Pets/Wildlife

Caitlyn Porter, of Zephyrhills, snapped this photo of a tobacco hornworm. The tobacco hornworm is a common pest of plants in the Solanaceae family, which includes tobacco, tomato, pepper, eggplant, and various ornamentals and weeds. Despite their alien appearance, these hornworms are native insects that contribute to local food chains and eventually transform into beautiful Carolina sphinx moths. These large-bodied moths have five-inch, coffee-colored wings that enable them to hover over flowers like hummingbirds

Maggie Mae is a 7-year-old Cavachon female who considers herself the mayor and primary greeter in Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club — saying hello with a furious tail wag and lots of conversation. Always a good citizen, Maggie Mae is seen here ‘reading and heeding’ the community dog park rules. A cart ride, lots of socializing, and a good chase of the ever-elusive lizard are a few of her favorite pastimes. Maggie is the home-run hit of Don and Diana Christman’s first attempt with a dog as a pet.

Will Kuhns captured this photo of an Eastern Meadowlark at Long Lake Ranch in Land O’ Lakes. Male meadowlarks sing beautiful, flute-like songs from exposed perches, such as fence posts, treetops and utility lines. Eastern Meadowlarks walk on the ground, often concealed by grasses or crops, and live in farm fields, grasslands and wet fields.

Miss Mittens is a petite Cornish Rex. “Mitt,” for short, is curious and smart, but due to her lack of fur, she is always rather cold. She has a passion for heated blankets and can complete skillful acrobatics when playing with her wand toy. Miss Mittens lives with Lillian Woeste in Lutz.

Carol Wolfe snapped this photo of a white peacock butterfly near her home on Lake Le Clare Road in Lutz. Wolfe said she has lived on the same property for 49 years and has seen many birds, butterflies, insects, frogs, owls, foxes and more. White peacock butterflies stay low to the ground because their favorite plants also are low to the ground. This type of butterfly is very common in Central America and the Caribbean, as well as southern Texas and Florida.

Cathy Vitone caught this honeybee, covered in pollen, hard at work on her ligustrum bush at her home in Land O’ Lakes. No doubt about how bad seasonal allergies can be here! Honeybees are important pollinators for flowers, fruits and vegetables. They live on stored honey and pollen all winter. All honeybees are social and cooperative insects.

Veena Jadeja noticed this perched hawk during an early morning walk in the Seven Oaks community in Wesley Chapel — perhaps it was on the lookout for breakfast. These ‘forest’ hawks hunt prey ranging from mice to frogs and snakes.

Bonnie Caston, of Zephyrhills, snapped this ‘optical illusion’ photo — it appears the soft shell turtle’s head is coming out of the side of its neck. Maybe there is one turtle on top of another? In reality, only a single turtle was sitting by the water. 

John Black snapped this photo of a male and female Eastern bluebird in his backyard, in Land O’ Lakes. Nesting season has begun and Black has two bluebird boxes in his yard. This pair has already started building a nest in one of the boxes.

Dave Maynard captured this photo of a pileated woodpecker in San Antonio. The pileated woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. These birds whack at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey (carpenter ants), leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. On occasion, pileated woodpeckers will visit backyard bird feeders, especially for suet.