Our resident green tree frog: this individual has staked a claim on the back corner of our house. By day, the frog hangs out under the roof's edge. By night? It's dinner time on the back patio. A beautiful frog housemate.

~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com

Bipalium kewense is a predatory flatworm. They wreak havoc on reglular ole' earthworms. Tough little buggers. I found this one patrolling my front stoop late at night after a decent series of thunderstorms.

~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com

The green tree frogs have arrived for the spring. The night of 14 March was the first green tree frog night of 2012. The afternoon/evening thunderstorms and the warming temperatures have beckoned the Green Ones to our windows!

~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com

I've spotted a second Nerodia species on the Valdosta State University campus: the redbelly watersnake, Nerodia erythrogaster erythtrogaster (known commonly as the plain-bellied watersnake, Nerodia erythrogaster). The other positively identified species is Nerodia fasciata, the southern banded watersnake. I wouldn't be surprised to find a brown watersnake in the area, as well. It's a rich little creek system that runs right through campus and is jammed with tadpoles, frogs, small fish, and crayfish. Just right for the Nerodias (a few of them, at least). This individual was very near molting, but I was still unable to catch it (without likely getting wet -- I had an exam a few hours later!)

~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com

This is a redbelly watersnake, Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster, observed on the Valdosta State University campus in south Georgia. A small creek runs westward through campus. This creak has a decent population of Nerodias (mainly N. e. erythrogaster and N. f. fasciata, from what I've seen), frogs (mainly bronze frogs and perhaps bullfrogs), some turtles (red bellies and yellow bellies), and little fishies/crayfish. It's a fantastic little creek!

~ janson jones,
http://dusttracks.com

This is a palmetto weevil, Rhynchophorus cruentatus, I found trekking around our front yard in Valdosta, Georgia. The little critter was cooperative for a moment and then swiftly flew away.

~ janson, http://dusttracks.com

Yeah, so "roly-polies" are pretty common, but still... I figured I'd photograph and represent a couple -- at least for Life List purposes. Here in Valdosta, we've got a ton of these isopods. Very, very abundant in my neighborhood.

~ janson, http://dusttracks.com

There is apparently no shortage of Acanthocephalas here in Valdosta. I've seen quite a few, along with this year's crop of wheel and assassin bugs. Quite abundant in my backyard!

~ janson jones, http://dusttracks.com

This was a new one for me, the snowy tree cricket. It was a visitor to my back patio, attracted by the patio lights. It's the only one I've seen in my neighborhood this year. A very cool camper who soon after took off for another recreational, nocturne park with bright lights.

~ janson jones, http://dusttracks.com.

This click beetle is one of many click beetles and other arthropods clustered around my back patio lights on 22 May 2012. I've seen a good number of these during the late spring and early summer nights.

~ janson jones, http://dusttracks.com

While a good number of other arthropods were busy clamoring around my back patio lights, this false bombardier was patrolling a backyard tree -- well away from the hustle and bustle of patio life. A cool bug with an impressive ability to spray acid at would-be predators. (I kept my distance, just in case.)

~ janson jones, http://dusttracks.com

Looks like we've got greenhouse frogs established in our south Georgia neighborhood! I've seen a few of these this past year in the backyard. Far less common than the cricket frogs, but still enough to make an impression. The species is native to the West Indies, I believe.

~ janson jones, http://dusttracks.com.

While rummaging about for cricket and greenhouse frogs, I came across this skittish little brown skink. In south Georgia, I've seen far more broad headed skinks than any other species -- but that's probably because of their size and surface activity. These little dudes and dudettes tend to stay somewhat hidden. I've seen maybe a half dozen or so in my backyard this past year.

~ janson jones, http://dusttracks.com.

This is Tibicen auletes, the Northern dusk singing cicada, photographed in my backyard on 17 June 2012. We had a ton of these in the neighborhood during June, flying into the house, calling from the trees, and making a general racket. This individual was fairly sedate, perhaps starting to wind down?

~ janson jones, http://dusttracks.com

This northern dusk singing cicada, Tibicen auletes, was just completing ecdysis, the process of shedding its pupal exoskeleton and taking the form of an adult (imago) cicada. Most of the cicada’s life is spent as a pupa, hidden underground and feeding from tree roots. Quite late in its life span, it emerges from the ground, sheds its pupal exoskeleton, and assumes its winged, adult form with a new brand-spanking-new exoskeleton. Only then is the cicada a sexually-reproducable adult.

I was quite lucky to find this bright green cicada just at the end of ecdysis. By the time I ran back inside, grabbed my camera, and got back to the fence line, the cicada had just finished emerging from the old exoskeleton.

A fork-tailed bush katydid visited the back patio on 17 June 2012. I have no idea what's going on with the posterior, but welcome any explanation from those more In-The-Know!!!

~ janson jones, http://dusttracks.com

The only thing really remarkable about this one is that I managed to actually catch it. I caught a fleeting glimpse of the skink disappearing beneath a bed a pine needles in my backyard. Somehow I managed to find the little scamper! We've got quite a few of these on our property, but most of them remain well hidden and out of sight.

~ janson jones, http://dusttracks.com