While I was at Starbucks doing some homework this housefly landed on my laptop and crawled around for a bit. Houseflies are found throughout the entire world and are seen as pests. They carry pathogens on their bodies and in their feces which can contaminate the things they land on. Houseflies have a relatively short lifespan, living only about 2-4 weeks on average.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5947059
I was hanging out at Big Stacy park near campus and a grackle was walking around me so I went ahead and snapped a photo. Grackles are found year round from the central to eastern U.S. This particular grackle was a female, which you can tell by its brown color. Males, on the other hand, are dark black and blue and have a more glossy coat when compared to females.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5947048
I was leaving my dorm to go grab some lunch when I saw a bunch of squirrels eating in the trees outside. I took a picture of this one because it seemed like the baby of the group and was close to me while the rest were higher up in the tree. Fox squirrels are the largest tree squirrels and are found throughout Central to Eastern North America. The fox squirrels on campus can often be seen stashing nuts which they eventually dig up using their keen sense of smell.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5822490
I went for a walk with my girlfriend and her dog in a trail behind her house and found these bluebonnets among all of the other plants and shrubs. The Texas Bluebonnet, or lupinus texensis, is the state flower of Texas and is a popular backdrop and subject for photography. They tend to bloom from March to May, although plenty of rainfall in the fall and winter this year made them bloom a bit earlier.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5619213
I saw this crowpoison on the same walk behind my girlfriend’s house where I saw all of the other plants and bugs. I initially thought it was a rain lily, but was later corrected by another friendly user on iNaturalist. I also caught a bug crawling on one of the flowers, although I don’t know what it was. These flowers are native to the Southern United States and are typically some of the first plants to bloom in a lawn or the side of the road.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5619436
I saw these Texas Baby Blue Eyes among an area dense with different plants and brush. These flowers are native to Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Louisiana and tend to bloom early and die by summer. They tend to grow well in shady areas with slightly moist soil.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5619389
I was trying to get a photo of some plants on the ground when I saw this rabid wolf spider scurry past me. These spiders are common throughout the southern U.S. although they’ve been found as far north as Nebraska. They’re often found in wooded areas or buildings among the foliage, holes, or litter in these places. Their bites are known to be poisonous but not lethal, and they only bite if they are provoked, as they are not typically aggressive.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5619133
I saw this little honey bee that looked it was pollinating a Texas baby blue eyes. Female honey bees are responsible for collecting honey and although they have a stinger, they can only use it once since they die after they sting. Male honey bees only purpose is to mate and are not even equipped with a stinger. The queen bee’s purpose is just to lay eggs, and she can lay up to 2,500 eggs a day during the busiest summer months.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5619200
I saw this ladybeetle crawling around on a leaf in the same area that I saw the honey bee. Asian ladybeetles are native to Asia and were introduced to North America in an attempt to control aphids, small bugs that cause damage to plants and crops. Although they look a lot like the popular ladybug, they’re actually seen as pests and can bite, whereas lady bugs cannot.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5619145
I see this flower a lot wherever I go whether it be a park or just on the side of the road so I decided to find out what they are. They’re called pink evening primroses, or pinkladies, and they’re native to Texas, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma, although they’ve spread throughout the U.S. The name evening primrose comes from the fact that these flowers tend to open their flowers in the evening and then close them back up by early morning.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5619337