Dimorphism: Specifically in Birds

   Hello! I wanted to talk about dimorphism today because I've seen it happening more and more as I improve my photo taking abilities when it comes to birds.   

   Sexual dimorphism is when the different sexes have different morphological characteristics which don't have a direct effect in reproduction. There are many different ways that this can happen including size, weight, color, markings, or behavioral or cognitive traits. I've observed this more times than I can photograph but my goal is to have as many photos of both males and females logged. My next goal is to get the female version of red-winged blackbirds but have thus far only been able to photograph the males.

This is the male red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) which has the brightly colored bands on his wings. I saw few females but they blended better with their surroundings and moved more quickly, making it hard to photograph them.

   I learned that the sexy son hypothesis explains that males with more elaborate coloration are chosen more often than dull males, even when accounting for differentiation in vision for different species. In birds, most of the time the males are the more brightly colored of the two. It is thought that this occurs because females have more to lose in terms of reproduction. 

The male mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) here is much more brightly colored than the female. 

This is a male common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) which has greenish blue coloratuon and yellow on his wings. 

While this is a female common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) which still shows some of the blue in her head but is a more dull brown and lacks the yellow coloration of the males.

   In some species, the males just leave after copulation but in others the males remain to help. Sometimes the males even become the primary caregivers to the young. The differences in their plumage have shown to follow this trend and suggest to female the fitness of the males along with other factors like body condition and survival.

   These traits aren't always wholly beneficial for the males either as their brighter colors may put them at a disadvantage with predators. But, even if the males die more often from predation as long as they keep reproducing successfully the trait will continue on because they are still successful enough to have offspring.

   Larger males are also favored for a multitude of reasons including better chances during migration and are better prepared for reproduction upon arrival. I haven't noticed this in my personal experience yet as the species I've documented are about the same size.

   Sexual dimorphism is very common and occurs in many other animal species including frogs, insects, and fish just to name a few! I chose to look at birds because I have the best photos of them as opposed to other animals so far. As always I hope you learned something because I sure did!

Yours, 

Jade

Lycaenidae: Gossamer-winged Butterflies

Hello! I saw the prettiest butterfly the other day and wanted to write this blurb about its family: Lycaenidae. I think they're pretty interesting!

   It is the second largest family of butterflies and are also known as gossamer-winged butterflies. They make up about 30% of all butterfly species! 

   Adults are small, brightly colored, and either blue or green as was our little blue friend. They also have hairy antenna-like tails with black and white rings. 

   Many species have a spot at the end of their tail which mimics their front. They turn around when landing and use this spot to confuse predators and make them wonder which end is really their front! This way, they can see the predator coming ahead of time and flee before they get snatched. 

   More than half (about 75%) of these butterflies rely on ants in one way or another. This relationship can be mutualistic (benefits both), parasitic (harms one and benefits the other), or predatory depending on the species. This is called myrmecophily. As a result of these relationships, many larvae have special glands that may produce secretions that attract or subdue ants! Some larvae can even make low vibrations and sounds which they use to communicate with the ants. How cool is that?

   These butterflies eat pretty much anything. Some even exploit their relationship with ants and get the ants to feed them through regurgitation! In some species, ants protect the larvae while they eat their host plant in order to harvest the honeydew that the larvae produce. In others, this is only a mutual benefit for a while before the larvae start preying on the ants. In situations where they are in the ant nest, they usually grow up there and have to find their way out as adult butterflies so they can spread out their wings and start the rest of their lives. 

  I saw this butterfly as a flash of bright blue and we tried so hard to get photos of her. When she finally landed, she let me get pretty close so I got some pretty good shots! Always thankful for even the smallest critters can be the most beautiful. Keep any eye out and you might see one too!

Yours, 

Jade

   

   

Thomisidae: Crab Spiders

    I wanted to talk about these spiders because I've only observed 3 of them and don't have any of them identified further than their family: Thomisidae. 

    Many members are also known as flower spiders or flower crab spiders because they usually camouflage with the flowers they live around and use to hunt. 

     They do not spin webs, instead hiding and ambushing their prey. Because their front legs are larger than the rest of their legs, they usually walk sideways or backwards hence the crab name. They also use these large legs to grab and hold their prey while they administer their venomous bite. Fortunately, they are not harmful to humans.

   Some spiders in this family can change color over the course of a few days to match their chosen flower.

    Their strategies as hunters seem to be varied as some hunt on and around flowers, others frequent leaves or bark, while others still mimic bird droppings while they wait. Some also hide in crevices in tree bark and come out to hunt at night.

    Depending on species, females can be anywhere from twice the male's size to a whopping 60 times as massive! Their larger size helps females catch larger prey and they usually remain quite stationary. Males tend to travel more and find the females in order to mate.

   I just find this family fascinating and want to learn more about them. It's extra fun for me because I never expect to see them. They just show up on the plants that I'm examining and I get to take their picture before they continue on with their lives. Below are the three species I've seen personally although I don't know what they are other than their family. I hope you enjoyed your stay! 

Yours, 

Jade 

Introduction

Hello, 

My name is Jade. This blog will be a place to share my photography with whoever may find it interesting. My favorite things to photograph are various insects and arachnids, plants, animals, fungi, and lichen. I'll post more often on my other sites but this page will be reserved for posts that I may know things about or have interesting things to add. 

For this first post I've chosen a kind subject, the American robin or Turdus migratorius. I've seen them just about everywhere as they're really common but I've been practicing my bird photography and this subject was just too kind and photogenic not to share. I always love to see their orange bellies and curious eyes.

I hope you enjoy and return sometime! 

Yours, 

Jade