October 17, 2024

I am a female Eastern Carpenter bee

If I was male, my face would be yellowish-white

I have a hairless spot in the middle of my back -

We all do, so everything's fine.

Location: Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC

Sources: https://bugguide.net/node/view/3509

Photo and text © 2024 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

October 16, 2024

I am a Northern Pearly-Eye

Look close to see my orange-tipped deely-boppers

I also have lots 

Of white-rimmed eye spots

Which makes an easy ID for butterfly watchers.

Location: Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC

Sources: https://alabama.butterflyatlas.usf.edu/species/details/51/northern-pearly-eye

Photo and text © 2024 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

October 15, 2024

I am a Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly

I'm pretty, but don't eat me or my young

Aristolochic acid is lethal

To critters and people

And would be the last thing to touch your tongue.

(To quote the linked article, "The caterpillars of the Pipevine Swallowtail feed on the poisonous host plant, Aristolochia, also known as the pipevine [which] contains the lethal toxin aristolochic acid.")

Location: Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC

Sources: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=17456

Photo and text © 2024 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

October 14, 2024

I am a Green Lynx spider

When Dee saw me, she got all excited

She thought she saw me

Carrying a baby

Her spider reputation is clearly misguided!

(Note from Dee: I realized after looking at other photos of Green Lynx that what I thought were her  baby's head and legs were her own chelicera and pedipalps! Enlarge the photo and you will see what I mean.)

Location: Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC

Sources: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/green_lynx_spider.htm

https://biologyandbiodiversityinspiders.weebly.com/spider-anatomy.html

Photo and text © 2024 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

October 13, 2024

I am the larvae of a Dogwood Sawfly

I have no natural enemies

I'm harmless to you

But what I do to 

Dogwood trees should be a felony!

Location: Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC

Sources: https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/publications-resources/insect-mite-guide/macremphytus-tarsatus

Photo and text © 2024 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

October 12, 2024

This plant is in the Subgenus Clematis

It might be Virgin's Bower, but I'm not quite sure

The leaves to not look quite pointy enough

At a different life stage, there's more to observe.

Location: Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC

Sources: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1398783-Clematis

Photo and text © 2024 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

October 11, 2024

This plant is Phlox paniculata

Commonly known as Fall Phlox

Spider mites and Phlox bugs can kill this plant

But hummingbirds think that it rocks!

Location: Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC

Sources: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/phlox-paniculata/

Photo and text © 2024 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.