August 5, 2016 Dragonflies & Damselflies It’s been said, by more than one starry-eyed romantic, on more than one occasion, that love makes the world go ’round. After much research, and thorough observation, I’m about ready to agree—but with one tiny caveat. Rather than ’round, I’d say the world actually goes round—no apostrophe needed. Because
Bug, Dragonfly, Insect
It’s been said, by more than one starry-eyed romantic, on more than one occasion, that love makes the world go ’round. After much research, and thorough observation, I’m about ready to agree—but with one tiny caveat. Rather than ’round, I’d say the world actually goes round—no apostrophe needed. Because rather than a preposition, I’m talking
Bug, Damselflies, Dragonflies, Insect
Last week we took a Good-Natured look at fireflies, those flashy stars that light up our warm summer nights. We talked about their life cycle, how to tell males from females, and mentioned a few of the more common species that can be found in our area. But what we didn’t touch upon–in fact, what
Bug, Diurnal Firefly, Firefly, Insect
For the past three weeks or so—since 5:34 p.m. on Monday June 20– it’s officially been summer. Unofficially, it’s also firefly mating season, a last hurrah for these insects that have spent most of the last year or two under rocks and logs, living as predacious larvae that feed on earthworms, slugs and other invertebrates.
Bug, Firefly, Insect
Growing up, I was a huge fan of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries. And thank goodness. Because here at Hickory Knolls, solving mysteries is all in a day’s work. Take, for instance, the months preceding our grand opening in 2011. Back then we were faced with all sorts of new-construction puzzlers, like The
Bee, Beehive, Bug, Honeybee, InsectApril 22, 2016 Gigantic Caddisfly This week’s column actually had its beginnings last summer, though I didn’t know it at the time. I can still picture it: The warm July sun streaming down, the flowers shimmering in the bright light. I could feel the heat beginning to build even though it was barely 8 a.m.
Bug, Caddisfly, Gigantic Caddisfly, InsectMarch 18, 2016 Chinese Mantids Everyone knows that you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket. But what I need to remember is to also not put them all in one tennis ball canister, nor leave them all on one desk. Or any desk, actually. Our current situation got its start about a month
Bug, Chinese Mantids, Insect, Praying Mantis
Last year we took a Good Natured look at the mayfly, one of a cast of assorted characters often lumped together under the generic term “river bugs.” We talked about the delicate beauty of the adults; the fleeting nature of that final life phase; and the insect’s vital role in local food chains. We also
Bug, Insect, Mayfly
August 7, 2015 The Wool-Carder Bee A male European wool-carder bee takes a break from buzzing and surveys his territory from a prominent post—a lambs ear flower. I got quite the buzz while working in the garden the other day. No, I’m not growing anything illegal. And there weren’t any adult beverages involved either. I
Bee, Bug, Insect, Wool Carder Bee
February 27, 2015 Bird Tracks I can still remember my first dobsonfly. The date was July of 2002. The place, Red Oak Nature Center in North Aurora. The insect was contained within a two-quart Tupperware bowl–with holes poked in the lid for ventilation. The woman carrying it clearly was unsettled, her voice quavering as she
Bug, Dobsonfly, Insect