Came across this article today care of Doug Yanega at UC Riverside, which spurred the search for further information. Who can tell me what those “flowers” actually are? 10 points to the first to guess correctly… or maybe some awesome prize?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHdKEhFM7mY&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0]
This is something I’ve never seen before. Growing up I have always had someone give me some kitsch object with insects on them, even playing cards. Well even last year I got another insect themed tie. (I don’t have the whimsey of PZ Myers and his awesome tie.) But, they were all printed images of…
I came across this article today and it put a smile on my face. A traveling malaria researcher came across an “electronic mosquito repeller” for sale in his in-flight catalog. Being an intelligent man, he realized this was total and utter BS. He also realized this product probably sells best while in-route to malaria ridden…
Know this butterfly? It’s OK, no one really does. It is in the genus Apodemia (Riodinidae), but the taxonomy of this group is a disaster… and don’t even get me started on the subspecies. This specimen was photographed in September, meaning it is most likely to be Apodemia mormo (mormo) based on flight time. A….
One of the perks of being an entomologist is traveling and collecting. I put a few thousand miles on the car every summer and these are two of the best places in Arizona to collect. The top image is from the Baboquivari Mountains (Baboquivari Peak in the middle), Brown Canyon Research Station. The bottom image…
Despite being pretty disinterested in butterflies, they are pretty to look at. Here is a really great video by a guy I know down in Southern CA. His time-lapse videos of lepidoptera life cycles are pretty impressive, and this one in particular is beautiful. If you cut to about 3:00 in, you will see dozens…
This is an old image of mine, so it’s not perfect. If you can tell me this butterfly to species you get a high-five. If you know the subspecies, I’ll send you a new pack of #3 stainless steel pins! Only hint: It’s from the western USA.
So, how do I begin a new blog? Tough question, but perhaps this is a good time to show off a fun new species. This moth was collected last year outside of Santa Barbara, CA. The massive wingspan, at 15mm, makes it pretty large for a Gelechiid moth. The genus, Gnorimoschema (pronounced nor-a-mosh-ma), seems to…