Odorous House Ants Pt. 2
Odorous house ants’ natural habitat is outdoors but, drawn by easy access to food and shelter, they often find their way into homes.
Read MoreOdorous house ants’ natural habitat is outdoors but, drawn by easy access to food and shelter, they often find their way into homes.
Read MoreSmall bordering on teensy, Tapinoma sessile measures just under 1/8-in. in length. Pictured here next to a toothpick, it’s an ant that shows up regularly…
Read MoreSmaller than most geese, the Ross’s goose is an unusual sighting in Kane County.
Read MoreAlthough the word “hairy” isn’t itself inherently bad, it’s often used to describe a condition that is less than ideal. A hairy situation typically is…
Read MorePlentiful food, water and shelter have led to year-round success for this popular, and populous, species.
Read MoreOver the past couple of weeks, we’ve established that a) hitchhiking, for humans, is dangerous and not to be encouraged, and b) hitchhiking, for animals…
Read MoreGrowing up we had the best neighbors a kid could hope for: Harry and Esther Duncan.
Read MoreDon’t you just love a good word? One that lets you immerse yourself in its letters and syllables?
Read MoreNever shy about helping themselves to free food, European starlings have made themselves at home in every one of the lower 48 states as well…
Read MorePerhaps 2024 will be the year you resolve to become a better birder.
Read MoreIf you’ve got a naturalist on your gift list, there’s still time to track down some of these tried-and-true favorites, including pants with pockets, lip…
Read MoreThe fluff in this photo is milkweed floss, carried up to a vacated bird nest by an industrious mouse. Buoyant, soft and water resistant, milkweed…
Read MoreRound galls on the stems of goldenrod are the work of the goldenrod gall fly, Eurosta solidaginis, while elliptical galls are created by a moth,…
Read MoreInside this gumball-sized sphere, a goldenrod gall fly larva will spend the winter in diapause—insects’ version of hibernation.
Read MoreMature Cooper’s hawks are blue-gray above with orangish bars across the breast and a prominent ‘Cooper’s cap’ of darker feathers on top of the head.…
Read MoreTiming is everything! This unique photo depicts a red-tailed hawk’s nictitating membrane, or third eyelid, as it passes horizontally across the eye.
Read MoreThis hornworm pupa displays a prominent proboscis and wing pads-interesting in and of themselves, but even more so considering that neither feature is present on…
Read MoreThe Kane County Certified Naturalist program attracts adult learners from all walks of life.
Read MoreJack-o’-lantern mushrooms have many fine qualities, but edibility isn’t one of them. While not deadly, the symptoms it induces are described as ‘making one wish…
Read MorePolyphemus caterpillars-as well as the caterpillars of many other moth and butterfly species-spend the winter among downed leaves-a great reason to “leave the leaves” until…
Read MoreIcarus the red-tailed hawk, rendered flightless and nearly featherless by a landfill flame, today is fully recovered and flying free.
Read MoreThis Monday, Columbus Day, marks 45 years that Arthur the ornate box turtle has lived as a pet. His longevity, as well as improved conservation…
Read MoreThe green darner, Anax junius, is the largest dragonfly in our area. Adults migrate to the warm South in winter; a new generation arrives back…
Read MoreBriefly detained in the name of science, this female wolf spider displays a distinctive Lycosidae behavior: carrying her brood upon her back.
Read MoreMeasuring an inch or so in diameter, wild American plums are smaller than commercial varieties but packed with flavor. This native species also provides many benefits to local wildlife. Good Natured: American Plums September 8, 2023 A few weeks ago, on a very warm and very sunny afternoon, I set out to prepare for an
Read MoreLook carefully at this photo and you’ll see the remains of the Monkey House, a structure that stood for more than a century in what…
Read MoreStoneflies, even the common species, are increasingly hard to find these days. This stonefly nymph was found in Ferson Creek at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve…
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