The first scratchboard I've finished in over a year, and I got two finished up this week. This is an 8x10 scratchboard of a gorilla, titled "Asha". #art #scratchboard #scratchart #gorilla

Two lifers in one week! Whooping Cranes last weekend at Quivira NWR (Stafford Co, KS) and a hen King Eider at Perry Lake (Jefferson Co, KS). #birds #birding

For this last day of Arachtober, here are 4 different spiders from a variety of locations. Thanks for enjoying the 8-legged critters with me this month! Happy Arachtober! More info on each spider, including ID, in ALT text. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

Four different species of spiders, all photographed in Shannon County, MO over Labor Day weekend. IDs on individual photos in ALT text. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

Two arachnids found on the same tree, a gorgeous Lacebark Elm at a local arboretum. I'm not sure what the velvet mite (Trombidiidae) is doing with what are eggs sacs of something else. The spider is a really pretty species, Neoscona domiciliorum. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

Two different species of fishing spiders, both seen along the same trail in Southern Illinois. The first, on the rock, is Dolomedes scriptus. The second, on the metal bridge, is Dolomedes tenebrosus. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

This lovely jumper was spotted on a dry reed along the bank of Ottawa State Fishing Lake in Ottawa County, KS. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

The female White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes) can be either white or yellow and can adjust its color to the flower that it is on. This one was in Carter County, Missouri. #Arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

Not one of the usual "flower crab spiders", but a ground crab spider in the genus Xysticus taking advantage of a flower to catch lunch. This one was spotted on a prairie bioblitz in Missouri. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

Another unique spider, the Toadlike Bolas Spider (Mastophora phrynosoma) looks like a lump of gross bird poop, but is able to catch prey using a sticky glob on the end of a line of silk. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

I posted a couple of these (Spintharus flavidus) earlier in the month, both on the undersides of leaves. This one was spotted in its web. Shannon County, MO #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

We found a few mature Banded Argiope (Argiope trifasciata) in a prairie in central Kansas. Two of them had captured cicadas, as seen in the first photo. #Arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

These photos aren't as sharp as I'd like, but this species (Phidippus putnami) is so gorgeous, I couldn't leave it out. This beauty was photographed at nature hike in rural Lincoln County, Kansas last July. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

Two angles of the same spider, Neoscona crucifera. This is the most common large orbweaver in our area. This one was found on a night hike in Shannon County, MO. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

We found two of these really pretty and interesting spiders in far southern Illinois this past July. The Basilica Spider (Mecynogea lemniscata) is so named for the dome shaped web seen in the first photo. Those are her egg sacs above the dome. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

This lovely White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes) was spotted on a night walk in Shannon County, Missouri. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

This beautiful large wolf spider (Gladicosa pulcra) was living under the edge of the siding on my friend's house in Shannon County, MO. She would venture out at night, enjoying the spoils of a nearby blacklight setup. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

Another new species for me this year, was Spintharus flavidus, a small orbweaver more often found on the underside of leaves than in a web. Here are two of them I found in the same area Labor Day weekend. Shannon County, Missouri #Arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

This beautifully marked Nursery Web Spider (Pisaurina mira) was a visitor to our blacklights in Shannon County, Missouri over Labor Day weekend. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

We watched this wasp find and sting this orbweaver. It then dragged up the trunk of the tree and out to the tip of a branch where it could fly with it to its nest. We didn't actually see it fly with it, but it took awhile to do the dragging. Kansas July 2025 #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

Quite a bit smaller than the Spined Micrathena, the White Micrathena (Micrathena mitrata) likes similar forest habitats, frequently making its webs across trails (or so it seems). #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

This Gnaphosid, which I believe is in the genus Sergiolus, was spotted on a railing around a pond at Mueller State Park in Teller County, CO last June. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

I've found that these Marbled Orbweavers (Araneus marmoreus) are rather skittish and easily startled back to their hide from the web. I was excited to get a photo of this one out in its web in Shannon County, Missouri in late August. #Arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

This handsome Dark Fishing Spider (Dolomedes tenebrosus) seemed to be living in a kettle grill outside our VRBO in western Kentucky, as it was perched on top of it at night, retreating into the vent holes. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

This unique looking jumper, with really long chelicerae, is Bagheera prosper. Mostly known from more tropical climes, this one was spotted at a state park in western Kentucky. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

This crab spider (Misumena vatia) was perched on some penstemon, trying to eat lunch while being pestered by freeloader flies (Milichiidae) trying to get a bite of that lunch. Jefferson County, CO June 2025 #arachtober #flydayfriday #arachtober2025 🕷️#spider

While looking for caterpillars under leaves in southeast Missouri, I spotted a tiny red spot. I took a photo and zoomed in to see this tiny unique spider, Theridus emertoni. The genus is mostly tropical with only a few species in the US. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

My phone did a better job of photographing this Neoscona web than my camera. It was taken in Shannon County, Missouri in late August. #Arachtober #arachtober2025 #spiderweb 🕷️

This jumping spider is in the genus Sassacus. They are leaf beetle mimics and are always a treat to find. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

This Trashline orbweaver, Cyclosa turbinata, is hiding in plain sight. These orbweavers arrange the remains of their prey in a line in the center of their web and then sit in the perfect camouflage. #Arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

I'm not sure if the male White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes) was successful in mating with the larger female, but he certainly didn't survive the encounter. These two were photographed on Stegall Mountain in Carter County, MO on 30 August 2025. #Arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

I've never put a video up for Arachtober before, but over Labor Day weekend, I was able to observe this Neoscona crucifera preparing egg sac on one of the blacklight sheets. I was fascinated by how she used her legs to place the webbing. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

I believe this crab spider is Misumessus, and by range should be Misumessus oblongus. I found it on the bottom of a leaf in Shannon County, MO in late August, guarding her egg mass. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

Hentzia sp. (probably palmarum) jumping spider with a midge on the underside of a leaf at Marais de Cygnus State Wildlife area in Linn County, KS. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

This Orchard Orbweaver (Leucauge venusta) sure looks like it could be made of stained glass. Usually seen hanging under their horizontal webs, this one was on a metal bracket near our black lighting site at Giant City State Park last July. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️

When we recently were in southeast Missouri, I filmed this ichneumon wasp trying to attack a caterpillar. youtu.be/pr9Ti77J8_0?... #bugs #bugweek #nature

Not surprisingly, Putin buttering up Trump and saying there wouldn't have been a war if T had been President 3 years ago.

A moment of zen watching this bumble bee feeding on one of my sunflowers this evening. #bees #nativebees 🐝 #bugs

Galls are amazing things! They can be caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses, or as in this case - an insect. This spiky gall on a Chinkapin Oak is caused by a tiny wasp in the genus Acraspis. The larva develop inside the gall which is formed from mutated tissue of the oak leaf itself. #insects #gall

The July photo from @bugeric.bsky.social 's and my calendar is of Alley Spring Mill near Eminence in Shannon County, MO. We stopped there on our visit to the area last spring. #AlleySpring #flowingwater

I can’t stop smiling at this photo of a smiling Panther Chameleon I took today at the zoo. I got this one shot where both eyes happened to be looking right at me. #chameleon #smile

Soaking up the smell of ponderosa pine forests and the sight of blue columbine flowers on our annual visit back to Colorado. #columbine # Colorado

#NoKings protest in Topeka, KS today was the biggest one I’ve seen yet there. #thisiswhatdemocracylookslike

I want to take a moment to share an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence's grievances against King George III. Sound familiar?

Anyone wanting to invade the United States, now’s the time. The military leadership is hyper focused on several people carrying signs in Los Angeles, our tanks are randomly in DC, and our planes have fallen from their carriers into the ocean.

The June photo from @bugeric.bsky.social's and my calendar for this year is this shot of male and female Eastern Collared Lizards taken in Carter County, Missouri last May. #lizards #herpetology #EasternCollaredLizard

Thunderstorm cell in eastern Jefferson County, Kansas this evening. #thunderstorm #kansasstorm

A fun, lucky shot with 3 sizes of Calidris species of sandpipers lined up to show the size differences. Back to front: Pectoral, White-rumped, and Least. Photographed at Loess Bluffs NWR in NW Missouri on 17 May 2025. #birds #birding #shorebirds