Observations by jimmylittle

The tree is 40 to 50 feet tall, two and half feet diameter. The leaves are oval, 3 1/2 to 4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, growing in odd numbered groups of 3,5,7, and much longer groupings.
The flowers are composed of individual "pods" (for the lack of the correct word), forming a six inch round flower of eight to twelve 'pods'.
The last photo is of a different tree (same species), with few leaves. Apparently the tree blooms even when losing its leaves.
Absolutely beautiful !

Landed on porch coffee table. Inch and half long 3/4 wide. Color is gray in various shades. Not beautiful, but very unique resting position, imitating a small branch.
I touched the moth, and it fell to the floor. I got a couple photos before it flew off. Interesting survival habit.

Found on my porch, alive. My pen measures exactly 5 inches, and I can see this Walking Stick is 2 inches longer. It is nearly as big around as the pen, but lacks just a little.

The eyes are up on what appears a 45 degree twig but the mouth appears to be at the bottom of the joint.

Very aggressive - it jumped at me several times as I was taking photos. I managed to get it back onto the fern where it had been.
Great insect !

I see a lot of these Titans, but I wanted to share this one because of the length of its antennas - extended they were over 6 and 1/2 inches each,. They measured 14 inches - tip to tip including the head. This one is smaller in body than my previous submission, but still very beautiful example.

I found this Dragonfly unusual because of its size. It was dead on my porch table. We have a large pond and various species of dragonflies, but this one is the largest. The ballpoint pen in the photo tells the story.

I see several of these every year. Wing tip to wing tip is over 6 inches. They are light tan in color with small black spots/designs near the outer tips. The under-wing is slightly lighter in color and has no design. The tail is the most distinctive part, looking like the tail fin on a V-wing aircraft. Ball point pen for scale.

Ginger my wife uses from the herb garden. It does flower, but not in a normal manner. The flower is more like a hard blub that never opens.
The leaves look more like bamboo. and only grows about 20 inches tall. The roots produce the 'ginger' that is used in cooking.

Measures one inch & 3/4 in length, head to end of tail. Antenna are twice the length of the body, abdomen is cone shaped coming to an almost point at the end. The wings are gossamer with spots and wrap around the cone abdomen making it look very cone-shaped. The head is the largest part, elongated from top to mouth. Color overall is green. Long back legs. Wings appear to be white when it flies.
Identification is from the "suggested".

Small black wasp with yellow in the center part of antenna. Measures 1 and 1/2 inch long and w/legs extended about 1 and 7/8 inches. Very small for a Tarantula Hawk, but looks like one.

Viscous spikes on the back of the thorax. I could not see a 'stinger' at the end of the tail.
Was wounded or at the end of it's life cycle - didn't want to fly away.

moth at the end of it's life cycle on my porch. 1 and 1/4 inch long, 7/8 " at the widest point, brown & gray wings. The head & body are orange to rusty orange/red. Behind the head is a 'V" shaped area of rusty orange.
Black stripes/rings around the abdomen running full length.
The suggested name was Ammalo. Don't have a clue.

Not sure about the name, there was no recommendation.

Hopper is med. brown legs, dark body, with yellow on head and tail. Measures approx.. one inch in length and legs from end to end approx. one and 1/4 inch.
The head is elongated with a yellow front, large mandibles.

When it moved, it moved with the main part extended at almost 90 degree to the body and pushed forward the the lower part of the leg. The wings were folded into a very compact arrangement, like accordion shades, very dark brown. Looked like a piece of wood.
The wings had spots when it flew, but I didn't get a good look.
First one with this 90 degree leg arrangement I've seen down here.

Orchid, like a Venus fly trap, but turned upside down. Flowers are bright yellow/green; four flowers to in a 'quad' (which seems to be normal from others I have on my place). 'Cups' are three inches in length, hole or 'mouth' is 5/8 of an inch. The 'trap door' is not one piece but several that close in a over-lapping fashion.

I placed this Orchid in a Crocus bush over three years ago, as a small blub seen behind the flowers. It finally bloomed this month because of the 'monsoon' season (Jan. - Mar.).

They are beautiful !!!

Wings measure over three inches, top to bottom, with three 'dots' or 'eyes' on the bottom side. When open, there is a blue strip in the center with the outer part being a dark brown/black.

(Note: the blue in the center did not show up too well in the photos. The butterfly was at the end of it's lifecycle and much of the blue was decreased. I have seen the blue much brighter on several others.)

My wife only got the one photo, but I include it because of the 'horns' behind the head.

We were up in the "Cordillera Azul" at a resort area. It is more humid up there and a thousand foot higher elevation than Pacchilla. I have seen this beetle on the west side of the Cordillera but not with the horns. Very unusual.

This poor little guy flew into a wall. It measures 3 & 1/4 inches from tip of bill to tail, beautiful emerald green with very dark blue tail. The bill measures 7/8 inch. The wings are a dark gray/brown, transparent, and measure 5 inches tip to tip when fully extended.

Acraephia was the 'suggestion' given when I opened this. I have no idea. Measures one inch front to back and one and a half inches wing tip to wing tip. The dark black appears to be a dark blue when the light is at the correct angle. Orange abdomen with small black spots and two white 'eyes' on one set of wings.
Fairly dull looking until it opens those wings and everything changes!

I first thought this was 'bird poop" and walked by it several times before realizing what it was. Very small, but very unique. 1/2 inch in length and three tooth picks wide when folded up in sleeping position. Looked like an animal in miniature with fury front paws extended and side legs spread out.
I'm not expecting anyone to know this thing, however, the reason I include it into this forum is the reaction I got when I laid a toothpick on it's back to try to open it's wings for a better photo. It began 'sheading' the very fine 'hairs' upon it's legs and abdomen. (The next to last photo shows the large quantity of hairs shed in just a few seconds.) Looking at the next to last photo, you can see two spots on the top of the abdomen where the hairs came from.

Great defense from such a small moth. !
When I removed the toothpick, it flew away just as I snapped the last shot.