stretches of the southeastern U.S. coastline, the Black-spotted spragueia is a tiny species of Family Noctuidae. As bright as it may appear here, they’re actually… Continue Reading “Spragueia onagrus, 02 June 2014”
Charadra deridens, 04 March 2015
Charadra deridens, the Laugher moth; Volusia county, Florida (04 March 2015). Laugher moths are pretty cool in an understated way. Honestly, I’m not sure why they’re referred to as “Laugher” moths, but I do love the dotted pattern on their wings. This is another… Continue Reading “Charadra deridens, 04 March 2015”
Coluber constrictor priapus, 06 October 2020
Coluber constrictor priapus, the Southern black racer; Volusia county, Florida (06 October 2020). In my previous home in Ormond Beach, I used to grade papers and record audio feedback on the base stoop of our back patio. I spent a lot of time on… Continue Reading “Coluber constrictor priapus, 06 October 2020”
Iridopsis defectaria, 26 May 2020
Iridopsis defectaria, the Brown-shaded gray; Volusia county, Florida (26 May 2020). Fairly abundant throughout the eastern half the United States and nearly all of Central America, the Brown-shaded gray is one of those easy-to-miss moths. They’re quite small and do their thing when most… Continue Reading “Iridopsis defectaria, 26 May 2020”
Anolis equestris, 18 May 2022
Anolis equestris, the Cuban knight anole; Volusia county, Florida (18 May 2022). On May 18th, 2022, I spotted my first set of Cuban knight anoles in the Daytona Beach area. This non-native species has been in south Florida for quite some time now, and… Continue Reading “Anolis equestris, 18 May 2022”
Dione vanillae, 10 October 2006
Dione vanillae, the Gulf fritillary; Volusia county, Florida (10 October 2006). The Gulf fritillary is one of the most commonly spotted butterflies throughout central Florida. In fact, they’re quite common across the United States, all the way west to California, and then down through… Continue Reading “Dione vanillae, 10 October 2006”
Thamnophis saurita sackenii, 04 February 2018
Thamnophis saurita sackenii, the Peninsula ribbon snake; Volusia county, Florida (04 February 2018). Peninsula ribbon snakes are pretty damn adorable. They’re closely related to our garter snakes (different species of the same genus) but are a bit slimmer and trimmer. The distinctive white bar… Continue Reading “Thamnophis saurita sackenii, 04 February 2018”
Anisota pellucida, 27 May 2015
Anisota pellucida, the Southern pink-striped oakworm moth; Volusia county, Florida (27 May 2015). The Southern pink-striped oakworm moth is a fairly common, if not abundant, species ranging throughout the American southeast. If you’re in the southeast, I’m sure you’ve seen one at some point… Continue Reading “Anisota pellucida, 27 May 2015”
Pantherophis alleghaniensis, 17 August 2017
Pantherophis alleghaniensis, the Eastern (yellow) rat snake; Volusia county, Florida (17 August 2017). Here’s one of our backyard Yellow rat snakes (as we refer to them locally). In central Florida, the Eastern rat snake sports this particular patterning (yellow base tone with dark stripes).… Continue Reading “Pantherophis alleghaniensis, 17 August 2017”
Darapsa myron, 14 April 2015
Darapsa myron, the Virginia creeper sphinx; Volusia county, Florida (14 April 2015). Widely distributed throughout the eastern half to the continental United States, the Virginia creeper sphinx moth is a fantastic, somewhat-understated, species of Family Sphingidae. They can be seen throughout much of the… Continue Reading “Darapsa myron, 14 April 2015”
Atteva aurea, 26 April 2015
Atteva aurea, the Ailanthus webworm moth; Volusia county, Florida (26 April 2015). Ranging throughout most of the Eastern United States and nearly all of Central America, the Ailanthus webworm moth is an ermine moth most commonly observed from September through November via iNaturalist. Also… Continue Reading “Atteva aurea, 26 April 2015”
Haploa clymene, 25 July 2014
Haploa clymene, the Clymene moth; Volusia county, Florida (25 July 2014). Check out the sharp figure-ground contrast on this tiny moth! This is a Clymene moth, a tiny moth of Family Erebidae that ranges across much of the eastern half of the United States.
Nemoria lixaria, 12 March 2015
Nemoria lixaria, the Red-bordered emerald moth; Volusia county, Florida (12 March 2015). Oh yeah, I do love the Red-bordered emerald moth. This is one of those easy-to-miss species. They’re very, very tiny and easy to miss at night. When you do spot them, however,… Continue Reading “Nemoria lixaria, 12 March 2015”
Palpidia pallidior, 17 May 2020
Palpidia pallidior, the Pale palpidia; Volusia county, Florida (17 May 2020). A species seemingly limited in range to the Florida peninsula and perhaps Cuba, the Pale palpidia is another easy-to-miss species. Fairly tiny, this is one of the tiny moths we see flapping about… Continue Reading “Palpidia pallidior, 17 May 2020”
Spilosoma congrua, 11 May 2015
Spilosoma congrua, the Agreeable tiger moth; Volusia county, Florida (11 May 2015). Of the white moths we see at night, the Agreeable tiger moth is one of the most common. I’ve seen many of these over the years, as I’m sure many people have… Continue Reading “Spilosoma congrua, 11 May 2015”
Artace cribrarius, 09 September 2013
Artace cribrarius, the Dot-lined white moth; Volusia county, Florida (09 September 2013). I do love a little lateral-rotation window-reflection action. Here’s a fairly lovely Dot-lined white moth hanging out on one of our back windows a few years back. This species ranges throughout much… Continue Reading “Artace cribrarius, 09 September 2013”
Spodoptera dolichos, 23 March 2014
Spodoptera dolichos, the Dolichos armyworm moth; Volusia county, Florida (23 March 2014). The March of Moths (or should I say May of Moths?) continues with one of my local favorites: The Dolichos armyworm moth. Ranging from the southeastern United States down through much of… Continue Reading “Spodoptera dolichos, 23 March 2014”
Actias luna, 07 September 2015
Actias luna, the Luna moth; Volusia county, Florida (07 September 2015). From what I can gather, the Luna Moth is a favorite among many moth enthusiasts (and, yes, there are moth enthusiasts). I’m not sure I consider them one of my favorites, though —… Continue Reading “Actias luna, 07 September 2015”
Empyreuma pugione, 31 May 2016
Empyreuma pugione, the Spotted oleander moth; Volusia county, Florida (31 May 2016). The Spotted oleander moth is one cool little species. They range throughout a good portion of the Caribbean and north through the Florida peninsula. With their brilliantly red wings, Spotted oleander moths… Continue Reading “Empyreuma pugione, 31 May 2016”
Halysidota tessellaris, 24 May 2020
Halysidota tessellaris, the Banded tussock moth; Volusia county, Florida (24 May 2020). Seems I’m in a bit of a mothman mood right now. Fair enough! This is a Banded tussock moth, one of the more common species in my neck of the woods, photographed… Continue Reading “Halysidota tessellaris, 24 May 2020”
Papilio cresphontes, 04 June 2016
Papilio cresphontes, the Eastern giant swallowtail; Volusia county, Florida (04 June 2016). Also known simply as the Giant swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes is a magnificent and large butterfly species. With wingspans reaching somewhere between five and seven inches across, they’re hard to miss, especially with… Continue Reading “Papilio cresphontes, 04 June 2016”
Xylophanes tersa, 18 July 2020
Xylophanes tersa, the Tersa sphinx; Volusia county, Florida (18 July 2020). Sphinx moths are fairly awesome. As far as moths are concerned, they sport particularly wild and sleek wing designs. This particular species ranges throughout most of the eastern United States and nearly all… Continue Reading “Xylophanes tersa, 18 July 2020”
Callopistria floridensis, 26 May 2020
Callopistria floridensis, the Florida fern moth; Volusia county, Florida (26 May 2020). Another squiggly little nocturnal moth. This is the Florida fern moth, a particularly striking wee mothen species. I must admit I love stepping out on a well-lit patio late at night. The… Continue Reading “Callopistria floridensis, 26 May 2020”
Synchlora frondaria, 17 May 2020
Synchlora frondaria, the Southern emerald; Volusia county, Florida (17 May 2020). I’m feeling the need to beef up my Lepidopteran arsenal on Floridensis. So many moths (and butterflies); so little time. Featured here is a wee Southern emerald — one of those tiny moths… Continue Reading “Synchlora frondaria, 17 May 2020”
Osteopilus septentrionalis, 30 August 2013
Osteopilus septentrionalis, the Cuban treefrog; Volusia county, Florida (30 August 2013). Ah, the notorious Cuban treefrog… Truly, this is a seriously problematic invasive species in Florida. They like to eat our smaller, native treefrog species.
Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis, 04 January 2015
Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis, the Eastern garter snake; Volusia county, Florida (04 January 2015). Here’s a lateral macro study of an Eastern garter snake’s scaling. Check out those awesome keels (the ridges at the center of each scale). Check out the incredible coloring that splashes… Continue Reading “Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis, 04 January 2015”
Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, 04 September 2016
Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, the Dusky pigmy rattlesnake; Volusia county, Florida (04 September 2016). I tend to focus more on tight macro shots than full body perspectives, especially when it comes to snakes, but every now and then I think to hold back and snag… Continue Reading “Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, 04 September 2016”
Ganoderma zonatum, 29 December 2014
Ganoderma zonatum, the Zonatum bracket fungi; Volusia county, Florida (29 December 2014). One fun thing about rebooting Floridensis is launching into a new clade for the site. With the arrival of summer (and our seasonal rains) in real time, I’m getting a hankering for… Continue Reading “Ganoderma zonatum, 29 December 2014”
Daytona Beach, 04 October 1998
Daytona Beach; Volusia county, Florida (04 October 1998). Flashback to Daytona Beach in October of 1998. The old pier still remains, mostly, as do the cars on the beach (though they’ve gradually been updated over the years).
Rhadinaea flavilata, 12 May 2020
Rhadinaea flavilata, the Pinewoods snake; Volusia county, Florida (12 May 2020). A funky looking-down angle of a tiny Pinewoods snake. This is a small, repulsive species. While fairly abundant in areas, it’s a species not often observed directly. They’re very good at staying under… Continue Reading “Rhadinaea flavilata, 12 May 2020”
Lithobates sphenocephalus, 15 April 2023 (b)
Lithobates sphenocephalus, the Southern leopard frog; Volusia county, Florida (15 April 2023). Check out this behemoth of a Southern leopard frog. I’m amazed I was able to get so close; the frog was facing the water and tensing its muscles every few seconds —… Continue Reading “Lithobates sphenocephalus, 15 April 2023 (b)”
Lithobates sphenocephalus, 15 April 2023 (a)
Lithobates sphenocephalus, the Southern leopard frog; Volusia county, Florida (15 April 2023). The first of two Southern leopard frogs from 15 April 2023. In truth, there were hundreds of them… but I only snagged decent shots of two of them. With some recent rain… Continue Reading “Lithobates sphenocephalus, 15 April 2023 (a)”
Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, 15 April 2023
Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, the Dusky pigmy rattlesnake; Volusia county, Florida (15 April 2023). I came across three Duskies on this short morning hike. One ready to shed; one very hungry; the third very dirty. Duskies of all girth and size, but not one of… Continue Reading “Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, 15 April 2023”
Magnolia grandiflora, 15 April 2023
Magnolia grandiflora, the Southern magnolia; Volusia county, Florida (15 April 2023). In my slow-but-steady progression into plant literacy, I suppose it’s time to formally recognize one of our coolest trees — the Southern magnolia. Their leaves are equally awesome whether green above or brown… Continue Reading “Magnolia grandiflora, 15 April 2023”
Herpothallon rubrocinctum, 15 April 2023
Herpothallon rubrocinctum, the Christmas lichen; Volusia county, Florida (15 April 2023). Though far from being uncommon, I always delight when I come across a nice patch of Christmas lichen. I have no idea why Christmas lichen adapted its red-and-white patterning (biochemistry aside), but it… Continue Reading “Herpothallon rubrocinctum, 15 April 2023”
Lithobates grylio, 13 April 2023
Lithobates grylio, the Pig frog; Volusia county, Florida (13 April 2023). I came across some nifty Pig frogs loitering about near the water’s edge near my neighborhood. It was a softly-raining evening, so the frogs were very much out and about. Now that we’re… Continue Reading “Lithobates grylio, 13 April 2023”
Narceus sp., 13 April 2023
Narceus sp., a millipede; Volusia county, Florida (13 April 2023). As of this posting, I haven’t been able to peg down the exact species on this one. It’s either Narceus americanus, the American giant millipede, or possibly Narceus gordanus, the Smokey oak millipede. Millipedes… Continue Reading “Narceus sp., 13 April 2023”
floridensis 