http://www.gopetsamerica.com/images/index.xml Pictures of plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and protists. en-us Mon, 26 September 2011 0:01:00 +0000 Mon, 26 September 2011 00:01:01 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/black-and-yellow-argiope.jpg Mon, 23 May 2011 0:04:00 +0000 The Black-and-yellow Argiope, Argiope aurantia, also called Garden Spider, is large and conspicuous. It is commonly found among shrubs and tall plants hanging head down in center of web. These spiders spin round, vertical web with a zigzag line through the middle. For this distinctive silk zigzag in their web they are sometimes called zipper spiders. Webs of adult females may be 20 to 24 inches in diameter and trap relatively large insects. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/gulf-coast-tick-female.jpg Mon, 23 May 2011 0:04:00 +0000 Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma maculatum, is a common pest of ground-inhabiting birds, such as meadowlarks and bobwhite quail, or small rodents. The adults primarily attack cattle, but a variety of other hosts including dog, horse, sheep, deer, coyote, and humans may be attacked. This tick reportedly has produced tick paralysis in humans and dogs. (Common Ticks of Oklahoma and Tick-Borne Diseases by Russell E. Wright Professor Emeritus of Entomology, Robert W. Barker Professor Emeritus of Entomology) This hard tick serves as the definitive host of H. americanum, a protozoal parasite which causes American canine hhepatozoonosis disease. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/parson-spider.jpg Wed, 18 May 2011 0:04:00 +0000 The parson spider, Herpyllus eccelsiasticus, is a species of ground spiders. These are nocturnal hunters which hide during the day under stones, the bark of trees, and similar areas. The parson spider occasionally turns up in homes and can deliver a painful bite. Bite symptoms vary in severity. Most bites occur at night or when it is trapped in clothing. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/choc-brown-burrowing-spiderp-cls2.jpg Mon, 16 May 2011 0:04:00 +0000 Burrowing spiders usually excavate their burrows in the soil where they remain more or less permanently throughout their lives. They typically capture prey that comes within reach of their burrow entrance, or make short excursions to capture food and return to the safety of their burrow. They use potent venom to subdue their prey quickly which is often much larger than themselves. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/common-house-spider.jpg Thu, 12 May 2011 0:04:00 +0000 House spiders are harmless to people. The common house spider is one of the most familiar cobweb weaver. It is a familiar sight in basements and garages, resting upside down in a tangled silken snare. Its bulbous, heavy, abdomen is covered with sporadic growths of coarse bristles. In comparison to the body, the head is small. The common house spider is a fenomenally speedy creature. It can zoom 330 times its body length in 10 seconds, or 115 mph. How many body lengths can you run in 10 seconds? http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/common-house-spider-2.jpg Wed, 18 May 2011 0:04:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/grasshopper-close.jpg Mon, 09 May 2011 0:04:00 +0000 A grasshopper has five eyes on its head. Three eyes are very small. The other two are huge compound eyes. Grasshoppers can see to the front, to the side, and to the back all at once. They cannot see colors. It uses its strong jaws to nibble on plant and animal material. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/harvestmen-2.jpg Mon, 02 May 2011 0:04:00 +0000 Although harvestmen resemble spiders, they are not. They are easily recognized by the long legs, but a few species have short legs. The two eyes are raised on low tourretlike protruberances at the middle of the cephalothorax. Adults and young feed on many kinds of invertebrates, including other harvestmen, spiders, flies, aphids, leafhoppers, snails, and earthworms. Some scavenge dead invertebrates and bird droppings. Others eat the gills of fungi. There are over 200 species in North America. (Source: National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders) http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/harvestmen-3.jpg Wed, 18 May 2011 0:04:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/plant-bug-long-antennae.jpg Mon, 02 May 2011 0:04:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/forest-wolf-spider-close.jpg Mon, 02 May 2011 0:04:00 +0000 Forest wolf spiders make no nests or silken shelters. They hide among forest debris during the day and hunt at night. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/carolina-anole-lizard-1.jpg Fri, 08 Apr 2011 0:04:00 +0000 Hard to tell what this little freeloader is doing in my strawberry box: Looking for some bugs or sampling the new crop? Googling this little guy returned "both." This miniature lizard is called Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis)), also known as green anole, American anole, and red-throated anole. Anoles are mainly insect eaters, but will take fruit and plant material when it is abundant. They are found only in Americas, where they range from North Carolina to Brazil. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/soldier-beetle.jpg Thu, 07 Apr 2011 0:04:00 +0000 Soldier beetles' wings have a leathery texture, hence their alternate name, leatherwings. The larvae are dark, hairy, flattened grubs, which spend all their time in the soil, munching on garden-variety lowlifes. In some species, adult soldier beetles also eat bad guys, such as aphids. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/garden/pics/knockout-rose-red-1.jpg Fri, 08 Apr 2011 0:04:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/bio/pics/rhizopus-1.jpg Thu, 07 Apr 2011 0:04:00 +0000 Members of the genus Rhizopus grow in soil and on fruits, other foods, and decaying organic materials. They cause soft rot disease on fruits and vegetables; some species are responsible for fungal infections in humans and animals http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/pinnularia.jpg Thu, 24 Mar 2011 0:35:00 +0000 Pinnularia pennate diatoms have golden chloroplasts. The cells are enclosed within a silica-based shells which is sculpted with ridges, grooves, lines, or holes. These cells can glide slowly across the substrate. Pinnularia are common in soft sediments. Evident are oil droplets which are used as an energy reserve; the central region contains the nucleus (1000X magnification). http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/sea-monkey-1.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:34:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/phragmospore-1.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:33:00 +0000 Phragmospore of a fungus http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/mniobia-3.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:30:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/navicula-3.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:29:00 +0000 Navicula (diatom) http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/navicula-2.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:01:00 +0000 Navicula lanceolata http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/carolina-anole-lizard-2.jpg Fri, 08 Apr 2011 0:04:00 +0000 This green anole looks like it is stalking some prey. In fact, anole lizards can stalk and successfully catch insects as agile as houseflies. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/black-kitten.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:28:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/boxelder-1.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:01:00 +0000 Boxelder, Red-eyed bug http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/brown-stink-bug-close.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:26:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/spider-close-2.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:25:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/brown-spider.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:01:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/rotifer-1.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:24:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/rotifer-2.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:01:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/cycloposthium-2.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:23:00 +0000 Members of Cycloposthium genus are about 80-127 micrometers; they are commonly found in colon of horses. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/vorticella.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:22:00 +0000 Members of Vorticella genus have a bell-shaped body attached to a stalk. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/aspergillus-flavus-1.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:51:00 +0000 Members of Aspergillus group of fungi are widely distributed in nature; they are found in soil, on decaying vegetation, and on a wide variety of organic matter. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/garden/pics/henbit.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:41:00 +0000 Henbit, Deadnettle, Greater Henbit, Lamium amplexicaule, common garden weed http://www.gopetsamerica.com/garden/pics/purple-deadnettle.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:31:00 +0000 Red Deadnettle, Purple Deadnettle, Purple Archangel, Lamium purpureum, common garden weed http://www.gopetsamerica.com/garden/pics/common-mouse-ear.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:21:00 +0000 Common mouseear, Cerastium fontanum, common garden weed http://www.gopetsamerica.com/garden/pics/dichondra.jpg Wed, 16 Mar 2011 0:11:00 +0000 Dichondra, Dichondra carolinensis, common garden weed http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/cockroach-1.jpg Thu, 17 Mar 2011 0:10:00 +0000 You don't want this monster in your house! Cockroach close up. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/ustilago-maydis.jpg Mon, 21 Mar 2011 0:01:00 +0000 Microscope picture of Ustilago maydis, a species of smut fungi (1000X magnification) http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/ulocladium.jpg Thu, 31 Mar 2011 0:03:00 +0000 Conidia of Ulocladium fungus. Ulocladium fungus species are commonly found in textiles, soil, roots, plant tissue, and human and animal infections. In plants, it causes leaf spot disease, while in mammalian species Ulocladium may cause corneal ulcers and hypersensitivity pneumonia. Ulocladium spores are excellent indicator of water-damage conditions, especially indoor. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/trapdoor-spider.jpg Sat, 02 Apr 2011 0:03:00 +0000 Trapdoor spiders belong to the order Araneae, suborder Orthognatha, (mygalomorph spiders), a large group that also includes tarantulas. Using a special rake on their chelicerae (jaws), these spiders dig deep, silk-lined burrows that are closed by a lid covered with moss, soil, and other material. The spider lies in wait beneath the lid, and some species may detect passing prey by means of silk lines that radiate over the ground. They use their fang-tipped jaws to pierce their prey and inject a toxic fluid that immobilizes it; digestive juices dissolve its internal tissues. If undisturbed, trapdoor spiders may occupy the same burrow for many years. http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/trapdoor-spider-close.jpg Sat, 02 Apr 2011 0:04:00 +0000 http://www.gopetsamerica.com/animals/pics/tent-caterpillar.jpg Tue, 05 Apr 2011 0:04:00 +0000 Tent caterpillar moths are widespread and common, most often noticed by "tents" spun by groups of larvae, often in apple, hawthorn, and cherry trees. The adults do not feed. Tent caterpillars are slender and hairy. In many species they are social, living together in silken tents and feeding on the foliage of trees.