iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Texas spiny lizard at Quinta Mazatlan in far south Texas.

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Milde's Tarantula-hawk Wasp at the national butterfly center in the southern tip of Texas. The wasps in this genus have the most painful stings of any insects in the United States.

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Had an absolutely amazing day of butterfly watching at the National Butterfly Center in the southern tip of Texas. Mexican Bluewing, Theona Checkerspot, Silver Emperor, Soldier (mimics the poisonous Queen butterfly).

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Paxon Kale @rhamphotheca.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Had an absolutely amazing day of butterfly watching at the National Butterfly Center in the southern tip of Texas. Lots of gorgeous rare, Mexican butterflies. Red bordered pixie, Malachite, Orange-barred Sulphur, Guava Skipper.

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Metallic Green Sweat Bee at the Houston Arboretum

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Paxon Kale @rhamphotheca.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

An absolutely gorgeous Indigo Milkcap at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. My first one of the year.

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Paxon Kale @rhamphotheca.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

This Resh Cicada was found walking across a path at the nature center at the nature center where I work here in Houston, Texas. Cicadas are the only insects that create noise by vibrating membranes over small chambers on their sides.

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Paxon Kale @rhamphotheca.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

The ever elusive pallid spiny softshell turtle made an appearance for the kids in summer science camp last week. Unlike most reptiles, soft shelled turtles lack scales on their skin, and unlike most turtles, their shell is made of cartilage, and not bone.

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Indiana Dunes National Park in northern Indiana, on Lake Michigan. That makes 36 National parks for me!

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The only bird I was able to get a photo of with my phone at McGee marsh, a gorgeous little male yellow warbler.

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This huge common snapper was sharing the log with some painted turtles and an endangered blendings turtle, which is seen at the lowest end of the log here. This one was a lifer!

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We went looking for Connecticut warblers at McGee marsh last month, no luck, but we did see tons of false potato beetles!

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Paxon Kale @rhamphotheca.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

A close-up of a Midland painted turtle from McGee marsh in Ohio.

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Yes! A gorgeous little Blue-spotted Salamander, found in northern Indiana next to a bog.

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Paxon Kale @rhamphotheca.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

I have finally found chicken of the woods, a choice, edible fungus, in the wild!

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Yellow crowned night heron hanging out in the Cypress Pond at the Nature Center.

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A short video of the wading bird rookery at High Island, an extremely popular and important migrating bird sanctuary on the gulf coast of Texas... Roseate Spoonbills, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Neotropic Cormorants, Tricolored Herons, Blue Herons, Yellow Crowned Night Herons

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Found an absolutely gorgeous golden reishi fungus in the park the other day.

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A squirrel tree frog was hiding in my shoe on the back porch! Houston, Texas.

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Dusky blue groundstreak, feeding on Gulf Coast Yucca, at the WG Jones State Forest.

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I realize there's not that many people that are into bryophytes, but I get excited every time I see a new species of liverwort. This one is called Ribbonwort, found growing amongst moss and ferns on a stream bank.

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Golden winged skimmer, a new species of dragonfly for me, sitting next to a flooded meadow at the state forest.

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Saw a new species of beetle yesterday! The heroic pleasing fungus beetle, seen here on a golden reishi mushroom. Very similar to the wide ranging, red banded pleasing fungus beetle.

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