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staggolee41.bsky.social
Stag
@staggolee41.bsky.social
200 followers 160 following 170 posts
On a wild journey to rehab my yard and document what I observe. Follow me on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/people/staggolee
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staggolee41.bsky.social
🚨🚨OOTHECA SPOTTED🚨🚨

Very excited to have praying mantis nymphs to watch next year! 😁

#prayingmantis #ootheca #eggs #insects
An ootheca, or egg case, has been left by a praying mantis on a branch of a chasteberry tree. It is cream in color and a few inches long, maybe one inch wide. It is shown against a clear blue sky with green leaves around it. An ootheca, or egg case, has been left by a praying mantis on a branch of a chasteberry tree. It is cream in color and a few inches long, maybe one inch wide. It is shown against a clear blue sky with green leaves around it.
September 5, 2025 at 10:03 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
Lots of praying mantis activity these last several days - a minimum of 12 hours mating between two, an increasingly large abdomen on the female, and then a significantly flatter abdomen today. Time to look for an ootheca!

#prayingmantis #mating #mantids #stagmomantis
Two views of two mating praying mantises, approximately twelve hours apart. One is at night, one during the morning. The male praying mantis is brown; the female is a vibrant, light green. Both are likely one of a few Stagmomantis species. They are mating on a branch in a chasteberry tree. The female praying mantis is shown the day after the mating ended, then again one day later. She has gone from having a very distended abdomen to a much flatter one. She is bright green and resting on a chasteberry tree branch in both daytime pictures.
September 5, 2025 at 3:14 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
Took a long break to grieve - I lost my beloved older dog to cancer, and it broke my heart. Abby was somehow both the sweetest and spiciest dog I’ve ever met.

Enjoy every moment - there aren’t enough of them. 💙
An adult woman holds a dog that is light in color, with very soft, thick fur. The woman looks at the camera while the dog looks at her.
September 5, 2025 at 3:02 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
When did they learned synchronized flying?! Don’t act like you’re not impressed!

#bluedashers #dragonflies #insync
Branches of two crepe myrtles are shown at night. Two blue dasher dragonflies are perched at the same height and angle and in the same direction, but about a foot apart.
August 29, 2025 at 3:39 AM
staggolee41.bsky.social
This stink bug nymph, casually doing pushups while making eye contact: “Do you even lift, bro?”

#stinkbugs #nymph #doyouevenlift
A stink bug nymph is shown twice; in the first image, it is holding tight to a branch. In the second image, it has pushed up with its forelegs to maximum height, as if doing a pushup.
August 27, 2025 at 5:22 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
I’d rather not admit how long it took me to see her in this spot. 😅

#prayingmantis #camouflage
A praying mantis is shown on the flowering portion of a chasteberry tree. The section has not flowered yet, so it is a light green, much like the mantid.
August 27, 2025 at 5:17 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
Love blue dashers, but this is nightmare fuel.

#bluedasher #dragonflies #donteatme
The underside of a blue dasher dragonfly is shown. Its apparently open mouth and the color variations in its compound eye make it look like it’s very excited about eating you.
August 27, 2025 at 5:13 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
I don’t recall there being a chapter about caterpillars in Everybody Poops, but they do. A lot. And they’ll release a lot of it with some force as a defense mechanism.

#caterpillar #frass #everybodypoops
A dozen tiny bits of caterpillar frass are shown with a dried rose leaf on a white sheet of paper.
August 26, 2025 at 10:12 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
The friend with the freakishly long tail reappeared while I was clearing debris next to the patio. I’m pretty sure his tail is longer than him. 😅

#Texasspinylizard
Three views of a Texas spiny lizard are shown. He is hiding in the shady spots behind a wooden trellis. He appears to be a juvenile and has an insanely long tail.
August 26, 2025 at 7:26 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
All this time on spider-centric communities, I’ve adored the pictures of mama wolfies with their babies in tow. Finally, I saw one for myself! Look at this hard-working mom!

#spiders #wolfspider #hardworkingmom #mama #wolfie
A female wolf spider is shown mid-crawl through grass. She has a number of her offspring on the back of her abdomen.
August 26, 2025 at 4:57 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
Wings up becomes wings down in a millisecond. Antlions fold their wings down to rest.

#antlion
An antlion is shown at night, first with wings up, then with its wings folded down around its body. It is a thin-bodied insect with lace-like wings and pronounced antennae.
August 25, 2025 at 6:12 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
TFW your midnight snack becomes aware of your intent to eat him and leaves. 😔

#crabspiders #armywormmoth #midnightsnack
August 25, 2025 at 6:04 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
Trimming the rose bushes, I found that some of the thicker branches had been hollowed out in the middle. I’ve seen small carpenter bees and pallid twig ants, but they’ve mostly been in thinner stems or branches. Kind of impressive, interesting… but also, STAHP. 😅

#roses #hollowbranches
A thick branch from a rose bush is shown. It has been broken in half up to a point, showing all of the layers of growth as well as a hollow center. A thick branch from a rose bush is shown. It has a hollow section, where you can see through the branch to the green grass below. A thick branch from a rose bush is shown. It has been broken in half up to a point, showing all of the layers of growth as well as a hollow center.
August 24, 2025 at 6:23 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
Camouflage so good, I jumped out of my skin once I finally saw it. 😅

#prayingmantis #camouflage #sneaky
A well-camouflaged praying mantis is shown on a branch at night. It has a mostly brown, mottled body and green legs. A well-camouflaged praying mantis is shown on a branch at night. It has a mostly brown, mottled body and green legs.
August 24, 2025 at 6:07 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
Some blooms and fresh growth. Happy weekend!

#roses #bloomscrolling
A red rose begins to bloom over green leaves A red rose blooms with reddish-brown-green new growth all around it
August 24, 2025 at 12:47 AM
staggolee41.bsky.social
The butterfly party continues! Managed to (just barely) capture some video of a red admiral and a western giant swallowtail today.

#butterfly #redadmiral #giantswallowtail #swallowtail
Three pictures of a red admiral butterfly are shown, resting on a tree, then taking flight. It is mostly black with a ring of orange markings around the outer edges of its wings and white spots in the top outer corners of its forewings. A western giant swallowtail butterfly is shown, feeding on a hibiscus flower before flying away. It is a black butterfly with many orange markings.
August 23, 2025 at 11:34 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
This hackberry emperor hung out for a few hours in my backyard today. Truly mesmerizing, the markings and colors.

#butterfly #hackberryemperor
A hackberry emperor butterfly is shown perched on a crepe myrtle. Its wings are orange and black with white and black markings; the undersides of its wings are a variety of shades of brown, with black and white markings.
August 23, 2025 at 1:01 AM
staggolee41.bsky.social
WOOHOO! The last to molt has molted! It’s kinda weird, though - looks like he has the beginning of wings but not actually wings?

#prayingmantis #molt
A bright green praying mantis hangs upside down from a crepe myrtle as he finishes molting in the mid-morning sun.
August 22, 2025 at 9:28 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
This is the first brown one I’ve seen! 😀 Heavy rain today may have brought him/her down from higher up in the crepe myrtle.

#prayingmantis #insect
A brown praying mantis with banded legs and abdominal markings is shown on a green crepe myrtle leaf at night.
August 22, 2025 at 3:50 AM
staggolee41.bsky.social
Do you think it’d help if I stood underneath him and chanted “molt?” 🤔

#impatient #prayingmantis #molt #moltwatch
A bright green praying mantis on the cusp of its final molt into adulthood hangs upside-down from a crepe myrtle branch with cloudy skies in the background.
August 21, 2025 at 4:20 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
The rose bush seems to be faring well post-brutalization, but not as well as last time I made a significant cut (when it regrew all it lost within about two weeks). Ideal!

#roses #newgrowth
A blooming, hot pink rosebud is shown with reddish-brown/green new growth poking up between existing green leaves just beneath the bud.
August 21, 2025 at 4:02 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
This small guy has the longest tail I’ve seen on a Texas spiny lizard yet! He is also very fast, but he was kind enough to pause for a quick photo shoot.

#Texasspinylizard #lizard #Texas
A Texas spiny lizard pauses during a vertical climb on a khaki-colored fence. His tail is literally longer than the rest of his body.
August 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
Third molt in several days?! Let’s do it! This is the smallest of the four “residents” and likely male. Looking forward to seeing how he differs from the ladies!

#prayingmantis #molt
A praying mantis hangs upside-down from a crepe myrtle branch at night. He is bright green and appears to be nearing a molt into adulthood.
August 20, 2025 at 3:10 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
Spotted a tiny yellow bug that looked like a mite on a diseased rose leaf; got it under the microscope, and now I’m surprised and genuinely unsure what it is. 😂 Any guesses? Lens keeps suggesting different things.

#insect #insectid #whatisthis #microscope
A tiny bug is shown using a microscope. It is round in the middle, with each end coming to a point. It has prominent red eyes, long antennae, a few pairs of short legs, one pair of very long legs, and apparent pincers on its back end. It is yellow in the center of its body, with more white going toward the back end. Its edges are brown with yellow bands and white specs. Its longest (rear) legs have black banding.
August 19, 2025 at 3:12 PM
staggolee41.bsky.social
No worries, dude. You’re doing a great impression of that bud! Totally didn’t know you were there.

#crabspider #camouflage #arachnid #spider
A crab spider is shown on a hibiscus flower and bud; it is white, green, and yellow to match the colors touched.
August 19, 2025 at 3:01 PM