Back on Oct 2., 2016, I posted an article on the infestation of western black widow (Latrodactus hesperus) spiders at the Carlotta Post Office. Just this week my wife and I had occasion to visit the area again. Guess what? As we strolled along the walkway directly in front of the post office, I nearly […]
black widow
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Not What it Looks Like
A harmless imposter Being the local “bug guy,” I was recently asked about a spider that looked “almost exactly like a black widow” but lacked the distinctive red hourglass on the underside of its abdomen. This is a spider with which I am very familiar. They were nearly everywhere where I grew up in Pacifica, […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: An Innocent Imposter
Being the local “Bug Guy” I was recently asked about a spider that looked “almost exactly like a black widow,” but lacked the distinctive red hourglass on the underside of its abdomen. This is a spider with which I am very familiar. They were nearly everywhere where I grew up in Pacifica, California. I hadn’t […]
Posted inNews
HumBug: Black Widows
I spend a lot of my outdoor time looking for and at bugs. Especially ones that are dramatic looking or interesting to photograph, so when I noted a medium sized spider on the front of the Carlotta post office, I automatically got closer, tilted my head to use the reading portion of my bifocals and […]
Posted inNews
HumBug: Mantis Religiosa
Probably the insect’s world epitome of elegant lethality is the praying mantis. There are even a couple of branches of Kung-fu based on the mantis’ movements. Increasingly over the years I have seen adults of the 3- to 4-inch European mantis (Mantis religiosa) variety in the fall. They come in two different colors, pale green […]