iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Virginia rose (Rosaceae: Rosa virginiana) is the most common wild rose in eastern North America. The showy pink flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and the fruit are both edible and nutritious. Just watch out for prickles. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 13 Jul 2026.

3443

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Two-striped grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplus bivittatus) are common inhabitants of much of North America. They're often seen in fields, meadows, gardens, and weedy areas. They feed on a variety of plants and can be destructive. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 13 Jul 2026.

0243

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Mossy stonecrop (Crassulaceae: Sedum acre) is native to Eurasia and Africa but was introduced to North America for its peppery flavor, though it's toxic. It thrives in sandy soils but isn't invasive, being easily outcompeted by other plants. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

0343

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

American bluets (Odonata: Coenagrionidae: Enallagma spp.) inhabit much of North America. They live near swamps, marshes, and ponds that serve as nurseries for their aquatic young. Like other damselflies, adults capture insect prey in flight. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 13 Jul 2026.

1355

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Kitch-iti-kipi or the "big cold spring" is roughly 300 by 175 feet in area and was named by the native Ojibwe people. Its crystal-clear water is fed by hydraulic pressure forcing groundwater up through dolomite and shale 40 feet below. Palms Book State Park near Manistique Michigan, 14 Jul 2026.

817818

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Cow parsnip (Apiaceae: Heracleum maximum) is a large perennial native to North America. It's an important food source for wildlife, insects, and livestock. Although it can cause photosensitive contact dermatitis, humans have long eaten peeled and cooked stems. Mackinac Island Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

0292

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

A reconstructed Fort Holmes occupies the high point of Mackinac Island. Pivotal during the War of 1812, first Americans and then the British were slow to realize artillery here could bombard the port and Fort Mackinac below. Mackinac Bridge is in the distance. Mackinac Island Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

0191

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Red elderberry (Viburnaceae: Sambucus racemosa) can be found throughout the northern hemisphere, particularly near rivers and wet woodlands. The entire plant is poisonous when raw, but cooked berries have been eaten for centuries. Mackinac Island Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

0455

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Jack-in-the-pulpit (Araceae: Arisaema triphyllum) is easy to recognize. Each plant has a single unique flower that is accompanied by two other stems with three leaves each. It's relatively common in eastern North American woodlands. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

1381

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Arch Rock began 400 million years ago in a shallow sea filled with shelled marine invertebrates. Limestone accumulated over millennia, then later dissolved into broken breccia. After glaciers retreated 11,000 years ago, the breccia collapsed into this arch. Mackinac Island Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

1482

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Birds-foot trefoil (Fabaceae: Lotus corniculatus) is found throughout much of the world where it is primarily used as feed for livestock. It's also visited by many pollinators and is used as a host plant by others, but outside of its native range it's invasive. Mackinac Island Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

0312

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Virginian tiger moths (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Spilosoma virginica) are medium-sized moths that can be found across much of North America, although they're more common in the east. Their larvae are called yellow bears and feed on a wide variety of plants. Grand Marais Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

1341

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

For anyone who thinks you have to go to the upper peninsula of Michigan for Great Lakes shores here's the Lake Erie shore at Magee Marsh east of Bono Ohio, 28 Jun 2014.

613110

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) feed on many kinds of plants including cow parsnip (Apiaceae: Heracleum maximum). They can't digest all of the sugary sap they suck up, and much is expelled as sweet honeydew. Ants are often attracted to aphids and their honeydew. Mackinac Island Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

1251

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Common tansy (Asteraceae: Tanacetum vulgare) is native to Eurasia but has been spread far and wide. It produces a relatively effective insecticide and has been used to treat intestinal worms and as a companion plant with potatoes to repel Colorado potato beetles. Grand Marais Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

1605

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Lake Superior and a distant Au Sable Lighthouse. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 13 Jul 2026.

1345236

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Wall hawkweed (Asteraceae: Hieracium murorum) superficially resembles dandelions. Although native to Eurasia it can be found in much of North America as an invasive weed. It can spread rapidly in disturbed areas and outcompete native species. Mackinac Island Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

0232

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Spittlebug nymphs (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea) create masses of bubbles from their butts. They sit in these bubbles while feeding on plants in order to hide from predators. Once they molt into agile adults they leave their protective bubbles behind. Mackinac Island Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

1272

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

The Mackinac Bridge after dark. Completed in 1957, this five mile suspension bridge is a vital link between Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas. Mackinaw City Michigan, 11 Jul 2026. (Mackinac and Mackinaw are both pronounced Mackinaw. It's a Michigan thing.)

0252

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Giant Ichneumonid wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Megarhyssa spp.) are large parasitoid wasps found in conifer forests of North America. Females use their long ovipositors to lay eggs in the burrows of wood-boring horntail wasp larvae. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 13 Jul 2026.

05810

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Although native to China, Japan, and Korea, Callery pears (Rosaceae: Pyrus calleryana) have been introduced throughout the world as ornamentals. The Bradford cultivar was once very popular for its flowers. Since then they have proven to be highly invasive. Grayling Michigan, 11 Jul 2026.

0231

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Miners Castle is made up of white Munising Sandstone over red Jacobsville Sandstone. The former is from a shoreline environment in the Cambrian Period (487-520 mya). The latter is from a river environment in the Tonian (980-1010 mya). Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 13 Jul 2026.

2446

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Adult monarch butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Danaus plexippus) will feed on nectar from many different flowers but their larvae specifically need to eat milkweeds (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae) in order to develop properly. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 13 Jul 2026.

435550

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Herb robert, or Robert's geranium (Geraniaceae: Geranium robertianum) is a common but inconspicuous inhabitant of forests throughout the northern hemisphere. Also known as stinky bob, these plants have small pink flowers and fern-like leaves. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 13 Jul 2026.

4436

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Found throughout North America, the modest sphinx (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae: Pachysphinx modesta) is particularly common in environments that feature its larval host plants. Young caterpillars feed on poplars, aspens, cottonwoods, and willows, but adults do not feed. Manistique Michigan, 14 Jul 2026.

0364

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Spring water welling up from deep underground at Kitch-iti-kipi, the Big Spring. Palms Book State Park near Manistique Michigan, 14 Jul 2026.

2220

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

There goes the sun. Grand Marais Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

2976

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Sable Creek carves its way through 75 feet of Munising Sandstone at Sable Falls. These sediments were deposited in a shoreline environment sometime in the Cambrian Period (487-539 million years ago). Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 12 Jul 2026.

11469

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

A section of the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile-long monocline that exposes the underlying sedimentary bedding. These rock layers were deposited from around 270 million years ago (Permian) to about 80 million years ago (Cretaceous). Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, 11 Apr 2014. #NationalParks

212810

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Rocky Mountain beeplant (Cleomaceae: Cleomella serrulata) is mainly found in western North America, where it has long been used for food, herbal medicine, and dyes. It also attracts a wide range of insects, like the unknown butterfly shown here. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado, 03 Aug 2013.

1334

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

A citrus flatid planthopper (Hemiptera: Flatidae: Metcalfa pruinosa) feeding on a wild grape vine (Vitaceae: Vitis sp.). In spite of the common name, these insects feed on a wide variety of plants. Clayton Michigan, 13 Jul 2010.

0272

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Common raccoons (Carnivora: Procyonidae: Procyon lotor) are generally nocturnal, spending daylight hours sleeping somewhere safe. Sometimes they can be seen in trees like this eastern hackberry (Cannabaceae: Celtis occidentalis). Palmyra Michigan, 05 Apr 2010.

2301

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Winter stoneflies (Plecoptera: Taeniopterygidae) don’t need warm, sunny days to be active. These cold-adapted insects are at their peak from January to April. Their aquatic naiads thrive in cold, oxygen-rich winter water before molting into flying adults to mate. Blissfield Michigan, 27 Feb 2016.

1312

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Chapel Falls, located along the six mile Chapel Loop Trail. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 24 May 2012.

3653

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

A view west from the Diablo Mountains. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona, 09 Apr 2018.

1485

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

The fruit of the shrubby vines known as bittersweet (Celastraceae: Celastrus sp.) are hard capsules that split open to reveal the sugary flesh inside. They provide a late-season food source for ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Waterloo State Recreation Area near Chelsea Michigan, 21 Oct 2012.

1146757

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

When click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) find themselves stuck upside-down they can suddenly “snap” their unique thoracic joints to create a “click” sound and launch themselves through the air. Once upright again they continue about their business. Great Basin National Park, Nevada, 18 May 2016.

0311

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Chapel Rock is made up of weathered Munising Sandstone. These sediments were deposited in a shoreline environment in the mid to late Cambrian Period, about 487-520 million years ago. It can be reached by hiking the six mile Chapel Loop Trail. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, 24 May 2012.

3789

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) are one of the largest and most diverse animal families in the world. Within North America they're more common in the west, and many species are adapted to arid climates. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, 08 Aug 2014.

0333

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

American pikas (Lagomorpha: Ochotonidae: Ochotona princeps) are tiny and hard to see but their squeaks are easy to hear. Although they resemble rodents, these alpine critters are more closely related to rabbits and hares. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, 06 Aug 2013.

0202

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

The larvae of striped willow leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Disonycha alternata) feed on willow trees like this sandbar willow (Salicaceae: Salix exigua). As with most insects, the larvae look nothing like the adults. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado, 03 Aug 2013.

1181

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Slender dayflower (Commelinaceae: Commelina erecta) can be found throughout much of the Americas, usually in dry sandy soil. The common name comes from the fact that individual flowers only last for one day. Ash Hollow State Historical Park near Lewellen Nebraska, 29 Jul 2025.

0283

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Sioux Falls in Sioux Falls South Dakota, 31 Jul 2025.

1281

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

The San Luis Valley collects a lot of sand transported by erosion and streams from the surrounding mountains. Wind drives much of this sand into a bend in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, where it has created the tallest dunes in North America. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado, 03 Aug 2013.

0262

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Grasses (Poaceae) are wind-pollinated, where gravity and a breeze transport male pollen to the female parts of the flowers. Although insects aren’t required for reproduction, the pollen can still attract some like this hover fly (Syrphidae). Clayton Michigan, 28 Jun 2013.

1263

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

A black swallowtail (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae: Papilio polyxenes) feeding on a thistle flower (Asteraceae: Cirsium sp.). Clayton Michigan, 26 Aug 2010.

0422

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Scarlet gilia (Polemoniaceae: Ipomopsis aggregata) is a biennial wildflower native to western North America. The brightly colored flowers are trumpet-shaped and rather deep, so they're usually pollinated by long-tongued moths and hummingbirds. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado, 03 Aug 2013.

2533

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Long-horned bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Eucerini) stand out thanks to the long antennae found on males. Females dig vertical nests in soil, and although they are solitary bees their nests are sometimes in proximity to each other. Palmyra Michigan, 03 Jul 2013.

0333

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

The Pyrenees Mountains and El Grado Reservoir. Escanilla Spain, 13 Sep 2015.

0475

Jeremy Sell @jeremysell.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Pussy willows (Salicaceae: Salix discolor) are dioecious, having separate male and female plants. Both sexes produce flowers in elongated, slender clusters known as catkins. Fertilized female catkins produce clusters of slender green fruit. Pinckney State Recreation Area, Michigan, 05 May 2013.

1342