24 to 27 m
First record of Longleaf Pine in Simpson Co since this record in 1964: https://sernecportal.org/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=5868934
The Finkbine-Guild Lumber Company was established to harvest and market the virgin longleaf pine (Pinus palustris L.) stands of southern Mississippi during the early 20th century. The main sawmills were located in Wiggins and D'Lo, Mississippi. In July 1915, the Finkbine Lumber Company began construction at D'Lo, Simpson County, of an all electric sawmill containing two band saws, a gang saw and a resaw. When operations began in July 1916, this mill had a cutting capacity of 200,000 feet in 10 hours. The timber supply extended over parts of Simpson, Rankin, Smith and Scott counties, running east from D'Lo for about 50 miles. About August 1927 the supply of pine was cut out, after which the mill switched to cutting redwood shipped from the Finkbine-Guild mill in California through the Panama Canal to Gulfport.
The D'Lo mill cut out for good in August 1929, and the Longleaf Pine-the dominant tree in the county that provided shelter for thousands of species, started to be forgotten. A lost relic of an ecosystem once prominent, This tree is a survivor, likely being a descendant of those first trees that were cut.
Hundreds of larvae found during some mass occurrence event.
The only large black hairy thing in the woods around here
Adult male found under a log near a sinkhole pond. My first lifer herp of the decade. Extremely exciting to find this very rare species in VA!