Diario de mercedes-fletcher

2022 is coming to an end and I'm finding myself looking back on the past year. I started iNatting in mid 2021, meaning 2022 is my first full calendar year on the site. I've made quite a few accomplishments this year so I thought I'd start a journal entry to track when I reach certain milestones.

If you're interested in seeing my progress, feel free to drop by once and a while and check in! I'll update this as needed. :)

Personal Milestones
1st Observation Polyphemus Moth, June 29th, 2021
1,000th Observation: Ambiguous Moth, July 22nd, 2022
2,000th Observation: Northern Plantain Flea Beetle Larva, June 7th, 2023

First Project Created: Arthropod Faces (June 2022)

Here are some observations I made that I remember or would like to remember because I learned valuable information from learning them. This post will serve as a repository not only for myself but for anyone else who may stumble upon it and could learn along with me. Note that this post will be subject to change. The pursuit of knowledge is a continual process and I will surely make more observations of this nature going forward, which will be added here. Due to this, if this is of interest to you, perhaps check back here on occasion.

• Complexes and Impossible IDs
  Grape Leafoller/folder moths, my first complex!
  Grape/Shepards Plume
  Scallop Shell Moths
  Grapevine Looper Moths
  Crocus Geometer Moths
  Sycamore and Banded Tussock Moths
  Pug moths
  Wavy-lined Emerald (caterpillar)

Bad-Wing Moth (You mean that's not an emerald?! Wow!)
Interesting wasp resting posture
In regards to inchworms

Mystery Knotweed Virus
My first Land Planarian
Bryozoans are fascinating!

Note that this post is by no means exhaustive and does not contain every family, nor every way to identify them. I'm mostly keeping this here as a quick reference for myself while IDing things I see commonly. I may update this in the future as I learn more!

• Apatelodidae (Apatelodid Moths)
  Medium-sized
  Shades of grey and brown with wavy patterns, though less dense than some Geometrids
  Wings are held flatly at rest, with the hindwings concealed
  Large tufts of hair on the upper potions of the legs, which are absent on the lower half of the legs

• Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
  Tiny to Small in size
  Have elongated face parts which appear snoutlike
  Very broad and large family

• Geometridae (Geometer Moths)
  Medium-sized moths with cryptic or green coloring
  Wavy patterns with many or few lines, often extending across both the forewing and hindwing continuously
  Larvae only have legs at the ends of their bodies and move in an "inchworm" fashion

• Hesperiidae (Skipper Butterflies)
  Small butterflies that fly in a characteristic darting flight pattern
  Antennae have a hook or club shape on the end
  Larger bodies and more neutral colors compared to other butterflies make them appear moth-like

• Lasiocampidae (Lappet Moths)
  Plump, fluffy bodies which are elongated and often extend past the hindwings
  Rest with wings in a roof formation and often with the frontmost pair of legs extended forward
  Antennae are feather/fern-shaped along their entire length (in contrast with notodontidae, which may have partially pectinated or even completely straight antennae)

• Lycaenidae (Gossamer-Winged Butterflies)
  Small butterflies, similar in size to skippers
  Grey, spotted undersides with brightly colored (Usually blue, orange or brown) dorsal sides
  Some species have "tails", similar to swallowtails

• Notodontidae (Prominent Moths)
  Large and fluffy, similar to Lasiocampidae though with less elongated bodies
  Hold wings in roof formation or rolled at rest, with smaller species looking like sticks

• Nymphalidae (Brush-Footed Butterflies)
  A very broad group which can be many sizes, small to large
  Wing marges may be smooth or irregular, with some having tail-like shapes on the hindwings
  Brightly colored and often black with prominent yellow, red, or orange markings

• Megalopygidae (Flannel moths)
  Medium-sized with extra fluffy, plump bodies
  Broad wings held in roof formation at rest
  Simple colorations with few or no markings
  Larval stages of some species have painful stings!

• Pterophoridae (Plume Moths)
  Small
  Characteristic T-shape at rest, slender wings
  Usually neutral coloration

• Papilionidae (Swallowtail Butterflies)
  Medium to Large in size
  Very often have "tails", though not always
  Similar coloration to Nymphalidae

• Pyalidae (Pyralid Moths)
  Highly variable and broad family
  Typically have "snouts" like Crambidae
  Many different possible resting postures

• Saturniidae (Giant Silk Moths)
  Small to Extremely Large, including many of the world's largest moths
  Plump bodies and broad wings usually held to their sides at rest with the hindwings exposed
  Feather or Fern-like antennae which are bushier in males
  Some groups, such as Actias, have tails!

• Schreckensteiniidae (Bristle-legged Moths)
  A small family with few species, not often seen
  Tiny in size
  Spined legs that appear similar to small, thorned branches
  Legs are raised when at rest

• Sesiidae (Sesiid Moths)
  Small to Medium-Large moths
  Heavy bodies relative to their delicate, often clear wings
  Almost all species in this family mimic wasps, hornets, bees, etc

• Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths)
  Medium to Large moths
  Rest with their pointed forewings concealing their hindwings, in a characteristic "W" shape"
  May have simple and cryptic colors or dizzyingly complex and bright patterns

• Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
  Small moths in shades of brown or gray
  Wings are held in a flattened roof formation, giving them an arrowhead-like shape

• Yponomeutidae (Yponomeutid Moths)
  Very tiny
  More colorful compared to other micromoth groups, many have orange colors
  Rest with rolled wings and often one end raised, similar to many moths in Crambidae

• Zygaenidae (Zygaenid Moths)
  Small, day-flying moths
  Elongated, oval-shaped wings
  Generally metallic and shiny, with prominent red, yellow or orange markings

Hello! I will use this journal to keep track of the observations I am most proud of. They may be the first in an area or uncommonly seen there, iNat firsts, species I have a special interest in, or ones that I was able to get very high-quality photographs of. I considered making a list, but those are only for species and not specific observations, so I'll do it here. This makes it easier for me to find them again and keep track of some of my achievements. This will be updated when I make more of them so be sure to check back sometime! Thank you for stopping by.

~Mysteries and Mutants~
Taraxacum officinale, Fasciated: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/112891890

Geometer moth with an unusual hindwing deformity: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/129921243

Mysterious Japanese Knotweed Virus: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120426406

~ Local Oddities ~

Nymphalis I-album, rare in Ohio: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/97922038

Catocala unijuga, 11th observation in Ohio at the time: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/94164481

Scaphoideus immistus, first observation in Ohio: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90487992

Cryptops hortensis, first observation in Ohio: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/98173899

Leucanthemum × superbum, first observation in West Virginia: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/116194649

Easternmost observation of Osbornellus scalaris: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/127431175

~ iNat Firsts ~

Balcanocerus crataegi, first RG observation of an obscure leafhopper species: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/88084935

~ Species of Concern~

Larus delawarensis, vulnerable in Ohio: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/95221951
Setophaga americana, vulnerable in Ohio: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/113245597
Quiscalus quiscula, near threatened: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/109251028
Tsuga canadensis, near threatened: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/117202915#activity_identification_e8af1ddd-1977-483b-adf8-35e7d96b74bf

~ Favorite Photos ~

Antheraea polyphemus: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/87953326

The first photo I ever managed to get of Crambus sp. : https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/86926238

Polites peckius: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/85284208

Speyeria cybele: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/88606291

Sawfly larva: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120434178

~ Other Fascinating Finds ~

Pectinatella magnifica, fascinating organism I was previously unaware of: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/95345487

Mite found on a moth: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/126020346

Fungus growing on a lady beetle: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/127041206