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 hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) is liked by few people. They’re neither completely bald faced nor technically hornets. Their white faces are sparsely covered with setae (hairs) and […]
larvae
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HumBug: A Dead Crane Fly and a Strange Nursery
I grew up calling them “mosquito catchers.” Other folks know them as daddy longlegs (a name also used for Opiliones,a type of arachnid) or mosquito hawks. More properly they are known as crane flies, or family tipulidae of the order diptera — true flies. Resembling giant mosquitos, they inspire fear in some people. But unlike […]
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HumBug: Back to the River for Swallowtails and Sawflies
As the weather begrudgingly warms up, more bugs are emerging. Lately along the Van Duzen River, I’ve noted pale swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) and Lorquin’s admiral (Limenitis lorquini) butterflies among others. You can find quite a few stonefly (order Plecoptera) exuvia, or cast off husks, near the water’s edge as naiads emerge, shed their last larval […]
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HumBug: Oregon Butterflies and Wasps
One good thing about insects as a hobby is there are so many of them and they’re everywhere. The high desert environment of central Oregon is so different from our coastal rainforest it gives opportunities to encounter entirely unfamiliar species. So, I took my cameras on a trip last week. It was easy to add […]
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HumBug: Aphid Cows and Ladybugs
I recently wrote about spittlebugs and how their larval form covers themselves with a bubblebath of processed plant sap for protection. At the end of their last larval stage (instar) they climb out of the slimy soup, shed their skin one last time and emerge as a stout looking version of their leafhopper cousins. As adults […]
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HumBug: A March of Butterflies
It’s been a long, wet and cold March, but one sunny day brought out the early spring butterflies. I watched half a dozen California tortoise shells (Nymphalis californica) feed and chase each other among the flowers clothing my green gage plum trees. I’m not sure if these aerial acrobatics were part of a mating ritual […]
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HumBug: Heartworm
I caught a new bug recently. Unfortunately, it was not the kind I could skewer with a pin and put in a frame, but the kind where you’re supposed to drink plenty of fluids and get some rest. So I took the opportunity to do a bit of online research to answer a question recently […]
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HumBug: Bugs in the Wood
In July, PG&E sent a crew to take down some big trees on its easement across the back of my property. I had no objection, as this area is unused. Now, six months later, when I finally got around to bucking and splitting it, I find the wood already colonized by insects. The bugs gnawing […]
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HumBug: Critters in the Water
The river is low enough now to wade upstream for miles without getting in over my knees. You have to be careful because the rocks are slippery with algae. The annual blue-green algae warnings are in effect and it is suggested you keep pets from drinking the water. A small camp towel is handy to […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Getting Butterflies
Hurray! The recent warm days have brought out the butterflies. One of my favorite butterflies is the red admiral (Vanessa atalanta). It was pictured on the cover of my first little bug book the, Golden Guide of Insects. That was before the advent of bar codes and ISBN numbers. Unfortunately, it was not common in my […]
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HumBug: Still in the Dark
Going out late at night allows me to see things many people might prefer not to. Lately, I’ve discovered several dwellers in the dark of which I was unaware. What appeared to be several good sized caterpillars munching on wild honeysuckle turned out to not be future moths at all, but sawfly larvae. Closely allied with […]
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HumBug: Hitching a Ride
Hoping to attract one of the huge and impressive Ceanothus or Polyphemus moths that live hereabouts, I’ve been running a light trap when it isn’t raining too hard — so far without luck. You never really know what might show up and last night was no exception. Among the expected looper moths, crane flies and […]