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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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Crepidodera sp, U, Back1, Maryland, Dorchester County
Crepidodera sp, U, Back1, Maryland, Dorchester County
Crepidodera sp, U, Back1, Maryland, Dorchester County

April, Dorchester County, Maryland, likely off of willow, resting on fish hook tip. Joe Cavey supplied the determination

April, Dorchester County, Maryland, likely off of willow, resting on fish hook tip. Joe Cavey supplied the determination

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Crepidodera sp, U, Back2, Maryland, Dorchester County
Crepidodera sp, U, Back2, Maryland, Dorchester County
Crepidodera sp, U, Back2, Maryland, Dorchester County

April, Dorchester County, Maryland, likely off of willow. Joe Cavey supplied the determination

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Cricket, face
Cricket, face
Cricket, face

Ground Cricket....from around the base of Building 308, Beltsville Agriculture Research Center, unknown species

Ground Cricket....from around the base of Building 308, Beltsville Agriculture Research Center, unknown species

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Ctenocolletes smaragdinus, f, australia, angle
Ctenocolletes smaragdinus, f, australia, angle
Ctenocolletes smaragdinus, f, australia, angle

Appropriately coming from the latin noun for emerald, comes this large lovely from western Australia.

Appropriately coming from the latin noun for emerald, comes this large lovely from western Australia.

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Ctenocolletes smaragdinus, f, australia, face
Ctenocolletes smaragdinus, f, australia, face
Ctenocolletes smaragdinus, f, australia, face

Appropriately coming from the latin noun for emerald, comes this large lovely from western Australia.

Appropriately coming from the latin noun for emerald, comes this large lovely from western Australia.

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Ctenocolletes smaragdinus, f, australia, side
Ctenocolletes smaragdinus, f, australia, side
Ctenocolletes smaragdinus, f, australia, side

Appropriately coming from the latin noun for emerald, comes this large lovely from western Australia.

Appropriately coming from the latin noun for emerald, comes this large lovely from western Australia.

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Ctenoplectra, f, 09856d07, side
Ctenoplectra, f, 09856d07, side
Ctenoplectra, f, 09856d07, side

I believe that this specimen came from Kenya, but I could be wrong about that, will have to check with Laurence Packer and look up the barcode number. Note the cool oil collecting hairs present under the abdomen.

I believe that this specimen came from Kenya, but I could be wrong about that, will have to check with Laurence Packer and look up the barcode number. Note the cool oil collecting hairs present under the abdomen.

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Ctenoplectra, f, 09856d07, underside
Ctenoplectra, f, 09856d07, underside
Ctenoplectra, f, 09856d07, underside

I believe that this specimen came from Kenya, but I could be wrong about that, will have to check with Laurence Packer and look up the barcode number. Note the cool oil collecting hairs present under the abdomen.

I believe that this specimen came from Kenya, but I could be wrong about that, will have to check with Laurence Packer and look up the barcode number. Note the cool oil collecting hairs present under the abdomen.

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Cuerna species, Leafhopper 2, U, side 2, Fossil Butte, Wyoming
Cuerna species, Leafhopper 2, U, side 2, Fossil Butte, Wyoming
Cuerna species, Leafhopper 2, U, side 2, Fossil Butte, Wyoming

Unknown Cuerna species of Leafhopper from Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming

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Cunila origanoides 2, American Dittany, Howard County, MD, Helen Lowe Metzman
Cunila origanoides 2, American Dittany, Howard County, MD, Helen Lowe Metzman
Cunila origanoides 2, American Dittany, Howard County, MD, Helen Lowe Metzman

A native plant associated with dry rocky areas...usually intermixed with woodlands. As a mint it probably is a reasonable bee plant as an obscure, small plant it probably hasn't been looked at that much. Classic native mint used in all sorts of teas and infusions. Photo and specimen by Helen Low Metzman, Howard County, MD.

A native plant associated with dry rocky areas...usually intermixed with woodlands. As a mint it probably is a reasonable bee plant as an obscure, small plant it probably hasn't been looked at that much. Classic native mint used in all sorts of teas and infusions. Photo and specimen by Helen Low Metzman, Howard County, MD.

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Cunila origanoides, American Dittany, Howard County, MD, Helen Lowe Metzman
Cunila origanoides, American Dittany, Howard County, MD, Helen Lowe Metzman
Cunila origanoides, American Dittany, Howard County, MD, Helen Lowe Metzman

A native plant associated with dry rocky areas...usually intermixed with woodlands. As a mint it probably is a reasonable bee plant as an obscure, small plant it probably hasn't been looked at that much. Classic native mint used in all sorts of teas and infusions. Photo and specimen by Helen Low Metzman, Howard County, MD.

A native plant associated with dry rocky areas...usually intermixed with woodlands. As a mint it probably is a reasonable bee plant as an obscure, small plant it probably hasn't been looked at that much. Classic native mint used in all sorts of teas and infusions. Photo and specimen by Helen Low Metzman, Howard County, MD.

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Cupido comyntas-July-5
Cupido comyntas-July-5
Cupido comyntas-July-5

Cupido comyntas, July 2012, Beltsville, Maryland, USA

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Cuterebra fontinella, mouse bot fly, side
Cuterebra fontinella, mouse bot fly, side
Cuterebra fontinella, mouse bot fly, side

Ironically, after posting a picture of a dead white footed mouse, we post a picture of a skin warble or bot fly from the same species or species group of mice. In this case this is Cuterebra fontinella, a rather handsome fly with an interesting lifestyle. Collected as part of a large bumblebee survey by volunteers for Eric Rayfield. Photograph by Hannah Sutton.

Ironically, after posting a picture of a dead white footed mouse, we post a picture of a skin warble or bot fly from the same species or species group of mice. In this case this is Cuterebra fontinella, a rather handsome fly with an interesting lifestyle. Collected as part of a large bumblebee survey by volunteers for Eric Rayfield. Photograph by Hannah Sutton.

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Cuvette spider, U, back
Cuvette spider, U, back
Cuvette spider, U, back

Christmas lights jumping spider from the Dominican Republic, species unknown, but surprisingly marked with fluorescent scales

Christmas lights jumping spider from the Dominican Republic, species unknown, but surprisingly marked with fluorescent scales

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Cuvette spider, U, face
Cuvette spider, U, face
Cuvette spider, U, face

Christmas Lights Jumping Spider from the Dominican Republic, species unknown, but surprisingly marked with fluorescent scales

Christmas Lights Jumping Spider from the Dominican Republic, species unknown, but surprisingly marked with fluorescent scales

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Dalmannia pacifica Fly, side, Fossil Butte
Dalmannia pacifica Fly, side, Fossil Butte
Dalmannia pacifica Fly, side, Fossil Butte

Dalmannia pacifica Fly, Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming. In hand sanitizer in a cuvette Ben added a piece of black construction paper on the bottom of the cuvette to decrease the reflectance of the cuvette wall, this worked, but the paper bled purple/blue..for an interesting effect.

Dalmannia pacifica Fly, Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming. In hand sanitizer in a cuvette Ben added a piece of black construction paper on the bottom of the cuvette to decrease the reflectance of the cuvette wall, this worked, but the paper bled purple/blue..for an interesting effect.

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Dandelion, side
Dandelion, side
Dandelion, side

Taraxacum officinale, common dandelion found in lawn of building 308 at the Beltsville Agriculture Research Center, Beltsville, MD

Taraxacum officinale, common dandelion found in lawn of building 308 at the Beltsville Agriculture Research Center, Beltsville, MD

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Darkling Beetle, head, Upper Marlboro
Darkling Beetle, head, Upper Marlboro
Darkling Beetle, head, Upper Marlboro

Tenebrionidae, found at night chewing on a small patch of shelf fungi on a stump in Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Tenebrionidae, found at night chewing on a small patch of shelf fungi on a stump in Upper Marlboro, Maryland

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Darkling Beetle, side, Upper Marlboro
Darkling Beetle, side, Upper Marlboro
Darkling Beetle, side, Upper Marlboro

Tenebrionidae, found at night chewing on a small patch of shelf fungi on a stump in Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Tenebrionidae, found at night chewing on a small patch of shelf fungi on a stump in Upper Marlboro, Maryland