Once, when I was a kid, my mom sent me out to the garage to get some hamburger from the old chest freezer. When I opened the lid I was nearly bowled over by the smell. Someone had left it unplugged for weeks and the half side of beef had turned nasty. You may wonder what […]
Beetles
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HumBug: Bugs at the Refuge
After dropping off 20 years worth of household hazardous wastes, I rewarded myself on the way home (camera in hand of course) with a stroll through the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The neatly laid out and maintained gravel paths offer a great place to relax and soak up a bit of nature. There were […]
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HumBug: Gardeners’ Woes
Standing up to work the kinks out of my back brought on by bowing in submission to the dandelions, oxalis, and the nameless red-stemmed running weed among my strawberry plants, a tiny flash of orange caught my eye. When it landed in a nearby pear tree, I saw how its red and black elytra covered […]
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HumBug: Return of the Zombies (and Everybody Else)
It is early April, and the world of insects is finally warming up. I’ve spotted more of the “zombie” flies, paralyzed by fungus, that were cropping up last year in early March (“Zombie Dung Flies,” March 1, 2015). I’ve seen a few snakeflies lately. These used to be included in the order Neuroptera with the lacewings […]
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HumBug: What’s Up, Tiger Beatle?
One of my favorite beetle species is out and about now. You might see them by the dozen hunting on sandy stretches of river bar. Cicindela oregano, commonly known as Western Tiger Beetle. About half an inch long and gray, they dart here and there and are among the fastest running creatures for their size. According to […]