Favoritos de tmandalios

Several hundred basal rosettes observed within tractor/mower-maintained hydric savannah adjacent to the road. Only 3 plants were observed flowering. Rudbeckia graminifolia, Chaptalia tomentosa, Erigeron vernus, and Bigelowia nudata are common at this site.

Not that anyone would be able to locate this, but I'm not going to put an exact location for this plant because of the extreme rarity in S. Florida. I believe this individual as since been extirpated due to tree fall. This was the second individual known from ENP. See Rare Plants of the Everglades (Gann et al.) for more info.

Bee was observed feeding on Calamintha ashei plant in full bloom. This was the beginning of the bloom for this calamint population, and an early observation of the bee compared to known samples. This is the first Blue Calamintha Bee ever photographed outside of known paratype locations. The previous records for the bee came from 16 square miles in Lake Placid, Florida. This specimen was released unharmed, only temporarily restrained for species identification photos.

Organism Description:
This organism belongs to the Kingdom Animalia Protostomes. It is called a Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera). This organism was small in size, about 1-inch long. It had a black body, with yellow stripes on its back. Its wings were transparent and its body had some fur on it as well. This organism had two unique round structures on the side of its body. The round structures were orange. It also had two short antennae. The overall shape of the body was oval. The defining characteristics of this organism that allowed for the determination that it was a part of the Kingdom Animalia Protostomes, was that it had three pairs of legs and antennae. It was an insect which belongs to the Kingdom Animalia (Protostomes). The Western Honey Bee is known for producing honey (Source: Wikipedia). They are social creatures so they tend to form colonies and communicate through unique secretions and dances. These colonies tend to have a queen bee and drones, which are worker bees. These bees tend to be kept by humans in order to collect their honey. They are very important pollinators all around the world (Source: Wikipedia).

Location, Habitat, and Distribution:
I found this organism at the Greenway Park in Ocala, Florida. It was 75 degrees and sunny outside when I observed it. Lat: 29.153941 Lon: -82.044671
The Western honey Bee is distributed throughout all of the continents. Antarctica is the only continent that the Western Honey Bees do not occupy. First, they began to colonize Africa and then spread to Europe. Now they live in North and South America, as well as the other continents. This is widely due to the interference of humans. They tend to live in habitats that are local. They can live in cold climates as well. They tend to form tight groups with other bees in order to stay warm (Source: Wikipedia). They also occupy deserts. They tend to live in warm environments.

Date and Time: February 4, 2019 at 12:50 PM EST

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_honey_bee

Kingdom Animalia: Protostomes

Large blue butterflies are uncommon in Sunway City so we are delighted to welcome Ideopsis vulgaris, or the Glassy Blue Tiger, as the newest visitor at the Monash University Malaysia Butterfly Garden this week, even as the constant showers have driven many of the other butterflies into hiding.

As it is poisonous to most animals who would try to eat it, this butterfly is a slow and graceful flyer and even spends long periods of time simply basking in full view on a flower. The two flowers it is most fond of are the Honolulu Creeper (Antigonon leptopus) and Spanish needle (Bidens pilosa)

(Some type of) Green Anole spotted atop a shutter on my home (Terrace Park, Tampa, Fl.) Feb. 6th, 2019 around 4pm. The habitat is shaded by a turkey oak, and is somewhat sandy/scrubby/wetland forest-like, reflective of the Temple Terrace area.

(S)He is neon/lime green with red nostrils (the red dot placement looks like nostrils), and a faint cyan tint around the eye and throat area (more visible around the eye). One website (1) said that males are slightly bigger than females, females also having a tan coloration to their sides, and males having a pink neck-fan that extends to attract mates or warn rivals (4).

(S)He seems to live behind the shutter, which might accumulate bugs, and protect him from the elements and predators. This individual has been spotted along with another here (not pictured, on other occaisions), possibly a breeding pair?

These lizards are generally less spastic (2) (video of man picking up wild green anole) than the invasive brown anole, which is competing with it for habitat. They might accompany you in your garden if they recognize you, not being immediately spooked by you, even if you get close (unless you mess with them too hard I assume), unlike the brown anoles. They are suprisingly relaxed critters. (1st hand accounts)

Green Anoles can change color from brown to green (3), with sources saying the color changes aren't as sophisticated as true a chemeleon's (4), but one video shows vivid coloration changes during mating (weird, but hey, science, and at least it's tastefully covered by a leaf)(5)(youtube suggested it after several green anole videos, and the title mentioned color change) The color change on the male's eye is drastic, from light blue to bright orange, among other changes.

The green anole is native to much of the southern U.S., and is generally arboreal (4).

(1): Reptiles Magazine Green Anole Care Sheet
http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Green-Anole/

(2):Friendly Green Anole Lizard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPsKzDg6wMA

(3):Everglades National Park Species Profile
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/greenanole.htm

(4): Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Species Profile
https://srelherp.uga.edu/lizards/anocar.htm

(5): Green Anole Lizards Mating and Change Color
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZxAWoG86U4

(6):Native lizard hangs tight with rapid evolution
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-evolution-green-brown-lizards-20141101-story.html

A population of (some type of) Morning Glories was spotted off the sidewalk on US 41 between Hayes Rd. and E Chapman Rd. on Feb 1st, 2019 around 6p.m. Adjacent property managers were unaware of the flowers' precense; possibly native, probably naturalized.

The group had purple to pink flowers in different shades, a few inches across, and grew as a climbing vine, overtaking some trees to use as scaffolding.

Their leaves come in a heart shape, and also a three lobed shape, both of which are pictured, also shown in this reference on Florida Morning Glories:

http://shell.cas.usf.edu/~essig/Florida%20Gardening/2011-10%20Taming%20the%20Wild%20Morning%20Glory.pdf

The Morning Glory Family (convolvulaceae) is fairly wisespread, with some species ranging most of the U.S., and some being restricted to the southeastern U.S.

https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=IPPU2