Toothy Skink (Genus Plestiodon), Taken April 18, 2025, In Georgia, US

Stink Lacewing (Genus Chrysopa), taken April 2, 2025, in Georgia, US

A fresh new adult lacewing has graced this Earth! I almost walked right past him since he was at foot level on my boardwalk, hanging off an outlet box. As you can see, his wings are still drying and aren't fully expanded. Soon, they'll round out, harden, and he'll fly away in search of a mate!

Tersa Sphinx (Xylophanes tersa), taken August 25, 2024, in Georgia, US

This is about the only sphinx moth I can ID from memory, which is kind of sad, but I don't see many of them so I have no reason to become better at ID! I happened to look down while perusing the grasses at the edge of a creek and saw this guy hanging about. This species is gorgeous, and I especially love the orange stripes on its shoulders. Hopefully I find more this year, though larger moths tend to elude me!

Whitman's Jumping Spider (Phidippus whitmani), female, taken March 28, 2025, in Georgia, US

A jumping spider lifer for me! I initially caught a glimpse of her while trying to photograph a bee and thought she was a mutillid. That was until she peeked back out of the leaves to watch what I was doing! She was an excellent model, turning in all directions and moving slowly and calmly so I could get the best photos I could. It's almost like she knew what was happening!

Red-shouldered Hawks (Buteos lineatus), taken March 2, 2025, in Georgia, US

Unhappy, me thinks!

does iNaturalist really help research? Or it's just for fun and to help U feel love for the wildlife around U?

Yep! Research Grade observations are called that for a reason, they be and are used by plenty of researchers! There have been papers written on iNaturalist data, species have been described via iNaturalist, and so on. I personally have collected and sent specimens to multiple researchers who have contacted me because of my iNaturalist observations even

Though it is also fun :>

the ant people are the only ones on inaturalist that consistently use the "favorites" button. unfortunately the rest of us don't know their secrets so there will be like, dozens of faves on a picture of an ant and i am like why is the ant so special. teach us to see the beauty of the ant.

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), taken July 19, 2024, in New Hampshire, US

Looking down at me from above... Though these birds would never get very close, I still find the few pictures I got of them wonderful. This one in particular is very nice! The fact that he perched right in a gap in the branches so he could look at me was pretty fortunate, since it turned into a really cool picture!

Eastern Calligrapher (Toxomerus geminatus), female, taken April 12, 2025, in Georgia, US

A nice hoverfly perching on a flower. While hoverflies are out year-round here, they're in full swing now! Along with dozens of adults, I've started to see larvae too! The larvae of many hoverflies (though not all) feed on small invertebrates, aphids being a favorite of some (aptly named "Aphideaters"). As adults, many become herbivores, feeding on plant nectar. This is the same strategy most insects employ. It's much easier to survive if adults and babies of the same species eat different things at different life stages—less competition!

White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis), taken February 10, 2025, in Georgia, US

A couple cuties posing at the bird bath! Sparrows just keep growing on me—I love it when they look over their shoulders at me 🥺

if you do not live in the uk or north america it is your legal obligation to download inaturalist and start uploading. please everyone who uses it is in north america or the uk we need obs that arent here