Taxonomy Fail

Recently came across some ridiculously horrible taxonomy from China (.pdf). If you scroll down a bit you can see the english translation. At first glance this looks like a standard taxonomy paper with bare-bones species descriptions. You might even think to yourself, “huh, wonder why they are describing species from only one specimen”. Not the . . . → Read More: Taxonomy Fail

How easy is it…

to fake a UFO encounter? I recorded this video two years ago over the desert of Arizona. To confess, it made my heart skip a beat at first. I turned around and there were three glowing lights floating silently above me. I literally thought to myself “holy s#@% I don’t believe in this crap!”. The . . . → Read More: How easy is it…

New Technique Page!

I’ve just illustrated my method for spreading microlepidoptera, go explore the techniques page. Who is courageous enough to attempt it?

Happy Earth Day

With a great message from Bill Nye, the Science Guy.

We need to be conservationists to be sure, preserving wetlands, forests, open spaces and coastlines. We need to reduce our waste — plastic trash and the like. But what we really need is big, new ideas: new ways to distribute and store energy for . . . → Read More: Happy Earth Day

Now is our chance…

A 15 foot gray whale just washed up in the San Francisco Bay. Now is our chance for exploding whale part 2!

How I keep myself busy

I’ve been busy spreading microleps over the last few days, and here is a small selection from my summer collecting trips. Still have at least another 200 to go before catching up on my backlog. I am working on illustrating just how to spread these moths… so stay tuned.

2009 was a great season. I . . . → Read More: How I keep myself busy

Genius of the Press V

So what is wrong with this illustration below? Sounds like a great show at the Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati. This news story made me look just a little closer…

Vox Populi, volume I

I’ve come across a few e-mail transcripts of questions sent into our entomology department and I can not resist sharing them. I promise these messages are (and will be) 100% real and unedited. Names have been changed or removed to protect the innocent. Hopefully, I will come across these every once in a while, and . . . → Read More: Vox Populi, volume I

Butterfly of the week

I’ve been a bit remiss at posting regular challenges, so I’ll try to pick up the pace. Who can tell me anything about this butterfly? The most you’re getting is that it is from the Western half of the US. Credit for family, genus or species and ridiculous credit for subspecies and where it is . . . → Read More: Butterfly of the week

Get a Life, Discovery

I sat rapt in front of my TV on Sunday watching the latest installment of the BBC/Discovery series “Life”. The first thing that comes to my mind… “WHY was Oprah chosen to narrate!?” Naturally, I waited for the insects special to air before I blogged about this, but having to listen to Oprah for the . . . → Read More: Get a Life, Discovery