Monthly Archives: January 2010

Triple Quiz

Posted on January 29, 2010 by

Entomology Quiz: Name the beetle. Botany Quiz: Name the plant. History Quiz: Name the location (yes, attentive readers will be able to deduce this). While you ponder these questions, please make note of two upcoming blog carnivals: Circus of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

A matter of diffusion

Posted on January 26, 2010 by

In my Best of 2009 post, I mentioned four skills that, to me, seemed to be crucial for becoming a successful insect macrophotographer: 1) composition, 2) understanding lighting, 3) knowing how to use a flash, and 4) knowledge of the subject.  Of these, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Friday Flower: Crystallofolia (“Frost Flowers”)

Posted on January 22, 2010 by

While hiking the middle stretch of the Ozark Trail’s Wappapello Section, my friend Rich and I witnessed a bounty of crystallofolia, or “frost flowers”.  These fragile, yet exquisite formations are, of course, not flowers at all, nor are they true … Continue reading →

Posted in Asteraceae, Lamiaceae | Tagged , , , , , , | 33 Comments

House of Herps #2

Posted on January 18, 2010 by

Welcome to the 2nd issue of House of Herps, the monthly blog carnival devoted exclusively to reptiles and amphibians.  The brainchild of Amber Coakley, (Birder’s Lounge), and Jason Hogle (xenogere), this new blog carnival had an auspicious start with the inaugural … Continue reading →

Posted in Amphibia, Reptilia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Me and my buds!

Posted on January 15, 2010 by

Those of you who have followed this blog for any length of time have seen repeated references to my friends and colleagues, Chris Brown and Rich Thoma. Rich and I have been collecting insects together for almost 25 years now … Continue reading →

Posted in Asilidae, Cicindelidae, Coleoptera, Diptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Habitat Partitionining in Tiger Beetles

Posted on January 12, 2010 by

The latest issue of CICINDELA (December 2009, vol. 41, no. 4) contains an interesting paper by David A. Melius titled, “Post-monsoonal Cicindela of the Laguna del Perro region of New Mexico.” This paper continues a theme that I have touched … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Mass Grave

Posted on January 7, 2010 by

My friend Rich and I have begun hiking the Wappapello Section of the Ozark Trail this winter in our quest to eventually hike all 350 miles of the Ozark Trail in Missouri (to this point we had completed ~230 miles).  The Wappapello … Continue reading →

Posted in Mammalia | Tagged , , , , | 24 Comments