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Hiking from HID 2014 to Long Pine Key via gate 2B and then exploring the finger glade west of the campground hoping to find Asclepias longifolia

I worked in the Hole-in-the-Donut doing plant monitoring with Steve on the 27th and 28th and decided to stay in the park overnight so I could blacklight and explore LPK a bit before our second workday.

My blacklighting observations from HID 2014:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2024-01-27&place_id=any&project_id=blacklighting-florida&user_id=joemdo

All of my observations from both days:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2024-01-27&d2=2024-01-28&order=asc&place_id=any&preferred_place_id=127553&user_id=joemdo

More info about the Hole-in-the Donut restoration area:
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/hidprogram.htm

A good number of young C. viridifasciata jumping underfoot, and showing their color variations:
Here the pinkest I have ever observed.
There, in brown:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/39801063
And there, in green:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/39801029

Save the Best for Last today - @sea-kangaroo and myself guided into Kameamea Lady habitat by folks working on the genetics of this elusive butterfly. Only one of two endemics to the Islands. Will put out mashed banana bait to lure them in. Warm sun turned to torrential rains. Didn't see the Vanessa, BUT saw the other endemic. The Greenish Bluet or Blackburn's Blue. A blue butterfly that is green. Read about this creature for decades. Insane thrill to finally see it. This is the only shot I managed to take of it. It'll do. :)

Dia 82, un individuo.

Day 82, one individual.

Relacionado con // Related to:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2667158
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2667199
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2667420

Male Promachus bastardii

I could hear these guys all over buzzing around before I saw them.

It appears mid to late June (look at "Date observed" column) is a great time for this species locally:
shorturl.at/irszU (a iNaturalist URL shortened).

Male Megaphasma denticrus

I saw this creature crawling up a mesquite tree (I think...) and instantly froze. I could not believe how big it was and how fast it was moving.

I quickly disengaged my camera from the tripod and attempted to get a full body shot. As I got closer it quickly became apparent that he was well aware of and uncomfortable with my proximity.

For reference I tried to put my thumb near him and get a shot but he jumped and then scurried farther. Despite not wanting to interrupt him more I decided to catch him and take some closer shots. I tried to gently coax him off the tree but his grip was extremely impressive and I almost abandoned my attempt because I was afraid one of our arms might break off.

In the end, obviously, I succeeded, otherwise I'd be too embarrassed to post this, and I took some crappy reference shots with my phone and then tried to put him back in a relevant place.

Anax junius exuviae

Masses of A. junius (and less probably, a few A. longipes) exuviae.

I estimated there must have been at least 500 easily visible Anax sp. exuviae on the route I walked.

There were more in adjacent vegetation that was out of/farther away from the ponds' edges but I did not search for or count them.

Very cool to see. Obviously they didn't all come out on one day but I would like to go one morning and see, even if just a handful were emerging at once/readily visible.

I'm extremely curious how many/what general percentages are predated. The site chosen for ecdysis ranged from dense brush to dead twigs directly in the open, as seen here.