Lacquering a dowel, I found half a dozen tiny beetles waiting for the chance to entomb themselves in the artificial amber. These are sap beetles. They are usually minute like this one, and different members of the family (nitidulidae) feed on various things including rotten fruit. Some years ago my strawberry patch was infested with […]
wasps
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HumBug: Even Parasites have Nightmares
Some experts assert that the most common lifestyle in nature is that of parasitism. (Read Rachel Nuwer’s interview with ecologist Kevin Lafferty “Parasitism is the Most Popular Lifestyle on Earth” for more on this.) The world of arthropods is no exception. I’ve mentioned before that mankind’s deadliest opponent in nature is the synergistic combination of mosquitoes […]
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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, […]
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HumBug: New Dragon, Bold Patterns and Teeny Bees
A walk along the Van Duzen River on a warm, sunny day can produce some surprises. Today I spotted a dragonfly which is new to my “life list” (a term I’ve adopted from my birding friends). Libellula pulchella, the 12 spotted skimmer. Named for the total number of black spots on their wings, they are […]
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HumBug: Bugs While You Wait
When the lady at the tire store said it would be 45 minutes before my car was ready, I said, “Thank-you,” and headed for the door. On the way into the parking lot, I ‘d spied a drainage ditch that meanders through Fortuna. It was choked with willows, Himalaya berry vines, Queen Anne’s lace, and […]
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Bald Faced Fliers and Beetle Mania
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 […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: 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 they are, in fact, […]
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: 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: By the River and Under the Sand
Here we are, middle of winter and once again I’m finding variegated meadowhawk dragonflies along the Van Duzen River, where I regularly walk. Although this is a small dragonfly, it is the largest insect I see flying this time of year. I find them perched on rocks in open sections of river bar, often 20 […]
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HumBug: Autumn is Here
Late in the year, sources of nectar are scarce and those species that depend on it concentrate around the dwindling resource. Wild anise, a few thistles and other small flowers support that insect population and therefore increase an photographer’s opportunities to see species often dispersed over a much larger area, so a short walk along […]
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HumBug: Ow! The Lady Stings
I usually discourage folks from bringing me insects since I do not actively collect, but when my son told me he had what he thought was a very fuzzy, wingless wasp, I was delighted. While it might not be politically correct to stereotype red heads as fiery, you might want to give this ginger girl […]