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Explore our planet through photography and imagery, including climate change and water all the way back to the 1800s when the USGS was surveying the country by horse and buggy.

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corn earworm, moth, back
corn earworm, moth, back
corn earworm, moth, back

Helicoverpa zea - Corn Earworm - According to Wikipedia its the second most economically damaging insect pest in North America, chewing on a wide variety of crop plants. This most certainly is true, but it also not a bad looking animal when viewed close up.

Helicoverpa zea - Corn Earworm - According to Wikipedia its the second most economically damaging insect pest in North America, chewing on a wide variety of crop plants. This most certainly is true, but it also not a bad looking animal when viewed close up.

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corn earworm, moth, face2
corn earworm, moth, face2
corn earworm, moth, face2

Helicoverpa zea - Corn Earworm - According to Wikipedia its the second most economically damaging insect pest in North America, chewing on a wide variety of crop plants. This most certainly is true, but it also not a bad looking animal when viewed close up.

Helicoverpa zea - Corn Earworm - According to Wikipedia its the second most economically damaging insect pest in North America, chewing on a wide variety of crop plants. This most certainly is true, but it also not a bad looking animal when viewed close up.

close up of image
corn earworm, moth, face3
corn earworm, moth, face3
corn earworm, moth, face3

Helicoverpa zea - Corn Earworm - According to Wikipedia its the second most economically damaging insect pest in North America, chewing on a wide variety of crop plants. This most certainly is true, but it also not a bad looking animal when viewed close up.

Helicoverpa zea - Corn Earworm - According to Wikipedia its the second most economically damaging insect pest in North America, chewing on a wide variety of crop plants. This most certainly is true, but it also not a bad looking animal when viewed close up.

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Cornus florida, 2 flr.,Dogwood, Howard County, Md,
Cornus florida, 2 flr.,Dogwood, Howard County, Md,
Cornus florida, 2 flr.,Dogwood, Howard County, Md,

The dogwood of the people. Cornus florida. Planted widely. Formerly forming a subcanopy of white in the spring in much of the eastern forests. Then, the Dogwood Anthracnose comes and most of those interior woodland dogwood are now gone and dogwood is largely confined to edges of woodlands or plantings in the open. Specimen and photo by Helen Lowe Metzman.

The dogwood of the people. Cornus florida. Planted widely. Formerly forming a subcanopy of white in the spring in much of the eastern forests. Then, the Dogwood Anthracnose comes and most of those interior woodland dogwood are now gone and dogwood is largely confined to edges of woodlands or plantings in the open. Specimen and photo by Helen Lowe Metzman.

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Cornus florida, 3 flr.,Dogwood, Howard County, Md,
Cornus florida, 3 flr.,Dogwood, Howard County, Md,
Cornus florida, 3 flr.,Dogwood, Howard County, Md,

The dogwood of the people. Cornus florida. Planted widely. Formerly forming a subcanopy of white in the spring in much of the eastern forests. Then, the Dogwood Anthracnose comes and most of those interior woodland dogwood are now gone and dogwood is largely confined to edges of woodlands or plantings in the open. Specimen and photo by Helen Lowe Metzman.

The dogwood of the people. Cornus florida. Planted widely. Formerly forming a subcanopy of white in the spring in much of the eastern forests. Then, the Dogwood Anthracnose comes and most of those interior woodland dogwood are now gone and dogwood is largely confined to edges of woodlands or plantings in the open. Specimen and photo by Helen Lowe Metzman.

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Cornus florida, Dogwood in bud, Howard County, Md,
Cornus florida, Dogwood in bud, Howard County, Md,
Cornus florida, Dogwood in bud, Howard County, Md,

The dogwood of the people. Cornus florida. Planted widely. Formerly forming a subcanopy of white in the spring in much of the eastern forests. Then, the Dogwood Anthracnose comes and most of those interior woodland dogwood are now gone and dogwood is largely confined to edges of woodlands or plantings in the open. Specimen and photo by Helen Lowe Metzman.

The dogwood of the people. Cornus florida. Planted widely. Formerly forming a subcanopy of white in the spring in much of the eastern forests. Then, the Dogwood Anthracnose comes and most of those interior woodland dogwood are now gone and dogwood is largely confined to edges of woodlands or plantings in the open. Specimen and photo by Helen Lowe Metzman.

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Corydalis flavula, 2, Yellow Corydalis, Howard County, Md,
Corydalis flavula, 2, Yellow Corydalis, Howard County, Md,
Corydalis flavula, 2, Yellow Corydalis, Howard County, Md,

Ah, the dancing curves of Corydalis flavula. A small part of the glory of spring in the Mid-Atlantic states. Picture and specimen from Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.

Ah, the dancing curves of Corydalis flavula. A small part of the glory of spring in the Mid-Atlantic states. Picture and specimen from Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.

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Corydalis flavula, 3, Yellow Corydalis, Howard County, Md,
Corydalis flavula, 3, Yellow Corydalis, Howard County, Md,
Corydalis flavula, 3, Yellow Corydalis, Howard County, Md,

Ah, the dancing curves of Corydalis flavula. A small part of the glory of spring in the Mid-Atlantic states. Picture and specimen from Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.

Ah, the dancing curves of Corydalis flavula. A small part of the glory of spring in the Mid-Atlantic states. Picture and specimen from Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.

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Corydalis flavula, Yellow Corydalis, Howard County, Md,
Corydalis flavula, Yellow Corydalis, Howard County, Md,
Corydalis flavula, Yellow Corydalis, Howard County, Md,

Ah, the dancing curves of Corydalis flavula. A small part of the glory of spring in the Mid-Atlantic states. Picture and specimen from Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.

Ah, the dancing curves of Corydalis flavula. A small part of the glory of spring in the Mid-Atlantic states. Picture and specimen from Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.

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Corynura species, f, back, Canton, Chile
Corynura species, f, back, Canton, Chile
Corynura species, f, back, Canton, Chile

Corynura species. Species is unknown...from Southern Chile captured while on an expedition with Laurence Packer. Photography by Anders Croft.

Corynura species. Species is unknown...from Southern Chile captured while on an expedition with Laurence Packer. Photography by Anders Croft.

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Corynura species, f, face, Canton, Chile
Corynura species, f, face, Canton, Chile
Corynura species, f, face, Canton, Chile

Corynura species. Species is unknown...from Southern Chile captured while on an expedition with Laurence Packer. Photography by Anders Croft.

Corynura species. Species is unknown...from Southern Chile captured while on an expedition with Laurence Packer. Photography by Anders Croft.

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Corynura species, f, right, Canton, Chile
Corynura species, f, right, Canton, Chile
Corynura species, f, right, Canton, Chile

Corynura species. Species is unknown...from Southern Chile captured while on an expedition with Laurence Packer. Photography by Anders Croft.

Corynura species. Species is unknown...from Southern Chile captured while on an expedition with Laurence Packer. Photography by Anders Croft.

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Cosmorrhyncha, m, genitalia
Cosmorrhyncha, m, genitalia
Cosmorrhyncha, m, genitalia

GENITALIA! In this case the beautiful genitalia of Cosmorrhyncha one of the bitty moths in the family Tortricidae. Thanks to John W. Brown for supplying the slide. See previous picture for more details. For some reason this makes me think of biker gang insignia....

GENITALIA! In this case the beautiful genitalia of Cosmorrhyncha one of the bitty moths in the family Tortricidae. Thanks to John W. Brown for supplying the slide. See previous picture for more details. For some reason this makes me think of biker gang insignia....

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Cosmorrhyncha, m, guts
Cosmorrhyncha, m, guts
Cosmorrhyncha, m, guts

This is a shot of a Tortricid Moth from the Cosmorrhyncha genus ... the genitalia and perhaps the abdomen, though this is not absolutely clear to me. The slide was given to me by John W. Brown from the natural history Museum at the Smithsonian as an experiment to see if I could get a good shot of a slide mounted specimen.

This is a shot of a Tortricid Moth from the Cosmorrhyncha genus ... the genitalia and perhaps the abdomen, though this is not absolutely clear to me. The slide was given to me by John W. Brown from the natural history Museum at the Smithsonian as an experiment to see if I could get a good shot of a slide mounted specimen.

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Cotesia congregata, pupal case 2, Kester Lab
Cotesia congregata, pupal case 2, Kester Lab
Cotesia congregata, pupal case 2, Kester Lab

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

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Cotesia congregata, right, u, Kester Lab, 2
Cotesia congregata, right, u, Kester Lab, 2
Cotesia congregata, right, u, Kester Lab, 2

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

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Cotesia congregata, u, Kester Lab, back
Cotesia congregata, u, Kester Lab, back
Cotesia congregata, u, Kester Lab, back

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

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Cotesia congregata, u, Kester Lab, right
Cotesia congregata, u, Kester Lab, right
Cotesia congregata, u, Kester Lab, right

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

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Cotesia congregata, u, lab raised, side
Cotesia congregata, u, lab raised, side
Cotesia congregata, u, lab raised, side

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

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Crab Spider, Face, MD, Beltsville
Crab Spider, Face, MD, Beltsville
Crab Spider, Face, MD, Beltsville

An unknown Crab Spider or perhaps running crab spider, identification help would be great, I hope to post another shot of the back at some point. Beltsville, Maryland

An unknown Crab Spider or perhaps running crab spider, identification help would be great, I hope to post another shot of the back at some point. Beltsville, Maryland

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Crassicantharus noumeensis, usnm1296851
Crassicantharus noumeensis, usnm1296851
Crassicantharus noumeensis, usnm1296851

I believe this mollusk is now called: Crassicantharus noumeensis: Gold-banded Latirus. But I could be wrong it was in the Smithsonian national collection and the name in the unit tray was Latius noumeensis ...thanks to Amanda Robinson for passing this along. Need to work on my lighting...to much fall off to the right.

I believe this mollusk is now called: Crassicantharus noumeensis: Gold-banded Latirus. But I could be wrong it was in the Smithsonian national collection and the name in the unit tray was Latius noumeensis ...thanks to Amanda Robinson for passing this along. Need to work on my lighting...to much fall off to the right.