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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · 5h

Getting close to wrapping up a big Paraphidippus aurantius 🍊video featuring courtship behavior, silk production, possible mate-guarding, cannibalism and more 🫡

here's a big female w/ a lot of orange scales - July, 2021, NE Oklahoma

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · 5d

Beautiful, spooky wings of the "Halloween Pennant" dragonfly (Celithemis eponina) 🎃

seen near water - June, July - NE OK

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Reposted by Thomas Shahan

Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Feb 14

💗some pink macro scenes for your Friday💘

1 pink (usually green) grasshopper w/ erythrism (2005!, Oklahoma)

2 metallic sparkling rose-gold abdomen of Habronattus decorus (2021, OK)

3 fluffy Sosxetra grata moth (2014, Belize)

4 cute Pelegrina galathea jumper peaking out from my zinnias (2024, OK)

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · 20d

I don't know anything about this pink worm-like millipede other than its name (Rhinotus purpureus) and that is has a tiny head with two cute black ocelli (simple eyes). Under a log, in situ, Costa Rica, Jun 2025

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · 20d

Strange snouted millipede found in Costa Rica while rooting through a wet decomposing log. Siphonophoridae, I believe - note the elongate beak-like rostrum... and those little spots on antennae may be sensory bits.

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · 28d

Hentzia palmarum also has an orange cap and white face - but with bald protruding chelicerae and dark forelegs. Here's a male (on oak) feeding on a caterpillar. NE OK, April 2024

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · 28d

portrait of a male Hentzia mitrata or "White-jawed Jumping Spider" found beneath oak, NE Oklahoma, April 2025

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Aug 17

the flattened thallus of a liverwort reaches across a pad of moss

on rock, shaded area among large boulders, in woods, NE Oklahoma, July 2025

a flattened growth of liverwort growing atop moss, saturated greens, soft

close up the skin-like texture of a flattened growth of liverwort growing atop moss, saturated greens, soft

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Aug 9

Some stills and an iNat link for this monster: www.inaturalist.org/observations...

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Aug 9

Microstylum morosum or the "Giant Prairie Robber Fly" living up to their name - what a HUGE fly! 🫡

NE Oklahoma, iphone video (wish it would've locked the color balance while filming!)

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jul 24

...a few more shots - including a straight-on portrait lol

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jul 24

Sarota acantus! 😍

Extremely cute butterfly we spotted one afternoon in Costa Rica - a male (note reduced front legs) metalmark butterfly (family Riodinidae) - one of several fluttering about a plant at chest height - a pleasure to photograph!

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Reposted by Thomas Shahan

Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Feb 16

🧡Laetiporus drop!😮‍💨 Some of my most exciting finds so far (all NE Oklahoma)

Share your chicken of the woods photos if you've got any memorable ones!🧡

#fungi #mushrooms #chickenofthewoods #laetiporus

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jul 20

Beautiful Peucetia viridans AKA the "Green Lynx Spider" in my backyard

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jul 15

🕷️🍽️🕷️SALTICIDS EATING SALTICIDS🕷️🍽️🕷️

1 Phidippus eating Platycryptus
2 Hentzia eating Pelegrina
3 Eris eating Admestina
4 Colonus eating young Phidippus(?)

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jul 11

Ummidia sp seen on a hike recently - first non-spiderling trapdoor spider! 🫡

NE Oklahoma, in situ, fuji + laowa 65mm

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jul 1

To illustrate what I mean about the colors having similar values - here are the images changed to grayscale in photoshop:

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jul 1

John, I *really* like when leafhoppers have super saturated colors with similar values but opposing hues 🤩 🌈

1 Spangbergiella vulnerata, Oklahoma, 2009
2 Graphocephala coccinea, Oklahoma 2024
3 Sibovia youngi, Colombia, 2023
4 Unidentified cicadellid nymph, Peru, 2016

💚❤️

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jul 1

even MORE unidentified Costa Rican jumping spiders 🤩

iNat links have more pics:

1 HOT orange little dendryphantine(?) tinyurl.com/yc37v8s9

2 Parnaenus-esque dendryphantine tinyurl.com/4s2wjucr

3 Sidusa? Cobanus? tinyurl.com/5e9bspyb

4 little ant-mimic eating a springtail tinyurl.com/5d2wypkt

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jul 1

🔎🕷️Costa Rican salticid mysteries - little brown/gray jumpers I've yet to identify (any ID suggestions greatly appreciated!!) iNat links:

1 marpissine... Balmaceda? Platycryptus? tinyurl.com/342vt478

2 unsure tinyurl.com/ywy9scnv

3 Leptofreya? tinyurl.com/ycxf8jrs

4 no idea: tinyurl.com/k6csnzxz

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jun 30

a few more shots of this beautiful species 🕷️🙇

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jun 30

Photographed a LOT of handsome salticids in Costa Rica, but these Anasaitis canalis males were the fanciest! ✨💙 Very difficult to shoot - not just tiny - but super skittish too!

In situ, stack (3 shots?), Pentax, Laowa 25mm

Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica - ground level, shaded areas w/ tree cover

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jun 20

Portrait of Edessa rufomarginata aka the "Red-bordered Stink Bug"

Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

In situ, Fuji+65mm laowa, diffused flash

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · Jun 7

Happily back and processing photos from a BugShot trip to the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica! Knocking out non-macros first, here are some monkeys(!)

1 Alouatta palliata - Howler Monkey

2 Cebus imitator - Capuchin

3 Ateles geoffroyi - Spider Monkey

4 Saimiri oerstedii - Squirrel Monkey

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Thomas Shahan @tshahan.bsky.social · May 22

I'm so sorry to anyone who has ordered from Spring within the last year and never received anything - I have no idea what's going on w/ them. Read about the drama here: www.reddit.com/r/Teespring/...

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