Answer to the Monday Mystery
At the time I photographed this little scene (at Bell Smith Springs, Illinois) I was myself unsure of the drama playing out on the oak gall. I sent pictures to wasp expert Hege Vårdal to see if my...
View ArticleWarm day = first ants of the year!
Also, my first ever video blog: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkGSqPmW7DM] Watch the HD version if you can. The ants are actually visible, if you squint.
View ArticleMonday Night Mystery
Ok, so we all know this is a wasp. But what’s with the lumps near the tip of the abdomen? Ten points for identifying the lump, and five points for anyone ambitious enough to put a name on the wasp,...
View ArticleLearn beekeeping!
What am I doing this summer? Good question. I’m teaching Integrative Biology 496: Introduction to Beekeeping. If you are a University of Illinois student and would like to learn about the biology of...
View ArticleMonday Night Mystery
“Ah, an easy one!” you might think. But no. I’m only handing out 4 points for identifying this common Illinois ant species. I’m more interested in this ant’s quarry, for six points: 2 each for order,...
View ArticleFriday Beetle Blogging: Dendroides Larva
Dendroides fire-colored beetle, Illlinois We in the Friday Beetle Department don’t often turn our attention to immature beetles. But these Dendroides larvae are too striking to pass up. Dendroides...
View ArticlePrenolepis queen
Prenolepis imparis – winter ant (queen) Urbana, Illinois Photo details: Canon mp-e 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D ISO 100, f13, 1/250 sec, diffused flash
View ArticleFriday Beetle Blogging: A Minute Bark Beetle
Philothermus glabriculus (Cerylonidae) Urbana, Illinois A while back I noted that, at a rate of one beetle per week, I’d need about 10,000 years to get through all the described species. Since I made...
View ArticleSpring!
Forget the heavy pro-grade camera gear for a moment. This shot was taken with a $300 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 digicam. These small cameras do wide-angle macro exceptionally well, and their tiny sensors...
View ArticleSummer 2010 Bug Fashion: Stripes! Bright Colors!
The bold, playful style of Graphocephala coccinea, the candy-striped leafhopper, is all the rage this season: photo details: Canon EOS 7D camera Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens ISO 100, f/13, 1/250sec...
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