To be honest opportunities for a bug photographer have been rather slim lately with all the rain and cold weather. The other night, coming home late I found a nearly comatose bumblebee on my lucky horse shoe. Of all the members of the order Hymenoptera (which translates to, “membrane wing”) which includes ants, bees, wasps, […]
Anthony Westkamper
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Bugs from Long Ago and Last Night
About 30 years ago, I was riding my mountain bike in the desert north of Reno when I saw a large, shiny insect climbing up one of the sage bushes. I stopped, emptied the little container I kept full of bike tools into my pockets and collected it. By that time I’d almost given up […]
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HumBug: Darkling Beetles and Mosquitoes
The sound of the rain had stopped and I was all ready to go out and capture a photo of the spider that eluded me the night before. I got all loaded up with cameras and gear, dressed for the cold, went to the back door, turned on the light and there was a world […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Bees and May-bees on the Willow
The pussy willows are just starting to bloom along the river and, being pretty much the only game in town, they’re attracting the early birds of the insect world. Bumblebees, adapted to cool weather, were out and defending their territory by circling around me at a dizzying pace. These are the next generation of queens […]
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HumBug: Archaeognatha
When I set out to take a couple of photos of the jumping bristletails on the back of my garage, I was not prepared for what I got. They’re interesting for being such an old order. The name Archaeognatha means “ancient jaw.” This refers to the primitive structure of their jaw. Jumping bristletails are one […]
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HumBug: Winter Critters
Five years ago I started reporting seeing a small dragonfly in the middle of winter on sunny days, even following frosty nights. Dragonflies usually spend the cold months as larvae in the water. Up until then, none of the other dragonfly enthusiasts were reporting anything at all. I’ve been able to photograph and report this […]
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HumBug: Earwigs
I have not been a big fan of earwigs ever since they ate the ceanothus moth I was trying to rear. Reading a bit about them, I found they indeed have some interesting and worthwhile features. The most common variety around here is the European earwig (Forficula auricularia). We called them “pincer bugs” when I […]
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HumBug: Sailors and Queens in Winter
Winter time is a slow time for bugs. Being cold blooded the chemistry of life that powers them slows down. Many of their life cycles are adapted to spending the short cold days in their sedentary forms as eggs, larvae or pupae. Those that persist as adults mostly hide through the worst of it, emerging […]
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HumBug: Insect Armageddon
I have had a lifelong interest in insects, collecting, observing, studying, and photographing them for more than 60 years. Looking back, I’ve noticed progressively fewer insects around my porch lights at night and far fewer splattered across the windshields of my various cars. While my evidence is merely anecdotal, others are making rigorous studies of […]
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Small, Slow-moving Targets
Rainy day locals Head’s up: It’s tick season again. It seems they like damp weather. My archives show photos of them primarily in April to May and December to January. In the last week, I’ve pulled one off a dog and one off a friend who had one on her arm. Even if you haven’t […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Millipede by the Millimeter
I didn’t intend to spend all night working on a single photograph but a Eurasian millipede (Ophyiulus pilosus) trapped in a measuring cup was an opportunity to try some equipment in a new way. Instead of using the computer-controlled StackRail to move the focus point, I set it up to travel along the critter, acquiring […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Rainy Day Locals
Head’s up: It’s tick season again. It seems they like damp weather. My archives show photos of them primarily in April to May and December to January. In the last week, I’ve pulled one off a dog and one off a friend who had one on her arm. Even if you haven’t been outdoors where […]