The wild boar (Sus scrofa), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is now one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world, as well as the most widespread suiform. It has been assessed as least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide range, high numbers, and adaptability to a diversity of habitats. It has become an invasive species in part of its introduced range. Wild boars probably originated in Southeast Asia during the Early Pleistocene and outcompeted other suid species as they spread throughout the Old World.As of 1990, up to 16 subspecies are recognized, which are divided into four regional groupings based on skull height and lacrimal bone length. The species lives in matriarchal societies consisting of interrelated females and their young (both male and female). Fully grown males are usually solitary outside the breeding season. The wolf is the wild boar's main predator in most of its natural range except in the Far East and the Lesser Sunda Islands, where it is replaced by the tiger and Komodo dragon respectively. The wild boar has a long history of association with humans, having been the ancestor of most domestic pig breeds and a big-game animal for millennia. Boars have also re-hybridized in recent decades with feral pigs; these boar–pig hybrids have become a serious pest wild animal in the Americas and Australia.


The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is a skunk of the genus "Mephitis" that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on account of its wide range and ability to adapt to human-modified environments.Striped skunks are polygamous omnivores with few natural predators, save for birds of prey. Like all skunks, they possess highly developed musk-filled scent glands to ward off predators. They have a long history of association with humans, having been trapped and captively bred for their fur and kept as pets. The striped skunk is one of the most recognizable of North America's animals, and is a popular figure in cartoons and children's books.


Pachygrapsus crassipes, the striped shore crab or lined shore crab, is a small crab found on both rocky and hard-mud soft seashores of the northeastern and northwestern Pacific Ocean. In North America, this species occurs from central Oregon, south through California to near Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. There is an isolated population with a wide range disjunction at Bamfield on Vancouver Island, Canada. The western Pacific population, including both Korea and Japan is isolated with a divergence time from the eastern Pacific population estimated between 0.8 and 1.2 Mya.


Danaus chrysippus, also known as the plain tiger, African queen, or African monarch, is a medium-sized butterfly widespread in Asia, Australia and Africa. It belongs to the Danainae subfamily of the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae. Danainae primarily consume plants in the genus "Asclepias", more commonly called milkweed. Milkweed contains toxic compounds, cardenolides, which are often consumed and stored by many butterflies. Because of their emetic properties, the plain tiger is unpalatable to most predators. As a result, its coloration is widely mimicked by other species of butterflies. The plain tiger inhabits a wide variety of habitats, although it is less likely to thrive in jungle-like conditions and is most often found in drier, wide-open areas."D. chrysippus" encompasses three main subspecies: "D. c. alcippus, D. c. chrysippus," and "D. c. orientis." These subspecies are found concentrated in specific regions within the larger range of the entire species.The plain tiger is believed to be one of the first butterflies depicted in art. A 3,500-year-old ancient Egyptian fresco in Luxor features the oldest known illustration of this species.


Triteleia ixioides, known as prettyface or golden star, is a monocotyledon flowering plant in the genus "Triteleia". It is native to northern and central California and southwestern Oregon, where it can be found in coastal and inland coniferous forests and other habitat. It is a perennial wildflower growing from a corm. It produces one to two basal leaves up to 50 centimeters long by 1.5 wide. The inflorescence arises on an erect stem up to 80 centimeters tall. It is an umbel-like cluster of several flowers each borne on a pedicel up to 7 centimeters long. The flowers are variable in size, measuring one to nearly three centimeters in length. They are pale to bright yellow, or sometimes purple-tinged white. There are six tepals with darker midveins in shades of green, brown, or purple. The lobes are funnel-shaped and may open flat or somewhat reflexed. The six stamens form a fused tube that protrudes from the corolla; they have broad, flat filaments and whitish, yellowish, or blue anthers.


The dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) is a species of junco, a group of small, grayish New World sparrows. This bird is common across much of temperate North America and in summer ranges far into the Arctic. It is a very variable species, much like the related fox sparrow ("Passerella iliaca"), and its systematics are still not completely untangled.


Buddleja davidii (spelling variant "Buddleia davidii"), also called summer lilac, butterfly-bush, or orange eye, is a species of flowering plant in the family Scrophulariaceae, native to Sichuan and Hubei provinces in central China, and also Japan. It is widely used as an ornamental plant, and many named varieties are in cultivation. The genus was named "Buddleja" after Reverend Adam Buddle, an English botanist. The species name "davidii" honors the French missionary and explorer in China, Father Armand David, who was the first European to report the shrub. It was found near Ichang by Dr Augustine Henry about 1887 and sent to St Petersburg. Another botanist-missionary in China, Jean-André Soulié, sent seed to the French nursery Vilmorin, and "B. davidii" entered commerce in the 1890s."B. davidii" was accorded the RHS Award of Merit (AM) in 1898, and the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in 1941.


Asclepias fascicularis is a species of milkweed known by the common names narrowleaf milkweed and Mexican whorled milkweed. It is a perennial herb that grows in a variety of habitats.


Geum macrophyllum, commonly known as largeleaf avens or large-leaved avens is a flowering plant found from the Arctic south to the northern U.S. states, and in the Rocky Mountains and west to the Sierra Nevada in California and as far south as Northwestern Mexico.It is even more distinctive in fruit than in flower, with spiky spheres of reddish styles. The fruits are a ball of tiny velcro like hooks that catch on clothing and animal hair.


Arizona elegans is a species of medium-sized colubrid snake commonly referred to as the glossy snake or the faded snake, which is endemic to the southwestern United States and Mexico. It has several subspecies. Some have recommended that "A. elegans occidentalis" be granted full species status.


Prionoxystus robiniae, the carpenterworm moth or locust borer, is a moth of the family Cossidae. It was first described by Peck in 1818 and it is found in southern Canada and most of the United States.The wingspan is 43–85 mm. Adults are on wing from May to July depending on the location.The larvae feed on locust, oak, chestnut, poplar, willow, maple and ash. The species is considered a pest, because the tunnels the larvae create decrease the value of hardwood lumber.


The great kiskadee ("Pitangus sulphuratus"), called bem-te-vi in Brazil and benteveo in Argentina, is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is the only member of the genus Pitangus.It breeds in open woodland with some tall trees, including cultivation and around human habitation. It is mainly found in Belize, and from the Lower Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas and northern Mexico. Occurs throughout Brazil and Venezuela (especially the central and south-southeastern regions) south to Argentina and Uruguay, Paraguay and central Argentina, the Guyana coastline, and on Trinidad. It was introduced to Bermuda in 1957, and to Tobago in about 1970.


Strymon istapa the mallow hairstreak, mallow-scrub hairstreak, dotted hairstreak or Hewitson's hairstreak. This diurnal butterfly is a widespread species that can be found in xeric habitats throughout the southern United States, Central America, parts of the Caribbean (including Cuba and Grand Cayman), and rarely in South America. This species can be spotted in rural and suburban areas in which human infringement has created open fields or tracks of overgrown weeds as a result of land clearing. These butterflies are often seen rubbing their hindwings together presumably to attract attention to their antenna mimicry scales located on the outer margin of the hindwing.


The pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba) () is a species of bird in the auk family, Alcidae. One of three species in the genus "Cepphus", it is most closely related to the spectacled guillemot. There are five subspecies of the pigeon guillemot; all subspecies, when in , are dark brown with a black iridescent sheen and a distinctive wing patch broken by a brown-black wedge. Its has mottled grey and black and white . The long bill is black, as are the claws. The legs, feet, and inside of the mouth are red. It closely resembles the black guillemot, which is slightly smaller and lacks the dark wing wedge present in the pigeon guillemot. This seabird is found on North Pacific coastal waters, from Siberia through Alaska to California. The pigeon guillemot breeds and sometimes roosts on rocky shores, cliffs, and islands close to shallow water. In the winter, some birds move slightly south in the northernmost part of their range in response to advancing ice and migrate slightly north in the southern part of their range, generally preferring more sheltered areas.This species feeds on small fish and marine invertebrates, mostly near the sea floor, that it catches by pursuit diving. Pigeon guillemots are monogamous breeders, nesting in small colonies close to the shore. They defend small territories around a nesting cavity, in which they lay one or two eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. After leaving the nest the young bird is completely independent of its parents. Several birds and other animals prey on the eggs and chicks.The pigeon guillemot is considered to be a least concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to its large, stable population and wide range. Threats to this bird include climate change, introduced mammalian predators, and oil spills.


The yellow-winged bat ("Lavia frons") is one of five species of false vampire bat (family Megadermatidae) from Africa.


Fraxinus nigra, the black ash, is a species of ash native to much of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, from western Newfoundland west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to Illinois and northern Virginia. Formerly abundant, as of 2014 the species is threatened with near total extirpation throughout its range, as a result of infestation by a parasitic insect known as the emerald ash borer.


Anemonoides nemorosa (syn. "Anemone nemorosa"), the wood anemone, is an early-spring flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe. Other common names include windflower, European thimbleweed, and smell fox, an allusion to the musky smell of the leaves. It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing 5 - 15 (cm) tall.


The European robin (Erithacus rubecula), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain & Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. About 12.5 – 14.0 (cm) in length, the male and female are similar in colouration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upper-parts and a whitish belly. It is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa; it is sedentary in most of its range except the far north.The term "robin" is also applied to some birds in other families with red or orange breasts. These include the American robin ("Turdus migratorius"), a thrush, and the Australasian robins of the family Petroicidae, the relationships of which are unclear.


Argiope trifasciata (the banded garden spider or banded orb weaving spider) is a species of spider native to North and South America, but now found around the world. It can be found in certain areas of Europe, namely the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands, and Madeira. The similar looking "Argiope bruennichi" is common in the Azores. They typically begin to appear during autumn from early September to late October as temperatures start dropping.Their webs can reach a diameter of about 60 cm. The length of the web depends on the size of the spider. Webs are capable of reaching a total length of two meters.


Collinsia parviflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae (previously Scrophulariaceae) known by the common names maiden blue eyed Mary and small-flowered collinsia.This tiny wildflower is a common plant throughout much of western and northern North America, where it grows in moist, shady mountain forests.


Acer saccharum, the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the primary source of maple syrup and for its brightly colored fall foliage. It may also be known as "rock maple", "sugar tree", "birds-eye maple", "sweet maple", "curly maple", or "hard maple", particularly when referring to the wood.


The bay-breasted warbler (Setophaga castanea) is a small species of songbird in the New World warbler family, Parulidae. It is one of thirty-four species in the diverse genus "Setophaga." Like all songbirds, or passerines, the species is classified in the order Passeriformes.


Crocosmia" × "crocosmiiflora, montbretia, is a garden hybrid of "C. aurea" and "C. pottsii", first bred in 1880 in France by Victor Lemoine. The name "montbretia" is often found in horticultural literature.


Megalopyge opercularis is a moth of the family Megalopygidae. It has numerous common names, including southern flannel moth for its adult form, and puss caterpillar, asp, Italian asp, Fire caterpillar, woolly slug, opossum bug, puss moth, tree asp, or asp caterpillar.


The southern hawker or blue hawker (Aeshna cyanea) is a species of hawker dragonfly.


Philoscia muscorum, the common striped woodlouse or fast woodlouse, is a common European woodlouse. It is widespread in Europe, the British Isles and is found from southern Scandinavia to the Ukraine and Greece. It has also spread to Washington and many states in New England, also the mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as Nova Scotia.


The ebony jewelwing ("Calopteryx maculata") is a species of broad-winged damselfly. One of about 150 species of Calopterygidae, it is found in the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada, ranging west to the Great Plains. Other common names include black-winged damselfly.


The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula, from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox", previously in the genus "Phalangista") is a nocturnal, semiarboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, native to Australia and naturalised in New Zealand, and the second-largest of the possums.Like most possums, the common brushtail possum is nocturnal. It is mainly a folivore, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. In most Australian habitats, eucalyptus leaves are a significant part of the diet, but rarely the sole item eaten. Its tail is prehensile and naked on its lower underside. The four colour variations are silver-grey, brown, black, and gold.It is the Australian marsupial most often seen by city dwellers, as it is one of few that thrive in cities and a wide range of natural and human-modified environments. Around human habitations, common brushtails are inventive and determined foragers with a liking for fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and kitchen raids.The common brushtail possum was introduced to New Zealand in the 1850s to establish a fur industry, but in the mild subtropical climate of New Zealand, and with few to no natural predators, it thrived to the extent that it became a major agricultural and conservation pest.


Indotyphlops braminus, commonly known as the brahminy blind snake and other names, is a non-venomous blind snake species found mostly in Africa and Asia, but has been introduced in many other parts of the world. They are completely fossorial (i.e., burrowing) animals, with habits and appearance similar to earthworms, for which they are often mistaken, although close examination reveals tiny scales rather than the annular segments characteristic of true earthworms. The species is parthenogenetic and all known specimens have been female. The specific name is a Latinized form of the word Brahmin. No subspecies are currently recognized.


Sypharochiton pelliserpentis is a species of chiton in the family Chitonidae. As the species name suggests, the surface of the girdle in this chiton has a pattern of overlaying scales resembling snakeskin.


Amphibolips confluenta, known generally as the spongy oak apple gall wasp, is a species of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae.


Sorbus aucuparia, commonly called rowan (UK: /ˈrəʊən/, US: /ˈroʊən/) and mountain-ash, is a species of deciduous tree or shrub in the rose family. It is a highly variable species, and botanists have used different definitions of the species to include or exclude trees native to certain areas; a recent definition includes trees native to most of Europe and parts of Asia, as well as northern Africa. The range extends from Madeira, the British Isles and Iceland to Russia and northern China. Unlike many plants with similar distributions, it is not native to Japan.The tree has a slender trunk with smooth bark, a loose and roundish crown, and its leaves are pinnate in pairs of leaflets on a central vein with a terminal leaflet. It blossoms from May to June in dense corymbs of small yellowish white flowers and develops small red pomes as fruit that ripen from August to October and are eaten by many bird species. The plant is undemanding and frost hardy and colonizes disrupted and inaccessible places as a short-lived pioneer species.The fruit and foliage have been used in the creation of dishes and beverages, as a folk medicine, and as fodder for livestock. Its tough and flexible wood has traditionally been used for woodworking. It is planted to fortify soil in mountain regions or as an ornamental tree and has several cultivars.


Pyrausta inornatalis, the inornate pyrausta moth, is a moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Charles H. Fernald in 1885. It is found in United States, where it has been recorded from Arizona, California, Florida, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. It is also found in Mexico.The wingspan is about 13 mm. The forewings are uniform light vinous (wine colored) red or reddish pink. The hindwings are pale fuscous, but paler at the base and with vinous red along the outer margin. Adults have been recorded on wing from March to November.The larval feed on "Salvia" species, including "Salvia farinacea".


The purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) is a swamphen in the genus "Porphyrio". It is in the order Gruiformes, meaning "crane-like", an order which also contains cranes, rails, and crakes. The purple gallinule is a rail species, placing it into the family Rallidae. It is also known locally as the yellow-legged gallinule. The specific name "martinica" denotes "of Martinique".


Pyromorpha dimidiata, the orange-patched smoky moth, is a species of leaf skeletonizer moth of the family Zygaenidae found in eastern North America.


Stellaria pubera, commonly called the star chickweed, is a spring-flowering plant in the carnation family Caryophyllaceae, native to the eastern United States.


Toxicoscordion fremontii, known as the common star lily or Frémont's deathcamas (after John C. Frémont) or star zigadene, is an attractive wildflower found on grassy or woody slopes, or rocky outcrops, in many lower-lying regions of California, southwestern Oregon, and northern Baja California.Like other deathcamases, "T. fremontii" grows from a more or less spherical bulb, which in this species has a diameter of 20–35 mm. Its leaves can reach up to half a meter in length, but are typically half that length. They grow from the base of the plant. Flowers, which can be seen from March to June, grow in clusters. They have six petals (strictly, three petals and three very similar sepals), arranged symmetrically, giving rise to the name star-lily. Each flower is 1–4 cm across.


Orthosoma is a genus of beetles in the family Cerambycidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Orthosoma brunneum. The genus name "Orthosoma" was also previously used for a microsporidian genus. As the name is pre-occupied by this beetle genus, the name for the microsporidian has been changed to "Orthosomella".


Satyrium liparops, the striped hairstreak, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae described by John Eatton Le Conte in 1833. It is found in North America, from the Rocky Mountains south from southern Canada to Colorado, east to Maine and south to Florida.The wingspan is 25–39 mm. The hindwings have one long and one short tail. The upperside is dark brown. The males have a long, oval spot along the forewing costa. The underside of both wings has rows of widely separated white stripes and a blue spot near the tails, which is topped with orange. The outer margin of the hindwings is indented above the short tail. Adults are on wing from July to August in the north and in May in the south. There is one generation per year. Adults feed on nectar from various flowers, including chinquapin, common milkweed, dogbane, goldenrod, meadowsweet, New Jersey tea, staghorn sumac, viburnum, and white sweet clover.The larvae feed on the plum and cherry ("Prunus" species) and hawthorns ("Crataegus" species). They feed on the buds, leaves, flowers, and young fruit of their host plant.


Opuntia humifusa, commonly known as the devil's-tongue, Eastern prickly pear or Indian fig, is a cactus of the genus "Opuntia" present in parts of eastern North America.


Epitheca canis, the beaverpond baskettail, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America.The IUCN conservation status of "Epitheca canis" is "LC", least concern, with no immediate threat to the species' survival. The population is stable.


Asclepias eriocarpa is a species of milkweed known by the common names woollypod milkweed, Indian milkweed, and kotolo. It is a perennial herb that grows in many types of habitats.


Selaginella bigelovii is a species of spikemoss known by the common names bushy spikemoss and Bigelow's spikemoss. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in rocky places in many different habitat types, from the coastline to the mountains to the deserts. This lycophyte forms clumps of spreading upright to erect stems up to 20 centimeters long with a few short lateral branches. The linear or lance-shaped green leaves are up to 4 millimeters long, including the tiny rigid bristles at their tips. They are flattened to the stem or stick out just a little. The strobili borne at the leaf bases are yellow-orange in color.


Leptopteris superba, commonly called Prince of Wales feathers or common crape fern, is a fern in the genus "Leptopteris".It is considered endemic to New Zealand at North Island: Northland, Auckland, Volcanic Plateau, Gisborne, Taranaki, Southern North Island.South Island: Western Nelson, Sounds-Nelson, Westland, Canterbury, Otago, Southland Fiordland.Stewart Island. Altitudinal range: 0–1600 m."Leptopteris superba" has a predominantly southern distribution, occurring from Mt. Te Aroha southwards, apart from an isolated record (Rawlings 1972) from c. 700 m in Waipoua Forest (CHR 191223) and a 19th-century collection by E.M. Smith from Little Barrier Island (AK 119092). In the North Island it is common in montane forest from Te Aroha to Wellington, occurring from about 250 m up to 1400 m on Maungapōhatu in the Urewera Ranges.In the South Island it is abundant in wet forest on the west side of the Main Divide, in the Marlborough Sounds, and around Dunedin and the Catlins, extending also to Stewart Island. It occurs from sea level in Fiordland to about 1600 m in the Takitimu Ranges near Monowai.It is characterized by having large fronds (around a meter in length) with large sporangia on their undersides. The shape of the fronds is elliptical (similar to that of Ostrich Fern). It grows from wet lowlands to montane forests.


Gymnocarpium dryopteris, the western oakfern, common oak fern , oak fern, or northern oak fern, is a deciduous fern of the family Cystopteridaceae. It is widespread across much of North America and Eurasia. It has been found in Canada, the United States, Greenland, China, Japan, Korea, Russia, and most of Europe.


Darapsa choerilus, the azalea sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae first described by Pieter Cramer in 1779. It is found in the United States and southern Canada east of the Rocky Mountains.The wingspan is 57–75 mm.The larvae feed on azalea and "Viburnum" species.


The red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) is a member of the bulbul family of passerines. It is a resident breeder across the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka extending east to Burma and parts of Bhutan and Nepal. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world and has established itself in New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Fiji, as well as parts of Samoa, Australia, USA and Cook Islands. It is included in the list of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.


The ringed kingfisher ("Megaceryle torquata") is a large, conspicuous and noisy kingfisher bird commonly found along the lower Rio Grande valley in southeasternmost Texas in the United States through Central America to Tierra del Fuego in South America.


Cakile edentula, the American searocket, is a species of the flowering "Cakile" plant. This plant is native to North America.


The boa constrictor (scientific name also Boa constrictor), also called the red-tailed boa, is a species of large, non-venomous, heavy-bodied snake that is frequently kept and bred in captivity. The boa constrictor is a member of the family Boidae, found in tropical South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean. A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive. Four subspecies are currently recognized. This article focuses on the species "Boa constrictor" as a whole, and on the nominate subspecies "B. c. constrictor".


Lupinus perennis (also wild perennial lupine, wild lupine, sundial lupine, blue lupine, Indian beet, or old maid's bonnets) is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is widespread in the eastern part of the USA (from Texas and Florida to Maine) and Minnesota, Canada (southern Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador), and on the coasts of the Arctic Ocean, where it grows in sandy areas such as dunes and savannas.


Arundinaria gigantea is a species of bamboo known as giant cane (not to be confused with "Arundo donax") and river cane. It is endemic to the south-central and southeastern United States as far west as Oklahoma and Texas and as far north as New York. This species is divided into two subspecies. The subspecies "tecta" is sometimes treated as a species in its own right, "Arundinaria tecta", and is the taxon generally called switch cane. It is very similar to the nominate subspecies ("gigantea"), but is often smaller and tends to grow in wetter habitats.It and other species of "Arundinaria" may grow in large monotypic colonies called canebrakes. Canebrakes were once a common feature of the landscape in the southeastern United States, but today it is an endangered ecosystem.


Jaumea carnosa, known by the common names marsh jaumea, fleshy jaumea, or simply jaumea, is a halophytic salt marsh plant native to the wetlands, coastal sea cliffs and salt marshes of the western coast of North America.


Wyethia angustifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names California compassplant and narrowleaf mule's ears. It is native to the west coast of the United States from Washington to California, where it grows in grassland, meadows, and other open habitat. It is a perennial herb growing from a tough taproot and caudex unit and producing a stem 30 to 90 centimeters tall. The leaves have lance-shaped blades up to 50 centimeters tall. The inflorescence produces one or more large sunflower-like flower heads at the top of the hairy stem. The head has narrow, hairy phyllaries at the base. It contains up to 21 yellow ray florets each up to 4.5 centimeters long and many yellow disc florets. The fruit is an achene which may be nearly 2 centimeters long including its pappus.


The redhead (Aythya americana) is a medium-sized diving duck. The scientific name is derived from Greek "aithuia", an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin "americana", of America. The redhead is 37 (cm) long with an 84 (cm) wingspan. Redhead weight ranges from 2.0 to 2.5 lbs (907-1134 g), with males weighing an average of 2.4 lbs (1089 g) and females weighing an average of 2.1 lbs (953 g). It belongs to the genus Aythya, together with 11 other described species. The redhead and the common pochard form a sister group which together is sister to the canvasback.The redhead goes by many names, including the red-headed duck and the red-headed pochard. This waterfowl is easily distinguished from other ducks by the male's copper coloured head and bright blue bill during the breeding season.


Metrosideros polymorpha, the ōhia lehua, is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaii. It is a highly variable tree, being 20 - 25 (m) tall in favorable situations, and a much smaller prostrate shrub when growing in boggy soils or directly on basalt. It produces a brilliant display of flowers, made up of a mass of stamens, which can range from fiery red to yellow. Many native Hawaiian traditions refer to the tree and the forests it forms as sacred to Pele, the volcano goddess, and to Laka, the goddess of hula. Ōhia trees grow easily on lava, and are usually the first plants to grow on new lava flows.It is a common misconception that the word "ōhia" is used to refer to the tree and that the word "lehua" refers only to its flowers. "The Hawaiian Dictionary" (Pukui and Elbert 1986: 199) defines "lehua" with these words: "The flower of the "ōhia" tree... "also the tree itself" [emphasis added]." Thus the "Metrosideros polymorpha" may be referred to correctly as a "lehua" tree, or as an "ōhia lehua", or simply an "ōhia".


The bronzed cowbird (once known as the red-eyed cowbird, "Molothrus aeneus") is a small icterid.They breed from the U.S. states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana south through Central America to Panama. They tend to be found in farmland, brush, and feedlots. Outside the breeding season, they are found in very open habitats, and roost in thick woods. These birds forage in open areas, often near cattle in pastures. Their diet mostly consists of seeds and insects, along with snails during breeding season for a calcium source.There are three subspecies: "M. a. loyei" is found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. "M. a. assimilis" is found in southwestern Mexico. "M. a. aeneus" , the nominate subspecies, is found in South Texas and from eastern Mexico to central PanamaThe bronze-brown cowbird, which is restricted to the Caribbean coast of Colombia, was formerly considered to be an isolated population of this species.The male bronzed cowbird is 20 (cm) long and weighs 68 (g), with green-bronze, gloss-black plumage. His eyes are red in breeding season and brown otherwise. The female is 18.5 (cm) long and weighs 56 (g). She is a dull black with a brown underbelly, and has brown eyes. Young birds have coloring similar to the females, with the exception of grey feather fringes.Like all cowbirds, this bird is an obligate brood parasite; it lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. The young cowbird is fed by the host parents at the expense of their own young. Hosts include Prevost's ground-sparrows and white-naped brush finches. They develop rapidly, leaving the nest after 10–12 days.<br>


Tragopogon porrifolius is a plant cultivated for its ornamental flower and edible root. It also grows wild in many places and is one of the most widely known species of the salsify genus, "Tragopogon". It is commonly known as purple or common salsify, oyster plant, vegetable oyster, Jerusalem star, Jack go to bed, goatsbeard or simply salsify (although these last two names are also applied to other species).The Latin specific epithet "porrifolius" means "with leaves like leek" ("Allium porrum").


The Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no accepted subspecies. The genus name is from Ancient Greek "hudros", "water", and Latin "progne", "swallow". The specific "caspia" is from Latin and, like the English name, refers to the Caspian Sea.


Pituophis catenifer deserticola, commonly known by its standardized English name since the 1950s, the Great Basin gophersnake, is a subspecies of nonvenomous colubrid snake ranging in parts of western United States and adjacent southwestern Canada.


Hypericum hypericoides, commonly called St. Andrew's cross, is a species of flowering plant in the St. John's wort family, Hypericaceae. It is native to the Southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Its preferred habitat is dry woods on acidic soil. It is a small shrub or shrublet that produces yellow flowers with four petals.


Phidippus johnsoni, the red-backed jumping spider, is one of the largest and most commonly encountered jumping spiders of western North America. It is not to be confused with the unrelated and highly venomous redback spider ("Latrodectus hasselti").


Euphorbia lathyris, the caper spurge or paper spurge, is a species of spurge native to southern Europe (Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal), northwest Africa, and eastward through southwest Asia to western China.Other names occasionally used include gopher spurge, gopher plant or mole plant.


Salvia apiana, the white sage, bee sage, or sacred sage is an evergreen perennial shrub that is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, found mainly in the coastal sage scrub habitat of Southern California and Baja California, on the western edges of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.


Amphiachyris dracunculoides, commonly called broomweed, is a North American species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the United States, primarily the southern Great Plains from Missouri to eastern New Mexico."Amphiachyris dracunculoides" is a tall annual herb occasionally reaching as much as 200 cm (7 feet) in height. Flowers are yellow, with both ray florets and disc florets. It is found in calcareous areas, and is tolerant of disturbed habitats.


Primula clevelandii, with the common name of Padre's shooting star, is a species of primrose.Its specific epithet "clevelandii" honors 19th-century San Diego-based plant collector and lawyer Daniel Cleveland.


Schinia arcigera, the arcigera flower moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found in North America from Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Arizona and Idaho, north to Saskatchewan.The wingspan is 22–25 mm. Adults are on wing from July to September in the northeast and from August to October in southern New Jersey.The larvae feed on "Symphyotrichum laeve", "Symphyotrichum puniceum", "Symphyotrichum ericoides" and "Psilactis tenuis".


Rhexia mariana is a species of flowering plant in the Melastomataceae family known by the common names pale meadow beauty or Maryland meadowbeauty. It is native to the eastern and lower midwestern United States.This species is a colonial perennial herb producing stems up to 2.5 feet tall. The oppositely arranged leaves have elongated, toothed blades. The flower is 1 or 2 inches wide. It is pink, purple, or white with yellow or orange anthers. The fruit is a red urn-shaped capsule containing brownish seeds.This species is used in landscaping and sometimes as a roadside planting.


Physocarpus opulifolius, known as common ninebark, Eastern ninebark, Atlantic ninebark, or simply ninebark, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to eastern North America.


Peridea angulosa, the angulose prominent, is a moth of the family Notodontidae. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. Its range consists of southern Canada, south to Florida and west to Texas.The wingspan is 35–45 mm. Adults are on wing from May to August.The larvae feed on "Quercus" species.


Phoebis sennae, the cloudless sulphur, is a mid-sized butterfly in the family Pieridae found in the Americas. There are several similar species such as the yellow angled-sulphur ("Anteos maerula"), which has angled wings, statira sulphur ("Aphrissa statira), and" other sulphurs, which are much smaller.


The leather star ("Dermasterias imbricata") is a sea star in the family Asteropseidae found at depths to 100 (m) off the western seaboard of North America. It was first described to science by Adolph Eduard Grube in 1857.


Heliopsis helianthoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, known by the common names rough oxeye, smooth oxeye and false sunflower. It is native to eastern and central North America from Saskatchewan east to Newfoundland and south as far as Texas, New Mexico, and Georgia."Heliopsis helianthoides" is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial growing 40 - 150 (cm) tall. The toothed leaf blades are oval to triangular or lance-shaped and may be smooth or hairy or rough in texture. The flowers are produced from midsummer to early autumn (fall). The inflorescence contains one to many composite flowerheads. Each head contains yellow ray florets which are generally 2 – 4 (cm) long. The rays are fertile, having a small forked pistil at the base; this distinguishes them from true sunflowers. At the center are many yellow to brownish disc florets. The fruit is an achene about 5 (mm) long.In the wild, "H. helianthoides" may be found in wooded areas and tallgrass prairie, and sometimes along roadsides.It is a popular garden plant for moist, fertile soil in full sun. Plants grow stiff and tall, so may require staking. Several cultivars are available with flowers of varying colors and shades. These include 'Summer Sun', 'Golden Plume', and 'Prairie Sunset'. The following cultivars of "H. helianthoides" var. "scabra" ("rough") have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit: 'Benzinggold'  'Light of Loddon'  'Loraine Sunshine'='Helhan'  'Sonnenglut'  'Spitzentänzerin'  'Waterperry Gold'


The American wigeon ("Mareca americana"), also known as the baldpate, is a species of dabbling duck found in North America. Formerly assigned to "Anas", this species is classified with the other wigeons in the dabbling duck genus "Mareca". It is the New World counterpart of the Eurasian wigeon.


Smerinthus cerisyi, the one-eyed sphinx or Cerisy's sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by William Kirby who named the species in honor of Alexandre Louis Lefèbvre de Cérisy in 1837.


The goldfish ("Carassius auratus") is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have become an invasive pest in parts of North America.Native to East Asia, the goldfish is a relatively small member of the carp family (which also includes the Prussian carp and the crucian carp). It was first selectively bred for color in imperial China more than 1,000 years ago, and several distinct breeds have since been developed. Goldfish breeds vary greatly in size, body shape, fin configuration, and coloration (various combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black are known).


Triphysaria eriantha is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae, known by the common names johnny-tuck and butter-and-eggs.It is native to California and southwestern Oregon, where it grows in many types of habitats including chaparral, becoming quite common in some areas.


Sidalcea oregana is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name Oregon checkerbloom.


The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), also known by the acronym EAB, is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia that feeds on ash species. Females lay eggs in bark crevices on ash trees, and larvae feed underneath the bark of ash trees to emerge as adults in one to two years. In its native range, it is typically found at low densities and does not cause significant damage to trees native to the area. Outside its native range, it is an invasive species and is highly destructive to ash trees native to Europe and North America. Before it was found in North America, very little was known about emerald ash borer in its native range; this has resulted in much of the research on its biology being focused in North America. Local governments in North America are attempting to control it by monitoring its spread, diversifying tree species, and through the use of insecticides and biological control.


The leopard tortoise ("Stigmochelys pardalis") is a large and attractively marked tortoise found in the savannas of eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan to the southern Cape. It is the only extant member of the genus "Stigmochelys", although in the past, it was commonly placed in "Geochelone". This tortoise is a grazing species that favors semiarid, thorny to grassland habitats. In both very hot and very cold weather, it may dwell in abandoned fox, jackal, or aardvark holes. The leopard tortoise does not dig other than to make nests in which to lay eggs. Given its propensity for grassland habitats, it grazes extensively upon mixed grasses. It also favors succulents and thistles.


The hooded oriole ("Icterus cucullatus") is a medium-sized New World oriole. The male of this species ranges in color from a bright orange to a paler yellow, with a black back, face, tail and bib, with the wing containing two white bars. The female is more of an olive color with some yellow accents.


Dione juno, the Juno silverspot, juno longwing, or Juno heliconian, is a species of butterfly of the subfamily Heliconiinae in the family Nymphalidae found from southern United States to South America.


Junonia evarete (Cramer, 1779), the tropical buckeye or South American tropical buckeye, is a South American butterfly of the nymphalid (Nymphalidae) family. It has characteristic eye spots on the wings, which have a wingspan between 4.5 and 6.5 cm. This butterfly is easily confused with "Junonia genoveva", the mangrove buckeye. Not only have the common names mangrove and tropical buckeye been confused, but the butterflies themselves have been sometimes misidentified in past literature because the two species have many variations, subspecies and seasonal forms, which makes them difficult to identify or differentiate. Phylogenetic studies demonstrate the separation of evarete and genoveva, but evidence suggests that subspecies and perhaps more species await their descriptions within this group.


The pied crow (Corvus albus) is a widely distributed African bird species in the crow genus.Structurally, the pied crow is better thought of as a small crow-sized raven, especially as it can hybridise with the Somali crow (dwarf raven) where their ranges meet in the Horn of Africa. Its behaviour, though, is more typical of the Eurasian carrion crows, and it may be a modern link (along with the Somali crow) between the Eurasian crows and the common raven.


Menemerus bivittatus is a spider in the family Salticidae commonly known as the gray wall jumper. It is a pantropical species and is usually found on the walls of buildings or on tree trunks where it stalks its prey.


Myosotis scorpioides (syn. "Myosotis palustris"), the true forget-me-not or water forget-me-not, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the borage family, Boraginaceae.


The saddleback caterpillar ("Acharia stimulea", formerly "Sibine stimulea") is the larva of a species of moth native to eastern North America. It is also found in Mexico. The species belongs to the family of slug caterpillars, Limacodidae.The larva (caterpillar) is primarily green with brown at both ends and a prominent white-ringed brown dot in the center which resembles a saddle. It has a pair of fleshy horns at both ends. These and most of the rest of the body bear urticating hairs that secrete an irritating venom. Contact with the hairs causes a painful, swollen rash and sometimes nausea in humans. In some cases, more severe reactions to the venom can occur, including a systemic condition called erucism or acute urticaria, for which severe symptoms may include migraines, gastrointestinal symptoms, asthma complications, anaphylactic shock, rupturing of erythrocytes, and hemorrhaging. The hairs should be removed from the skin immediately to prevent more venom spread. The cocoon may also have irritating hairs, and hairs from the larva can fall on surrounding objects.The larvae feed on a large variety of plants. In Florida and Alabama in the United States, it feeds on ornamental palms such as the Manila palm ("Adonidia merrillii").


The common redshank or simply redshank (Tringa totanus) is a Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.


Lestes rectangularis is a species of damselfly in the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. It is known by the common name slender spreadwing. It is native to eastern North America, including eastern Canada and the United States.This damselfly is long and thin. The body is black with a pale blue face, and the wings have yellow edges. The female is larger, with paler yellow on the wings. This species lives along springs and drying ponds.


Sphex ichneumoneus, known commonly as the great golden digger wasp or great golden sand digger is a wasp in the family Sphecidae. It is identified by the golden pubescence on its head and thorax, its reddish orange legs, and partly reddish orange body. This wasp is native to the Western Hemisphere, from Canada to South America, and provisions its young with various types of paralyzed Orthoptera.D. Hofstadter cites the observation by Woodridge of "S. ichneumoneus" continually repeating behavior (checking a burrow before pulling in a cricket) as an example of genetic determinism, calling the behavior "sphexish". It is an example of a fixed action pattern, as described by H.J. Brockmann, where the sign stimulus is the sight of paralyzed prey in correct orientation (head facing burrow) and position (≤3 cm from entrance in alignment with the dug mound) and the behavioral sequence is to pull the prey into the burrow by its antennae, if present (otherwise the wasp will position the prey outside, go into the burrow alone, reemerge headfirst and reevaluate, although it may uncommonly attempt to pull the prey in by another part of its body). The burrow of the great golden sand digger consists of a descending shaft with individual brood chambers arranged at right angles to it. This arrangement makes it difficult to pull prey into a brood chamber without getting stuck and is one possible reason why the wasp always checks to ensure the path is clear before preferentially pulling its prey down by its antennae. In addition, female wasps commonly build their burrows nearby those of other females of their species and may even share a nest, but will fight with other wasps if they encounter them inside their burrow during prey retrieval. Thus, an unattended nest may pose a risk to a laden wasp if it has not been inspected first.


The spiny oak slug ("Euclea delphinii") is the larval form (caterpillar) of a moth in the family Limacodidae.


Smallanthus uvedalia, known as hairy leafcup, bear's foot, and yellow flower leafcup, is a herbaceous perennial native to the Central and Eastern United States. It is a member of the family Asteraceae.


Iris missouriensis (syn. "I. montana") is a hardy flowering rhizomatous species of the genus "Iris", in the family Iridaceae. Its common names include western blue flag, Rocky Mountain iris, and Missouri flag.It is native to western North America. Its distribution is varied; it grows at high elevations in mountains and alpine meadows and all the way down to sea level in coastal hills.


Ribes roezlii is a North American species of currant known by the common name Sierra gooseberry.


The long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata), also known as the bridled weasel, masked ermine, or big stoat, is a species of mustelid distributed from southern Canada throughout all the United States and Mexico, southward through all of Central America and into northern South America. It is distinct from the short-tailed weasel ("Mustela erminea"), also known as a "stoat", a close relation in the genus "Mustela" that originated in Eurasia and crossed into North America some half million years ago; the two species are visually similar, especially the black tail tip.


Chrysochus cobaltinus, the cobalt milkweed beetle or blue milkweed beetle, is a member of the diverse family leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae). It occurs in the Western United States and British Columbia.


The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange-red legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black stripe running along the breast line. This chest band is usually thicker in males during the breeding season, and it is the only reliable way to tell the sexes apart. The bird is difficult to see when it is standing still, as it blends well with open, sandy beach habitats. It typically runs in short, quick spurts and then stops.There are two subspecies of piping plovers: the eastern population is known as "Charadrius melodus melodus" and the mid-west population is known as "C. m. circumcinctus". The bird's name is derived from its plaintive bell-like whistles which are often heard before the bird is visible.Total population is currently estimated to be between 7600 - 8400 individuals. Intensive conservation efforts have yielded slow population growth, but it is expected that this trend would reverse if conservation efforts were stopped. As of 1986, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lists the Great Lakes population as endangered and the Northern Great Plains and Atlantic populations as threatened.Their breeding habitat includes beaches and sand flats on the Atlantic coast, the shores of the Great Lakes, and in the mid-west of Canada and the United States. They nest on sandy or gravel beaches or shoals. These shorebirds forage for food on beaches, usually by sight, moving across the beaches in short bursts. Generally, piping plovers will forage for food around the high tide wrack zone and along the water's edge. They eat mainly insects, marine worms, and crustaceans.


Baptisia alba, commonly called white wild indigo or white false indigo, is a herbaceous plant in the bean family Fabaceae. It is native in central and eastern North America.There are two varieties, "Baptisia alba" var. "alba" and "Baptisia alba" var. "macrophylla".


The Pacific wren ("Troglodytes pacificus") is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with "Troglodytes hiemalis" of eastern North America and "Troglodytes troglodytes" of Eurasia as the winter wren.It breeds along the Pacific coast from Alaska to California and inland as far as Wyoming and the Black Hills of South Dakota. It migrates through and winters across the western half of the United States and Canada.The scientific name is taken from the Greek word "troglodytes" (from "trogle" a hole, and "dyein" to creep), meaning "cave-dweller", and refers to its habit of disappearing into cavities or crevices whilst hunting arthropods or to roost.


Rhododendron canadense, the rhodora or Canada rosebay, is a deciduous flowering shrub that is native to northeastern North America.


Oenothera elata is a species of "Oenothera" known by the common name Hooker's evening primrose or tall evening primrose. Subspecies include "hookeri", "hirsutissima", "longisima", "jamesii", "villosa" and "elata". It is native to much of western and central North America. The plants are quite tall, especially the "hookeri" subspecies, native to California, which can reach about 1.8 meters (6 feet) height. The plants are found along roadsides, in moist meadows, or woodland, from sea level up to 9000 (ft) in elevation.


Corallorhiza mertensiana, or Pacific coralroot, is a coralroot orchid native to the shady conifer forests of northwestern North America. It also goes by the common names Western coralroot and Mertens' coralroot. "Corallorhiza mertensiana" was previously considered a subspecies of "Corallorhiza maculata" but was given species rank in 1997 by Freudenstein.


Lupinus hirsutissimus is a species of lupine known by the common names stinging annual lupine or stinging lupine. It is native to the coastal mountains of Baja California and Southern California as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area. It grows on dry mountain slopes, including areas that have recently burned, and chaparral and woodlands habitats.


The European potter wasp or European tube wasp ("Ancistrocerus gazella") is a species of potter wasp. As an imago (adult), the female collects as many as 20 caterpillars for each nest, which consists of a single cell. Her larval offspring then feed on these inside the nest, which is sealed with mud arranged by her. As adults, they eat nectar and aphid honeydew. Males cannot sting, and the sting of a female is not painful. They can be found on windows, foraging for nectar on flowers, or searching out small cracks or holes in which to nest.


Rosa nutkana, the Nootka rose, bristly rose, or wild rose is a 2 - 10 (ft) perennial shrub in the rose family (Rosaceae).The species name "nootka" comes from the Nootka Sound of Vancouver Island, where the plant was first described. This plant is native to Western North America. There are 2 varieties: "hispida" grows in the Intermountain West, from east of the Cascades to the Rocky Mountains, and "nutkana" grows in coastal areas from Alaska to California, east to the Cascades. The Jepson Interchange (Flora of California) considers other varieties to be part of the "nutkana" variety.


Libellula quadrimaculata, known in Europe as the four-spotted chaser and in North America as the four-spotted skimmer, is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae found widely throughout Europe, Asia, and North America.The adult stage is found between April to early September in the United Kingdom, and from mid-May to mid-August in Ireland. Larvae have a two-year developmental cycle. Adults feed predominantly on mosquitoes, gnats, and midges; the larvae feed primarily on other aquatic insect larvae and on tadpoles.There is a variant form, "praenubila" Newman, which has exaggerated wing spots. This is believed to be related to water temperatures during larval development, and appears to be more common in Europe than in the Americas.The four-spotted skimmer is the state insect of Alaska.


Perilla frutescens, commonly called deulkkae, perilla or Korean perilla, is a species of "Perilla" in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is an annual plant native to Southeast Asia and Indian highlands, and is traditionally grown in the Korean peninsula, southern China, Japan and India as a crop.An edible plant, perilla is grown in gardens and attracts butterflies. It is aromatic with a strong mint-like smell. A variety of this plant, "P. frutescens" var. "crispa" known as "shiso", is widely grown in Japan. In the United States, perilla is a weed pest, toxic to cattle after ingestion.


Hypericum perforatum, known as St. John's wort, is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae and the type species of the genus "Hypericum".Possibly a hybrid between "H. maculatum" and "H. attenuatum", the species can be found across temperate areas of Eurasia and has been introduced as an invasive weed to much of North and South America, as well as South Africa and Australia. While the species is harmful to livestock and can interfere with prescription drugs, it has been used in folk medicine over centuries, and remains commercially cultivated in the 21st century. Hyperforin, a phytochemical constituent of the species, is under basic research for possible therapeutic properties.


Quercus falcata, also called southern red oak, spanish oak, bottomland red oak or three-lobed red oak is an oak (part of the genus "Quercus"). Native to the southeastern United States, it gets its name the "Spanish Oak" as these are the areas of early Spanish colonies, whilst "southern red oak" comes from both its range and leaf color during late summer and fall. The southern red oak is a deciduous angiosperm, so has leaves that die after each growing period and come back in the next period of growth.


Menispermum canadense, the Canadian moonseed, common moonseed, or yellow parilla, is a flowering plant in the family Menispermaceae, native to eastern North America, from southern Canada south to northern Florida, and from the Atlantic coast west to Manitoba and Texas. It occurs in thickets, moist woods, and the banks of streams.


Sympetrum illotum, the cardinal meadowhawk, is a species of skimmer in the dragonfly family Libellulidae. It is found in the Caribbean Sea, Central America, North America, and South America.The IUCN conservation status of "Sympetrum illotum" is "LC", least concern, with no immediate threat to the species' survival. The population is stable. The IUCN status was reviewed in 2017.


Ranunculus californicus, commonly known as the California buttercup, is a flowering plant of the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It is a native of California, where it is common in many habitats, including chaparral and woodlands.Its distribution extends across many habitats of California, north into Oregon and south into Baja California. Its reported locations include the islands between British Columbia and Washington, the Channel Islands of California, and the Sierra Nevada.


There are two species of lizard named Texas alligator lizard: "Gerrhonotus liocephalus" "Gerrhonotus infernalis"


The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average 100 – 115 (cm) from beak tip to end of tail, with a 155 – 215 (cm) wingspan. The two subspecies, which differ slightly in size, breed in Europe (north to Finland), northwestern Africa, southwestern Asia (east to southern Kazakhstan) and southern Africa. The white stork is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa from tropical Sub-Saharan Africa to as far south as South Africa, or on the Indian subcontinent. When migrating between Europe and Africa, it avoids crossing the Mediterranean Sea and detours via the Levant in the east or the Strait of Gibraltar in the west, because the air thermals on which it depends for soaring do not form over water.A carnivore, the white stork eats a wide range of animal prey, including insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and small birds. It takes most of its food from the ground, among low vegetation, and from shallow water. It is a monogamous breeder, but does not pair for life. Both members of the pair build a large stick nest, which may be used for several years. Each year the female can lay one clutch of usually four eggs, which hatch asynchronously 33–34 days after being laid. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and both feed the young. The young leave the nest 58–64 days after hatching, and continue to be fed by the parents for a further 7–20 days.The white stork has been rated as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It benefited from human activities during the Middle Ages as woodland was cleared, but changes in farming methods and industrialisation saw it decline and disappear from parts of Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Conservation and reintroduction programs across Europe have resulted in the white stork resuming breeding in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It has few natural predators, but may harbour several types of parasite; the plumage is home to chewing lice and feather mites, while the large nests maintain a diverse range of mesostigmatic mites. This conspicuous species has given rise to many legends across its range, of which the best-known is the story of babies being brought by storks.


The peyote (; "Lophophora williamsii" ) is a small, spineless cactus which contains psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline. "Peyote" is a Spanish word derived from the Nahuatl "peyōtl" (), meaning "caterpillar cocoon", from a root "peyōni", "to glisten". Peyote is native to Mexico and southwestern Texas. It is found primarily in the Sierra Madre Occidental, the Chihuahuan Desert and in the states of Nayarit, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and San Luis Potosí among scrub. It flowers from March to May, and sometimes as late as September. The flowers are pink, with thigmotactic anthers (like "Opuntia").Known for its psychoactive properties when ingested, peyote has at least 5,500 years of entheogenic and medicinal use by indigenous North Americans.


The broad-tailed hummingbird ("Selasphorus platycercus") is a medium-sized hummingbird species found in highland regions from western United States and Western Canada to Mexico and Guatemala.


The osprey (Pandion haliaetus), also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than 60 (cm) in length and 180 (cm) across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts.The osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all continents except Antarctica, although in South America it occurs only as a non-breeding migrant.As its other common names suggest, the osprey's diet consists almost exclusively of fish. It possesses specialised physical characteristics and exhibits unique behaviour to assist in hunting and catching prey. As a result of these unique characteristics, it has been given its own taxonomic genus, "Pandion", and family, Pandionidae.


Clogmia albipunctata is a species of drain fly, a member of the family Psychodidae commonly known as the bathroom moth midge, bathroom moth fly or drain fly.


The dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylus) is a clubtail dragonfly of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. The dragonfly is much larger than any other North American clubtail, at 3.3 (in), with black and yellow markings and green eyes. Males can be distinguished at a distance by their habit of curling their abdomens under while flying, forming a sideways J shape.The dragonhunter is the only member of genus Hagenius. Its closest relatives are Asian dragonflies of genus "Sieboldius", which are also sometimes called "dragonhunters". Together, the two genera form the subfamily Hageniinae.The nymph is unusual, with a very flat, wide body. It is slow-moving and lives among bark and leaf litter at the edges of streams, where its dark color provides camouflage.The adult feeds on large insects, including darner and clubtail dragonflies, sometimes ambushing them from above. It also takes monarch butterflies, eating the thorax and abdomen first to avoid the greatest concentration of cardenolide toxins.


The checkered whiptail ("Aspidoscelis tesselata") is a species of lizard found in the southwestern United States in Colorado, Texas and New Mexico, and in northern Mexico in Chihuahua and Coahuila. Many sources believe that the species originated from the hybridization of the marbled whiptail, "Aspidoscelis marmorata", the plateau spotted whiptail, "Aspidoscelis septemvittata", and possibly the six-lined racerunner, "Aspidoscelis sexlineata". It is one of many lizard species known to be parthenogenic. It is sometimes referred to as the common checkered whiptail to differentiate it from several other species known as checkered whiptails.


Diadophis punctatus, commonly known as the ring-necked snake or ringneck snake, is a harmless species of colubrid snake found throughout much of the United States, central Mexico, and south-eastern Canada. Ring-necked snakes are secretive, nocturnal snakes, so are rarely seen during the day time. They are best known for their unique defense posture of curling up their tails, exposing their bright red-orange posterior, ventral surface when threatened.Ring-necked snakes are believed to be fairly abundant throughout most of their range, though no scientific evaluation supports this hypothesis. Scientific research is lacking for the ring-necked snake, and more in-depth investigations are greatly needed. It is the only species within the genus "Diadophis", and currently 14 subspecies are identified, but many herpetologists question the morphologically based classifications.


Ctenucha virginica, the Virginia ctenucha, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper in 1794.


The eastern mudsnail, Ilyanassa obsoleta, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Nassariidae, the nassa mud snails.


Camassia scilloides is a perennial herb known commonly as Atlantic camas, wild hyacinth, and eastern camas. It is native to the eastern half of North America, including Ontario and the eastern United States.


The varied bunting ("Passerina versicolor") is a species of songbird in the cardinal family, Cardinalidae.The range of the varied bunting stretches from the southern parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States south throughout Mexico as far as Oaxaca. Small disjunct populations occur in the state of Chiapas in Mexico and southeastern Guatemala. This stocky bird has a short tail and rounded bill. It is 11 - 14 (cm) long, has a wingspan of 21 (cm), and weighs 11 - 13 (g). Breeding males are purple-red with a bright red patch on the nape, which becomes browner in the fall. Females are plain light brown, resembling the female indigo bunting but lacking streaking on the breast. Varied buntings inhabit deserts and xeric shrublands, preferring thorny brush thickets, thorn forests, scrubby woodlands, and overgrown clearings. They forage on the ground for insects, fruit, and seeds. Varied buntings weave open-cup nests of grass and spider webs in the outer branches of thorny shrubs, usually near water. Females lay two to five bluish-white to bluish-green eggs, which they incubate for about fourteen days. The young are fully feathered after 10 days, and are ready to leave the nest several days later.


The hooded crow (Corvus cornix) (also called the scald-crow or hoodie) is a Eurasian bird species in the genus "Corvus". Widely distributed, it is found across Northern, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, as well as parts of the Middle East. It is an ashy grey bird with black head, throat, wings, tail, and thigh feathers, as well as a black bill, eyes, and feet. Like other corvids, it is an omnivorous and opportunistic forager and feeder.The hooded crow is so similar in morphology and habits to the carrion crow ("Corvus corone") that for many years they were considered by most authorities to be geographical races of one species. Hybridization observed where their ranges overlapped added weight to this view. However, since 2002, the hooded crow has been elevated to full species status after closer observation; the hybridisation was less than expected and hybrids had decreased vigour. Within the hooded crow species, four subspecies are recognized, with one, the Mesopotamian crow, possibly distinct enough to warrant species status itself.


Spergularia rubra, the red sandspurry or red sand-spurrey, is a plant species in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to Europe, Asia and North Africa, and it is present on other continents, including North and South America and Australia, as an introduced species and in many areas a common weed. It grows in a wide variety of habitat types.It is an annual or perennial herb producing a slender, glandular stem up to about 25 centimeters long. It is lined with slightly fleshy linear or threadlike leaves each under 2 centimeters long. The leaves may be tipped with hard points or spines, and they are accompanied by shiny white lance-shaped stipules. Flowers occur in the leaf axils and at the tips of the stems. They have hairy, glandular sepals and five round-oval pink petals.


Poecilocapsus lineatus, commonly known as the Fourlined Plant Bug, is a species of true bug (Hemiptera) in the family Miridae. This species is native to the United States and Canada.


Calochortus splendens is a North American species of mariposa lily known by the common name splendid mariposa lily."Calochortus splendens" is native to coastal mountains and valleys of California and Baja California, as far north as Lake County. It is found in various habitats, including chaparral and woodland.


Stylophorum diphyllum, commonly called the celandine poppy or wood poppy, is an herbaceous plant in the poppy family (Papaveraceae). It is native to North America, where it is found in the eastern United States and Ontario. Its typical natural habitat is moist forests over calcareous rock, particularly in ravines.It is occasionally cultivated for its bright yellow flowers. The common name is derived from greater celandine ("Chelidonium majus"), a closely related European plant with similar flowers and leaves.


Mentha pulegium, commonly (European) pennyroyal, or pennyrile, also called mosquito plant and pudding grass, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Crushed pennyroyal leaves emit a very strong fragrance similar to spearmint. Pennyroyal is a traditional folk remedy, emmenagogue, abortifacient, and culinary herb, but is toxic to the liver and has caused some deaths. European pennyroyal is related to an American species, Hedeoma pulegioides. Though they differ in genera, they share similar chemical properties.


The Virginia rail ("Rallus limicola") is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.These birds remain fairly common despite continuing loss of habitat, but are secretive by nature and more often heard than seen. They are also considered a game species in some provinces and states, though rarely hunted. The Ecuadorian rail is often considered a subspecies, but some taxonomic authorities consider it distinct.


Cassiope mertensiana is a species of flowering plant known by the common names western moss heather and white mountain heather.This heather is native to subalpine areas of western North America, from Alaska to the mountains of California. It is a small, branching shrub which forms patches along the ground and in rocky crevices.


Polistes chinensis is a polistine vespid wasp in the cosmopolitan genus "Polistes", and is commonly known as the Asian, Chinese or Japanese paper wasp. It is found in East Asia, in particular China and Japan. The subspecies "P. chinensis antennalis" is an invasive species in New Zealand, having arrived in 1979.The wasps prey on invertebrates, especially caterpillars. In this species, queens destroy up to 70% of worker-laid eggs and are aided by workers in a process known as worker policing.


Palthis angulalis, the dark-spotted palthis, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1796. It is found from Newfoundland west to coastal British Columbia, south to Florida and Texas.The wingspan is 20–26 mm. Adults are on wing from May to August in Alberta. There are two generations in much of the eastern part of its range, three or more generations from Missouri southward.The larvae feed on various plants, including forbs, woody shrubs and trees (alder, aster, basswood, birch, chestnut, fir, sweetgale, goldenrod, ninebark, rhododendron, scrub oak and spruce).


The groundhog ("Marmota monax"), also known as a woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. The groundhog is a lowland creature of North America; it is found through much of the Eastern United States, across Canada and into Alaska. It was first scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.The groundhog is also referred to as a chuck, wood-shock, groundpig, whistlepig, whistler, thickwood badger, Canada marmot, monax, moonack, weenusk, red monk, land beaver, and, among French Canadians in eastern Canada, siffleux. The name "thickwood badger" was given in the Northwest to distinguish the animal from the prairie badger. Monax ("Móonack") is an Algonquian name of the woodchuck, which means "digger" (cf. Lenape "monachgeu"). Young groundhogs may be called chucklings.The groundhog, being a lowland animal, is exceptional among marmots. Other marmots, such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas. Groundhogs play an important role maintaining healthy soil in woodlands and plains. The groundhog is considered a crucial habitat engineer. Groundhogs are considered the most solitary of the marmot species. They live in aggregations, and their social organization also varies across populations. Groundhogs do not form stable, long-term pair-bonds, and during mating season male-female interactions are limited to copulation. In Ohio, adult males and females associate with each other throughout the year and often from year to year. Groundhogs are an extremely intelligent animal forming complex social networks, able to understand social behavior, form kinship with their young, understand and communicate threats through whistling, and work cooperatively to solve tasks such as burrowing.


Lycomorpha pholus, the black-and-yellow lichen moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae. It is found in North America from Nova Scotia to North Carolina, west to South Dakota and Texas. The habitat consists of short-grass prairie.The wingspan is 25–32 mm. Adults have bluish-black wings, with a yellow, orange or red basal area and black distal area. Adults are on wing from July to September. They fly during the day and are attracted to flowers, including goldenrod. The adults are thought to mimic poisonous Lycid beetles, such as "Calopteron" species.The larvae feed on lichen and resemble their host. The species may take several years to develop, depending on the location. Pupation takes place in hairy cocoons attached to rocks or tree trunks near the host.


Marpesia petreus, the ruddy daggerwing, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Brazil north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to southern Florida. Strays are found as far north as Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and southern Texas.The wingspan is 70–95 mm. It is found in many habitats such as tropical woodland and forests, hardwood hammocks, thickets, and subtropical swamps in Florida.The larvae feed on "Ficus carica", "Ficus pumila", and "Ficus citrifolia". Adults feed on nectar from giant milkweed, "Cordia, Casearia, Lantana", and "Mikania."


Desmia funeralis, the grape leaffolder, is a moth of the family Crambidae. It is found across the southern parts of the United States to California, north to the northeastern states and southeastern Canada.The wingspan is 21–28 mm. Adults are on wing from May to September. It is a day-flying species. There are two to three generations per year.The larvae feed on "Vitis", "Cercis canadensis" and "Oenothera". It is considered a minor pest of grapes in the United States.


Viola glabella, the stream violet or pioneer violet, is usually found along streams or in moist woods in northeastern Asia and northwestern North America.Its petals are yellow on both sides, with the exception of dark purple nectar guides on the front of the lower three petals. The flowers arise from the same stems as the leaves. "Viola glabella" is a perennial herb, growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in) and blooming from April to July. The plant is deciduous and dies back completely to its roots during Autumn."Viola glabella" prefers moist, well-drained soil and can grow in part shade. Acidic and neutral soils are suitable for "Viola glabella", which prefers a pH between 6 and 6.5, and becomes chlorotic if the pH is too high.Young leaves and flower buds are edible, raw or cooked, but the yellow flowers can cause diarrhoea.


Diaethria anna, also known as Anna's eighty-eight, is a butterfly in wet tropical forests in Middle America. On rare occasions, it can be found as a stray in south Texas. Its upperside is dark brown with a metallic bluish-green band on the forewings. The underside of the forewings are red, which is followed by a wide, black band and then white tips; the underside of the hindwings is white, with lines that approximate a black-outlined "88", giving the species its common name. Its markings occasionally appear more like of "98" or "89".The caterpillars feed on tropical plants in the families Ulmaceae and Sapindaceae. Adults feed on rotting fruit and dung.Subspecies are: "Diaethria anna anna" "Diaethria anna salvadorensis"


Cardamine bulbosa, commonly called bulbous bittercress or spring cress, is a perennial plant in the mustard family. It is native to a widespread area of eastern North America, in both Canada and the United States. Its natural habitat is moist soils of bottomland forests and swamps, often in calcareous areas.In late spring and early summer, white flowers are produced well above the foliage. Its leaves are edible, and have a peppery taste.


The yellow-billed cardinal ("Paroaria capitata") is a bird species in the tanager family (Thraupidae). It is not very closely related to the cardinals proper (Cardinalidae).It occurs in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, and northern Argentina and has been introduced on the island of Hawai'i. It breeds in moist shrubland. The yellow-billed cardinal could be easily confused with the red-crested cardinal. The yellow-billed cardinal does not have a crest.


The bat ray ("Myliobatis californica") is an eagle ray found in muddy or sandy sloughs, estuaries and bays, kelp beds and rocky-bottomed shoreline in the eastern Pacific Ocean, between the Oregon coast and the Gulf of California. It is also found in the area around the Galápagos Islands. The largest specimens can grow to a wingspan of 1.8 (m) and a mass of 91 (kg). They more typically range from 9.07 - 13.61 (kg). The size of the bat ray is dependent on many factors, such as habitat alterations, different oceanographic and environmental conditions. Bat rays have one to three venomous barbed spines at the base of its tail. The sexual maturity size of the female "Myliobatis california" is often greater than the male one. Bat rays are euryhaline, i.e. they are able to live in environments with a wide range of salinities. Predators of the bat ray include California sea lion, great white sharks and broadnose sevengill sharks.


Coprinellus disseminatus (formerly Coprinus disseminatus; commonly known as "fairy inkcap". or "trooping crumble cap") is a species of agaric fungus in the family Psathyrellaceae. Unlike most other coprinoid mushrooms, "C. disseminatus" does not dissolve into black ink ("deliquesce") in maturity. The species was given its current name in 1939 by Jakob Emanuel Lange."Coprinellus disseminatus" has about 143 sexes (mating types). The species is nonpoisonous.


Ludwigia octovalvis is a species of flowering plant in the Onagraceae family known by the common name Mexican primrose-willow. Its native distribution is unclear, but can be found in Central America, Australia, South-East Asia, Tamilnadu (IND), the Middle East, the Central-West African regions and spreads easily to become naturalized. It is also cultivated as an aquatic plant. The plant is known for its anti-aging properties. The species is sometimes regarded as an invasive species and is classified by IUCN as of Least Concern with stable populations. An adult plant is one meter tall on average but is able to grow taller. It spreads to form mats on the mud, rooting at nodes in contact with the substrate, or floats ascending in the water. Its flowers are yellow in appearance. They are made up of green and red stems. They yield small capsular fruits containing many minute seeds.


Aidemona azteca, the Aztec spur-throat, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in Central America.


The Atlantic horseshoe crab ("Limulus polyphemus"), also known as the American horseshoe crab, is a species of marine and brackish chelicerate arthropod. Despite their name, horseshoe crabs are more closely related to spiders, ticks, and scorpions than to crabs. It is found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast of North America. The main area of annual migration is Delaware Bay along the South Jersey Delaware Bayshore.Their eggs were eaten by Native Americans, but today Atlantic horseshoe crabs are caught for use as fishing bait, in biomedicine (especially for "Limulus" amebocyte lysate) and science. They play a major role in the local ecosystems, with their eggs providing an important food source for shorebirds, and the juveniles and adults being eaten by sea turtles.The other three extant (living) species in the family Limulidae are also called horseshoe crabs, but they are restricted to Asia.


Erigeron glaucus is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name seaside fleabane, beach aster, or seaside daisy. It is native to the West Coast of the United States.


Phyciodes graphica, the vesta crescent, is a species of crescents, checkerspots, anglewings, etc. in the butterfly family Nymphalidae.The MONA or Hodges number for "Phyciodes graphica" is 4479.1.


Epargyreus clarus, the silver-spotted skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is claimed to be the most recognized skipper in North America. "E. clarus" occurs in fields, gardens, and at forest edges and ranges from southern Canada throughout most of the United States to northern Mexico, but is absent in the Great Basin and western Texas."E. clarus" larvae create and reside in unique shelters stuck together with silk, which do not protect them from predators. Natural predators of the species include paper wasp foragers, sphecid wasp and "Crematogaster opuntiae" ants. The species is also considered to be a perching species, meaning that adult males compete for territory to attract females. Although "E. clarus" is considered to be a pest of a few crop plants such as beans, its pest activity is not serious enough to warrant initiating major control measures.


Arctostaphylos patula is a species of manzanita known by the common name greenleaf manzanita. This manzanita is native to western North America where it grows in coniferous forests at moderate to high elevations.


Agrius convolvuli, the convolvulus hawk-moth, is a large hawk-moth. It is common throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, partly as a migrant. In New Zealand, it is also known as the kumara moth, and in the Māori language as hīhue.


The black rat (Rattus rattus), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus "Rattus", in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is now found worldwide.The black rat is black to light brown in colour with a lighter underside. It is a generalist omnivore and a serious pest to farmers because it feeds on a wide range of agricultural crops. It is sometimes kept as a pet. In parts of India, it is considered sacred and respected in the Karni Mata Temple in Deshnoke.


Eumorpha vitis, known as the vine sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae.


Euphorbia marginata (commonly known as snow-on-the-mountain, smoke-on-the-prairie, variegated spurge, or whitemargined spurge) is a small annual in the spurge family.It is native to parts of temperate North America, from Eastern Canada to the Southwestern United States. It is naturalized throughout much of China.The type specimen was collected in Rosebud County, Montana from the area of the Yellowstone River by William Clark during the Lewis and Clark Expedition.


The sand martin (Riparia riparia), also known as the bank swallow (in the Americas), collared sand martin, or common sand martin, is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean countries and across the Palearctic to the Pacific Ocean. It is a Holarctic species also found in North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, South America, and the Indian Subcontinent.


Haploa lecontei, or Leconte's haploa, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville in 1832. It is found in North America from Nova Scotia to Georgia, west to Manitoba through Arkansas.The wingspan is 36–50 mm.The larvae feed on various plants, including apple, blackberry, peach, spearmint and trembling aspen.


Viola striata is a species of violet known by the common names striped cream violet and creamy violet. It is native to eastern North America, with its distribution being centered in interior areas away from the coastal plain. Its preferred habitat is mesic forests. It is a small, caulescent, perennial herb that has purple-striped white flowers in the spring.The leaves and blossoms are edible; the latter can be used to make jelly.


The ruddy darter ("Sympetrum sanguineum") is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae.


Diplacodes trivialis is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae known as the chalky percher or ground skimmer. It is found in China, Japan, India and southwards to New Guinea and Australia.


Tanacetum parthenium, known as feverfew, is a flowering plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae. It may be grown as an ornament, and may be identified by its synonyms, "Chrysanthemum parthenium" and "Pyrethrum parthenium".


Araneus marmoreus, commonly called the marbled orbweaver, is a species of spider belonging to the family Araneidae. It is sometimes also called the pumpkin spider from the resemblance of the female's inflated abdomen to an orange pumpkin. It has a Holarctic distribution.


Houstonia pusilla (tiny bluet) is a plant in the family Rubiaceae native to the United States and common in the southeastern and central parts of the country, from Texas to Florida north to Delaware and South Dakota, plus an isolated population in Pima County, Arizona."Houstonia pusilla" is a short plant 6 (in) or less in height with a tiny blue toned, yellow centered four lobed flower with a 0.25 - 0.33 (in) diameter. The plant has a center rosette form and green herbaceous foliage with leaves up to 0.5 (in) long. The leaves are opposite and each flower grows from a single branch growing from the leaf axil. This plant requires full sun and blooms in spring and early summer. It is a groundcover multiplying by self sowing and grows in mildly acidic soil where the grass is thin and moisture is adequate to support the plant. Its habitats include dry open places, rocky ledges, granite glades, and outcrops.


Symphyotrichum cordifolium (formerly "Aster cordifolius"), commonly known as common blue wood aster, heartleaf aster, and blue wood-aster, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to central and eastern North America. It reaches heights of up to 1.2 (m) and has bluish daisy-like flowers which bloom late-summer and fall in its range.


Eusarca confusaria, the confused eusarca, is a moth species of the family Geometridae that occurs in North America and Brazil. It is the only member of the genus "Eusarca" that inhabits the northern portion of the United States and Canada.


Coryphista is a monotypic moth genus in the family Geometridae erected by George Duryea Hulst in 1896. The genus may be considered to be a synonym of "Rheumaptera". Its only species, Coryphista meadii, the barberry geometer moth or barberry looper, was first described by Alpheus Spring Packard in 1874. It is found in the United States and southern Canada.The wingspan is 30–36 mm. There are two forms. The typical form is dark brown, while form "C. badiaria" has orangish-brown antemedial and subterminal bands. The hindwings are pale grayish brown with variably distinct lines and a toothed/wavy margin.Adults are on wing from April to October. There are several generations per year.The larvae feed on "Berberis" species (barberries), an introduced shrub in most of eastern North America.


Armadillidium vulgare, the common pill-bug, potato bug, common pill woodlouse, roly-poly, slater, doodle bug, or carpenter, is a widespread European species of woodlouse. It is the most extensively investigated terrestrial isopod species.


Papilio canadensis, the Canadian tiger swallowtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It was once classified as a subspecies of "Papilio glaucus".


Chelidonium majus, the greater celandine, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae. One of two species in the genus "Chelidonium", it is native to Europe and western Asia and introduced widely in North America.The plant known as lesser celandine ("Ficaria verna") is not closely related, as it belongs to the buttercup family Ranunculaceae.


Euphorbia cyparissias, the cypress spurge, is a species of plant in the genus "Euphorbia". It is native to Europe and was introduced to North America in the 1860s as an ornamental plant.Natural habitat types include dunes, pannes, coastal headlands and grasslands. In North America it is commonly found in the dry, gravelly soil of roadsides, pastures, and meadows. Cypress spurge thrives in open, disturbed areas.


Abutilon theophrasti (velvetleaf, velvet plant, velvetweed, Chinese jute, China jute, crown weed, buttonweed, lantern mallow, butterprint, pie-marker, or Indian mallow) is an annual plant in the family Malvaceae, native to southern Asia. Its specific epithet "theophrasti" commemorates the ancient Greek botanist-philosopher Theophrastus. "Abutilon theophrasti" is the type species of the genus "Abutilon".


The Central American agouti ("Dasyprocta punctata") is a species of agouti from the family Dasyproctidae. The main portion of its range is from Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula (southern Mexico), through Central America, to northwestern Ecuador, Colombia and far western Venezuela. A highly disjunct population is found in southeastern Peru, far southwestern Brazil, Bolivia, western Paraguay and far northwestern Argentina. The disjunct population has been treated as a separate species, the brown agouti ("Dasyprocta variegata"), but a major review of the geographic variation is necessary. The Central American agouti has also been introduced to Cuba and the Cayman Islands.Though some populations are reduced due to hunting and deforestation, large populations remain and it is not considered threatened.


The northern fulmar (), fulmar, or Arctic fulmar is a highly abundant seabird found primarily in subarctic regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. There has been one confirmed sighting in the Southern Hemisphere, with a single bird seen south of New Zealand. Fulmars come in one of two color morphs: a light one, with white head and body and gray wings and tail, and a dark one, which is uniformly gray. Though similar in appearance to gulls, fulmars are in fact members of the family Procellariidae, which include petrels and shearwaters.The northern fulmar and its sister species, the southern fulmar (), are the extant members of the genus . The fulmars are in turn a member of the order Procellariiformes, and they all share certain identifying features. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns; however, nostrils on albatrosses are on the sides of the bill, as opposed to the rest of the order, including fulmars, which have nostrils on top of the upper bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between seven and nine horny plates. One of these plates makes up the hooked portion of the upper bill, called the maxillary unguis. They produce a stomach oil made up of wax esters and triglycerides that is stored in the proventriculus. This can be sprayed out of their mouths as a defense against predators from a very early age, and as an energy rich food source for chicks and for the adults during their long flights. It will mat the plumage of avian predators, and can lead to their death. Finally, they also have a salt gland that is situated above the nasal passage that helps desalinate their bodies, due to the high amount of ocean water that they imbibe. This gland excretes a high saline solution from their nose.The northern fulmar was first described as "" by Carl Linnaeus in 1761, based on a specimen from within the Arctic Circle, on Spitsbergen. The Mallemuk Mountain in Northeastern Greenland is named after the northern fulmar ().


The angle shades ("Phlogophora meticulosa") is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of "Systema Naturae". It is distributed throughout Europe as far east as the Urals and also in the Azores, in Algeria, and in Asia Minor, Armenia, and Syria. It is strongly migratory.


Baptisia bracteata, otherwise known as longbract wild indigo, long-bract wild indigo, long-bracted wild indigo, or cream false indigo, is a perennial herbaceous plant that is native to the central and eastern United States. It is one of the earliest blooming species of "Baptisia", beginning to bloom in March in certain areas of the United States. The bloom color ranges from white to creamy yellow. The flower clusters (racemes) spread out sideways or sprawl across the ground, unlike most other "Baptisia" species, which have vertical racemes. The flowers are visited by bumblebees. The caterpillars of several skippers eat the leaves, including the wild indigo duskywing and hoary edge. The plant is poisonous to mammalian herbivores.


Largus californicus, also known as the California bordered plant bug, is a species of bordered plant bug in the family Largidae. It is found in western North America, as well as parts of Central America. They measure around 2.5 cm in length. Adults have a black exoskeleton with orange edges on the thorax and abdomen. Nymphs are metallic blue, later with a red spot at the base of the abdomen. They are indistinguishable in appearance from "Largus cinctus".


The New Zealand sea lion ("Phocarctos hookeri"), once known as Hooker's sea lion, and as or (male) and (female) in Māori, is a species of sea lion that is endemic to New Zealand and primarily breeds on New Zealand's subantarctic Auckland and Campbell islands, and have in recent years been slowly breeding and recolonising around the coast of New Zealand's South and Stewart islands. The New Zealand sea lion numbers around 12,000 and is one of the world's rarest sea lion species. They are the only species of the genus "Phocarctos".


Heterocampa biundata, the wavy-lined heterocampa, is a species of moth in the family Notodontidae (the prominents). It was first described by Francis Walker in 1855 and it is found in North America.The MONA or Hodges number for "Heterocampa biundata" is 7995.


The mandarin duck ("Aix galericulata") is a perching duck species native to the East Palearctic. It is medium-sized, at 41 – 49 (cm) long with a 65 – 75 (cm) wingspan. It is closely related to the North American wood duck, the only other member of the genus "Aix". is an Ancient Greek word which was used by Aristotle to refer to an unknown diving bird, and is the Latin for a wig, derived from , a cap or bonnet. Outside of its native range, the mandarin duck has a large introduced population in the British Isles and Western Europe, with additional smaller introductions in North America.


Ellychnia corrusca, or winter firefly, is a species of firefly in the genus Ellychnia. It is a lantern-less diurnal beetle common throughout the United States and Canada. They favor "Quercus", "Carya", and "Liriodendron tulipifera".The mating season is approximately six weeks in length, occurring early April through mid-May.


Ulmus crassifolia , the Texas cedar elm or simply cedar elm, is a deciduous tree native to south central North America, mainly in southern and eastern Texas, southern Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, with small populations in western Mississippi, southwest Tennessee and north central Florida; it also occurs in northeastern Mexico. It is the most common elm tree in Texas. The tree typically grows well in flat valley bottom areas referred to as 'Cedar Elm Flats'. The common name 'cedar elm' is derived from the trees' association with juniper trees, locally known as cedars.


The paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera, syn. "Morus papyrifera" L.) is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae. It is native to Asia, where its range includes Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Myanmar, and India. It is widely cultivated elsewhere and it grows as an introduced species in parts of Europe, the United States, and Africa. Other common names include tapa cloth tree.