Tag Archives: science

May Beetles and Herps

Issue #4 of An Inordinate Fondness is up at xenogere, and once again Jason Hogle has unleashed his natural talent as a blog carnival host in fine form.  Join Jason on a meandering road trip across the continent and back, … Continue reading

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Moth and Me #11

Welcome to issue #11 of The Moth and Me, the monthly carnival devoted to the “forgotten” lepidopterans. Most people – even entomologists – regard these as the lesser leps, denizens of the night, as if to hide their somber-colored drabness … Continue reading

Posted in Arctiidae, Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Notodontidae, Psychidae, Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Zygaenidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Waiter, there’s a fly on my fungus…

On my recent season-opening-birthday-bug-collecting-trip in Sam A. Baker State Park, Rich and I happened upon a large grape (Vitis sp.) vine hanging from a tree in the bottomland forests along Big Creek. Draped over a foot-long section of the lower … Continue reading

Posted in Diptera, Drosophilidae | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

A Horridus Birthday

For many years now, I’ve celebrated my birthday each year with the “season-opener-birthday-bug-collecting-trip.”  This happens regardless of what day of the week it falls (although two years ago I did get roped into a business trip – I made up … Continue reading

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera, Reptilia, Vertebrata | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 36 Comments

Hitchin’ A Ride

One of the more common species of longhorned beetles (family Cerambycidae) in Missouri, and throughout the eastern U.S., is Stenosphenus notatus.  Despite its commonness, however, it is a species that is easily overlooked because of its very early seasonality, emerging … Continue reading

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera, Pseudoscorpiones | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Friday Flower – Pawpaw

As my friend Rich and I stood in the verdent understory admiring the spectacular panicles of red buckeye punctuating the green lushness, a small brown flower on a leafless branch above me caught my eye.  “Pawpaw!” I exclaimed, perhaps partly in … Continue reading

Posted in Annonaceae, Cerambycidae, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Papilionidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Beetle Collecting 101: Dress for Success

For most of the nearly 3 decades that I’ve been collecting insects, beetles have been my primary interest – first longhorned beetles, then jewel beetles, and now more recently tiger beetles (each taxon an addition, not a replacement!). During that … Continue reading

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , , | 59 Comments

Monday Moth – Trichaeta pterophorina

Another photo from the South Africa files, and one that continues the mimicry theme that has been featured in several recent posts. It’s not a great photograph – the focus is off – but the colors these moths sport are … Continue reading

Posted in Arctiidae, Lepidoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments