Spring is on the way. I saw my first trillium bloom of the year, and the daffodils and stone fruit trees are in full bloom. The last few sunny days have brought forth pollinators. I think it’s kind of a chicken-and-egg problem. The flowers get pollinated by bugs. If the flowers aren’t open the insects […]
Anthony Westkamper
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HumBug: A Recipe for History
Driving back from San Francisco, I stopped on the side of the road to take a couple of pictures and collect a few oak apple galls. About a year ago a tiny wasp laid an egg in the freshly growing leaf bud. When the egg hatched, the larva that emerged secreted a chemical that stimulated […]
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HumBug: Bugs in the City
A quick trip to San Francisco a few weeks ago, when that was still possible yielded familiar creatures. At a rest area we saw at least three California tortoise shell butterflies frolicking in the sun. There were western box elder bugs on one of the picnic tables. They suck juices from box elders, maples and […]
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HumBug: Saps, Jumpers and Stingers
Lacquering a dowel, I found half a dozen tiny beetles waiting for the chance to entomb themselves in the artificial amber. These are sap beetles. They are usually minute like this one, and different members of the family (nitidulidae) feed on various things including rotten fruit. Some years ago my strawberry patch was infested with […]
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HumBug: Strategy
I had to remind myself it’s still winter as I watched a mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) and two smaller orange butterflies flutter by, too high and fast to get a photo of. The orange specimens were most likely rustic anglewings but there are several other locally common species which overwinter as adults, emerging on warm […]
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Parasites all the Way Down
Even parasites have nightmares Some experts assert that the most common lifestyle in nature is that of parasitism. (Read Rachel Nuwer’s interview with ecologist Kevin Lafferty “Parasitism is the Most Popular Lifestyle on Earth” for more on this.) The world of arthropods is no exception. I’ve mentioned before that mankind’s deadliest opponent in nature is the synergistic combination […]
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HumBug: Winter Insects
Walking along the road, I saw my first two milkmaids (Cardamine californica), the daffodil bulbs my friend gave me last fall, are starting to put up leaves and the pussy willows are budding out. They are all welcome reminders, spring is still in our future. Despite the coolness of the day, there were quite a […]
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HumBug: Worms, Ticks and Hand Sanitizer
During the damp months of the year, dozens of robins at a time visit my yard. They hop about, stopping, tilting their heads, then driving their beaks into the ground, sometimes pulling up an earthworm. This is an important component of their diet, sustaining them throughout the winter. Any comprehensive study of ecology must include […]
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HumBug: Three for a Rainy Day
With rainy cold days suppressing entomological activity it put my assertion that there’s always, ALWAYS something interesting to find outdoors to the test. So, camera in hand, I went looking. The weather forecast said it would snow down to 1,000 feet elevation, so it was indeed cold out and there was very little activity above […]
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HumBug: The Current Mass Extinction
There have been five major mass extinction events in the fossil record. Some folks claim the human race is causing the sixth right now. Dumping massive amounts of greenhouse gasses, saturating the world with never before seen chemicals and introducing all manner of non-native species willy nilly are touted as the major causes. I have a […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Even Parasites have Nightmares
Some experts assert that the most common lifestyle in nature is that of parasitism. (Read Rachel Nuwer’s interview with ecologist Kevin Lafferty “Parasitism is the Most Popular Lifestyle on Earth” for more on this.) The world of arthropods is no exception. I’ve mentioned before that mankind’s deadliest opponent in nature is the synergistic combination of mosquitoes […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Best of the Bugs
After almost five years doing a weekly blog it had to happen. With rainy, cold weather and the fact that over the last several years I’ve already written about most of the noteworthy entomological subjects hereabouts, this week I didn’t see any new critters worth photographing or writing about. So I think I’ll do what […]