A male giant water bug broods a clutch of +/- 100 eggs on his back.
Twelve-Spotted Lady Bugs
Wouldn’t you know it? Just as our world starts to get back to normal, or what we may see as our new normal, something comes…
Fireflies
For almost a week now-since 10:54 a.m. on Friday June 21– it’s officially been summer. Unofficially, it’s also firefly mating season, a last hurrah for…
Ground Bees and Beetles — Part 2
Last week when we related the discovery and subsequent identification of an awesome little beetle, Tricrania sanguinipennis, I promised that this week we’d dig deeper…
Ground Bees and Beetles
North America is home to around 30,000 beetle species. Thirty. Thousand. Species. It’s no wonder that identifying them can be difficult. Some beetles, bless their…
Winter Stoneflies
Make no mistake, love is in the air. Jewelers have stepped up their ads for diamond-crusted tokens of tenderness (“Every kiss begins with Kay!”) and…
Katydids
Long ago, the story goes, a newlywed couple was found murdered in their beds. Although the crime was never solved, the primary suspect was the…
Predatory Stink Bugs
The two-spotted stink bug is quite different from the introduced brown marmorated stink bug currently plaguing the TriCities. Our two-spotted friend actually is a predator and should be welcomed to gardens throughout the area. Its favored prey is potato beetles. Predatory Stink Bugs October 6, 2017 Stink. It’s a word on everyone’s mind these days,
The Green Darner
A female green darner rests in a characteristic pose. The “bullseye” mark at the front of the head is another way to identify this iconic dragonfly species. The Green Darner September 1, 2017 I got together with some friends the other night, and after a while the conversation turned to superheroes and, eventually, the movie
Moths
Polyphemus moths are locally common in our area but rarely seen due to their nocturnal nature. Good Natured reader Lorayne Hrejsa recently captured this pair (Yes! There are two, if you look closely) exchanging greetings in her yard. Moths August 4, 2017 In the world of lepidopterans – the “scaly wings,” or butterflies and moths