Diario de jjwsphotography

While exploring my yard, I was delighted to find a variety of fascinating creatures right around my house. The first was a Western Conifer Seed Bug, recognizable by its long body and distinctive reddish-brown coloration. I spotted it clinging to the bark of a tree.

Not far from there, I noticed a few Cross Orbweavers spinning intricate webs between the branches. Their distinctive markings and skillful weaving caught my eye as they patiently waited for unsuspecting prey.

As I continued my exploration, I spotted a Western Honey Bee buzzing around some nearby flowers. It was busy collecting nectar and pollen. Watching the bee flit from bloom to bloom was a beautiful sight.

Finally, I discovered a Paradise Jumping Spider, stalking prey and jumping around.

During my recent explorations in Penticton, B.C., I stumbled upon some normal finds: Flesh Flies and Satellite Flies. While walking along a shaded trail, I noticed a few Flesh Flies buzzing around decaying organic matter, their distinctive gray bodies and red eyes making them easy to spot. These flies play an important role in decomposition, helping to break down waste and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem. (I just learned)

Later, I encountered some Satellite Flies flitting about nearby. Their smaller size and unique patterns caught my attention, and I was fascinated by their behaviour. Satellite Flies are known for their distinctive habit of hovering around flowers and shrubs, where they often feast on nectar. (Also, just learned that). It was a great reminder of the small wonders that can be found when exploring the natural world!

A couple of months ago, my family and I flew to Arizona for a trip filled with exploration. During a hike, I discovered a hill of Maricopa Harvester Ants and later spotted a pond with Ring-necked Ducks, where I managed to take a great photo. We also came across another hill of Acrobat Ants, that was buzzing with life. Each day brought new adventures, from hiking and observing wildlife to enjoying local cuisine and learning about the culture. Overall, it was a fantastic trip that I would do again any day!

You don't need to take interest in this, it is simply for my self:

Spiders (Order Aranea):

Cross Orbweaver (Araneus diadematus)
Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus)
Paradise Jumping Spider (Genus Habronattus) unknown species at the moment.
Genus Cicurina (not going to species because there is no photo of the underside)

Order Opiliones:

Protolophus singularis

Malacostracans (Class Malacostraca):

Common Shiny Woodlouse (Oniscus asellus)

Order Dermaptera:

Forficula dentata

Flies (Order Diptera):

Western Aphideater (Eupeodes fumipennis)
Flesh Flies and Satellite Flies (Family Sarcophagidae) Not enough angles for species level
Subfamily Asilinae (the whole fly needs to be included in the photo.
The terminalia, which are extremely useful for determining genus and species in Asilinae, are cut off in the photo.)
Cluster Flies (Genus Pollenia)

True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and Allies (Order Hemiptera):

Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis)

Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies (Order Hymenoptera):

Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Acrobat Ants (Genus Crematogaster) can't get to species level.
Maricopa Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex maricopa)

Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera):

Many-spotted Tiger Moth (Hypercompe permaculata)
Pearly-winged Lichen Moth (Crambidia casta)

Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Katydids (Order Orthoptera):

Snakeweed Grasshopper (Hesperotettix viridis ssp. viridis)
Mormon Cricket (Anabrus simplex)

Waterfowl (Order Anseriformes):

Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)

For now, these are all my species!

Last month, my dad and I packed up the van and set off for a week of camping in Yellowstone. It was quite the adventure, taking us through Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. After five days on the road, we rolled into Gardiner, Montana, and even at a gas station, we couldn’t help but spot some cool moths—Many-spotted Tiger Moth and Pearly-winged Lichen Moth. We kept the momentum going with a stop at a roadside pull-out, where we came across a Mormon cricket and some members of Subfamily Asilinae. But the highlight for me was at our Yellowstone campsite, where we found Snakeweed Grasshoppers mating and some beautiful Bullsnakes. It was a great trip, and I had an amazing time exploring with my dad!