(August 8, 2019)
Nymphs on patrol I have seen alarmingly few dragonflies along my stretch of the Van Duzen River this year. Where I'm used to seeing dozens in a day, I'm seeing...
(July 11, 2019)
Dragonflies remembered Sometimes it takes a little excursion to get back home. A fond memory from childhood was watching eight spotted skimmer dragonflies (Libellula forensis) over the little creek at...
(July 11, 2019)
When my wife asked if I wanted to take a midnight stroll I was delighted. I was even more delighted when we saw a couple of unexpected predators. Not wishing...
(June 27, 2019)
Deadly Darlingtonias About two hours north of Eureka on State Route 199, a few miles past Gasquet, a small sign announces, "Botanical Trail." It's a very short drive on...
(May 23, 2019)
The bald faced truth I decided to devote this week's contribution to a single unpopular species. Known for its large size, aggressive behavior and powerful sting, the bald faced...
(April 25, 2019)
Between the raindrops Despite the dreary weather, life must go on. Eager to get along with their lives, our local insects show up even for the brief patches of...
(March 28, 2019)
Spring at last After a few false starts it feels like spring is finally underway. Days ago, a walk in the woods with my dogs produced a tick. I've...
(February 28, 2019)
Bugs from long ago 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...
(January 6, 2019)
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...
(December 27, 2018)
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....
(November 29, 2018)
Damsels in fall The unseasonably warm and dry weather seems to be allowing some species of insects to linger later in the year than I've seen before. Among them are...
(October 25, 2018)
Creepy, Cute and Unusual Looking closely at more crawling critters than most folks, you'd think I'd get used to them. But there is one critter that still holds a Class...
(October 4, 2018)
Two Killers and a Charmer With the insect season winding down, the imported species of praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) are now mature and can occasionally be seen flying. Insects only...
(August 30, 2018)
It may come as a surprise to some but I don't like all bugs. There are many I find despicable. Mosquitoes kill more people than lions, tigers and bears combined....
