Category Archives: Insects
Three-way partnership = bad news for a two-by-four
This old piece of pine lumber (the stub end of a two-by-four) has been devoured by termites. The rest of our garage has been spared their attentions, so far. A weighty block has turned to crumbly paper. The insects responsible … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Microbes
2 Comments
Cute larvae. Adults are a different story.
After a few weeks, the larvae pupate underwater (still attached to the rock in flowing water), then emerge as the infamous flying adults. Males feed on nectar, but females want blood. Unlike the swarms that emerge in northern states, blackflies … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Water
2 Comments
Sing on, grave crickets
This morning, before the rainy front moved in, I heard a remarkable thing — crickets singing softly from the long grass under a powerline (field crickets, genus Gryllus, I think). We’ve had several hard freezes, two modest snowstorms, and the … Continue reading
Posted in Insects
3 Comments
Jewelweed
The last hummingbirds of the season are feeding in the jewelweed patch behind Stirling’s Coffee House. Jewelweed flowers offer nectar to the hummingbirds from a nectar spur at the end of a cone-shaped flower. The hummingbirds have to insert their … Continue reading
Posted in Archosaurs, bumblebees, Insects, Plants
4 Comments
Dick Cove
My Field Investigations in Biology class ventured into the old growth forest in Dick Cove (aka Thumping Dick Hollow, apparently named for a former inhabitant who built an ingenious corn-pounding device). In addition to measuring trees to quantify how the … Continue reading
Waterscorpion
My Field Investigations in Biology class ignored the rain and had a great time scooping various animals from Lake Cheston. The finest catch was this waterscorpion. The insect was as long as my index finger. Waterscorpions are fierce predators and … Continue reading
Posted in Insects
2 Comments
Goldenrod pollen
Goldenrods (Solidago sp.) are in full bloom, giving insects a welcome bonanza of pollen.
Posted in bumblebees, Garden, Insects, Plants
Leave a comment
Lesser angle-wing katydids
They start singing about an hour after dark, calling with short bursts of high-pitched sound. Each call is somewhat like a can of dried peas being shaken rapidly. In the following recording, the lesser-angle wings call five times. You’ll also hear … Continue reading
Posted in Bioacoustic revelry, Insects
Leave a comment
Young stick insect
Wikipedia has an excellent photo of the enormous diversity of stick insect eggs.
Posted in Insects
Leave a comment
