Rhododendron occidentale (Western Azalea) is one of two deciduous Rhododendron species native to western North America (the other is Rhododendron albiflorum). The Western Azalea is known to occur as far north as Bandon, Oregon. It is found as far south as the Palomar Mountain area in southern California, with reports that it is found in Baja California, Mexico. It is not known to occur east of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. Learn more »

Deilephila elpenor, known as the Elephant Hawk-moth, is a large moth of the Sphingidae family. Learn more »

Emesinae, or thread-legged bugs, are a subfamily of the Reduviidae (i.e., assassin bugs). They are conspicuously different from the other reduviids by their very slender body form. They are stalking, predaceous insects that can be collected on palm fronds, cliffs, spider webbing, or near lights at night (many can be collected by blacklight). They walk on their mid and hind legs; the front pair is raptorial. Some groups specialize on spiders. Very little is known about... Learn more »

The Green Peafowl or Javan Peafowl, Pavo muticus (from Latin Pavo, peafowl; muticus,Mute, docked or curtailed) is a large Galliform bird that is found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is the closest relative of the Indian Peafowl aka Blue Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), which is mostly found on the Indian subcontinent. Learn more »

The Snow Petrel is the only member of the genus Pagodroma. It is one of only three birds that breed exclusively in Antarctica and has been seen at the South Pole. It has the most southerly breeding distribution of any bird. Learn more »

Gannets are seabirds in the family Sulidae, closely related to the boobies. Learn more »

Acer rubrum (Red Maple, also known as Swamp or Soft Maple), is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern North America. It ranges from the Lake of the Woods on the border between Ontario and Minnesota, east to Newfoundland, south to near Miami, Florida, and southwest to east Texas. Many of its features, especially its leaves, are quite variable in form. At maturity it often attains a height of around 15 m (50 ft).... Learn more »

The Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus) is a species of Australasian parrot found in Australia, eastern Indonesia (Maluku and Western New Guinea), Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. In Australia, it is common along the eastern seaboard, from Queensland to South Australia and northwest Tasmania. Its habitat is rainforest, coastal bush and woodland areas. Several taxa traditionally listed as subspecies of the Rainbow Lorikeet are increasingly treated as separate species (see Taxonomy). Learn more »

Platystemon californicus (Creamcups) is an ornamental plant in the Papaveraceae family. It grows wild throughout the American southwest, and especially on the Pacific Coast. It is a common, hardy flower which can grow in lightly landscaped and recently burned areas. Learn more »

Mycena inclinata, commonly known as the clustered bonnet, is a species of mushroom in the Mycenaceae family. The doubtfully edible mushroom has a reddish-brown bell-shaped cap up to 4.5 cm (1.8 in) in diameter. The thin stem is up to 9 cm (3.5 in) tall, whitish to yellow-brown at the top but progressively becoming reddish-brown towards the base in maturity, where they are covered by a yellowish mycelium that can be up to a third of the length of the... Learn more »