Yes, ປະຕ້ອງ Hate ຂ້ອຍເກີນໄປ.

Over on Myrmecos Alex Wild just brought to my attention a rather personal attack from a pair of republican senators (Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and John McCain, R-Ariz). Once again I started to comment, but given how close to home this hits, I felt a longer winded diatribe approaching

ປາກົດຂື້ນ, my job is a giant waste of money. Funding that the California Academy of Sciences (my employer) has received, is coming under direct attack. ຕົກ​ລົງ, my position has nothing to do with Antweb and I am not supported by public fundsbut some of my colleagues are. Colleagues that have the exact same job title as my own, work a few doors down, and happen to work on different projects funded from different sources. What this boils down to is not only a republican war on science (go find that book), but a republican war on intellectualism. Everyone whose scaly little hand has crafted this report is not only willfully ignorant but is being outright dishonest. What is their unstated major premise here? The logical fallacy runs somewhere along the line of

ກ) Democrats are wasting money because we are not in power.

ຂ) By pointing out where this money is beingwastedwe will help save it and in turn ingratiate ourselves to the voters.

ຂ) Supporting science (e.g. wasteful spending) is the cause of our economic problems.

Continue reading Yes, ປະຕ້ອງ Hate ຂ້ອຍເກີນໄປ.

ຂ່າວ​ບໍ່​ມີ​ຈຸດ​ຫມາຍ, ທີ່​ໃຊ້​ເວ​ລາ​ຈາກ​ທໍາ​ມະ​ຊາດ​ນີ້

Fresh ໄປ desk ຂອງ​ຂ່າວ​ທໍາ​ມະ​ຊາດ​ແມ່ນ​ຄຸນ​ສົມ​ບັດ​ການ​ໄຕ່​ຕອງ​ໂລກ​ໂດຍ​ບໍ່​ມີ​ຍຸງ​ເປັນ (ຫຼື -toes). ວິ​ທີ​ການ​ເປັນ​ຂ່າວ​ນີ້? ບາງ​ທີ​ອາດ​ມີ​ການ​ຄວບ​ຄຸມ vector ບາງ​ໃຫມ່​ທີ່​ພວກ​ເຮົາ​ທຸກ​ຄົນ​ຕ້ອງ​ການ​ທີ່​ຈະ​ໄດ້​ຍິນ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ການ​ເປັນ! ດີ, ກວດ​ສອບ​ການ​ອອກ​ບົດ​ຄວາມ​ຈາກ​ສະ​ບັບ​ຫລ້າ​ສຸດ​ຂອງ​ທໍາ​ມະ​ຊາດ​ຫົວ​ຂໍ້ “ໂລກ​ໂດຍ​ບໍ່​ມີ​ການ Mosquitoes A“. ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ໄດ້​ມາ​ໃນ​ເບື້ອງ​ຕົ້ນ​ໃນ​ທົ່ວ​ນີ້​ ບລັອກ PZ Myers ແລະເລີ່ມຂຽນຄຳເຫັນ… ເຊິ່ງເລີ່ມເຕີບໃຫຍ່ຂຶ້ນເລື້ອຍໆ ສະນັ້ນຂ້ອຍຈຶ່ງຕັດສິນໃຈຂຽນບລັອກກ່ຽວກັບມັນແທນ.

Continue reading Pointless news, ທີ່​ໃຊ້​ເວ​ລາ​ຈາກ​ທໍາ​ມະ​ຊາດ​ນີ້

ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ຄວນ​ຈະ​ເລີ່ມ​ຕົ້ນ​ການ​ສາກ​ໄຟ

ຕົກ​ລົງ, ບາງ​ທີ​ບໍ່​ໄດ້. ແຕ່​ຂ້ອຍ​ຮູ້ສຶກ​ອິດສາ​ໜ້ອຍ​ໜຶ່ງ ເມື່ອ​ຂ້ອຍ​ມາ​ພົບ ບົດ​ຄວາມ​ນີ້ ບ່ອນທີ່ຂ້ອຍຄົ້ນພົບນັກສິລະປິນທ້ອງຖິ່ນ San Francisco ທີ່ກໍາລັງສາກໄຟ $60 ບໍ່​ສໍາ​ລັບ​ການ​ໃຊ້ “ແມງ​ໄມ້​ກະ​ຈາຍ​ຫ້ອງ​ຮຽນ”. ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ສິ່ງ​ມະ​ຫັດ​ວິ​ທີ​ການ​ຈໍາ​ນວນ​ຫຼາຍ​ກໍ່​ສະ​ແດງ​ໃຫ້​ເຫັນ​ເຖິງ​ການ​ຮຽນ​ປະ​ຈໍາ​ເດືອນ? ນີ້​ພຽງ​ແຕ່​ໃນ, Chris Grinter ກໍາລັງສະເຫນີຫ້ອງຮຽນການແຜ່ກະຈາຍແມງໄມ້ເປັນພຽງແຕ່ $49.99! ຂ້ອຍອາດຈະເຮັດໃຫ້ມັນເປັນວິທະຍາສາດທັງ ໝົດ ແລະບໍ່ມີໃຜຈະສະແດງ…

ແຕ່ໃນຂະນະທີ່ເຈົ້າກຳລັງຮຽນຮູ້ວິທີປັກໝຸດ ເຈົ້າສາມາດເອົາຕົວລະຄອນນັກຂັບຂີ່ຜູ້ຊະນະທີ່ໜ້າຢ້ານຂອງເຈົ້າໄດ້.

(ຮູບພາບຈາກ ປະຕູ Paxton)

Genius ຂອງຫນັງສືພິມ IX

Just about time for another volume of Genius of the Press. Who will be first to spot the error here? ອະນຸຍາດ, the information section of the california flat rate moving website is not exactly a source of top notch journalism

ທີ່​ໃຊ້​ເວ​ລາ​ນີ້, ມີ​ການ​ເຄື່ອນ​ທີ່

ຕໍ່​ໄປ​ນີ້​ແມ່ນ​ຮູບ​ພາບ​ເພີ່ມ​ເຕີມ​ຈໍາ​ນວນ​ຫນ້ອຍ​ຈາກ​ທີ່​ຜ່ານ​ມາ​ການ​ເດີນ​ທາງ​ຖະ​ຫນົນ​ຫົນ​ທາງ​ພາກ​ເຫນືອ​ຂອງ​ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ, ທີ່​ໃຊ້​ເວ​ລາ​ຈາກ​ລັດ​ໄອ​ດາ​ໂຮ​ຕາ​ເວັນ​ຕົກ​ນີ້. ສິດ​ຢູ່​ນອກ​ຕົວ​ເມືອງ​ຂອງ​ທົ່ງ​ຫຍ້າ​ໃຫມ່​ໄດ້​ທົ່ງ​ນາ​ຂອງ​ດອກ​ຫນາ​ທີ່​ມີ​ຊີ​ວິດ. ມັນ​ແມ່ນ​ບາງ​ສ່ວນ​ຂອງ​ທີ່​ດີ​ທີ່​ສຸດ​ມື້​ເກັບ​ຂ້າ​ພະ​ເຈົ້າ​ໄດ້​ເຮັດ​ໃນ​ປີ, and fellow road tripper Peter Jump and I discovered this population of Adela flammeusella. This represents a likely state record for Idaho and possibly the eastern most population known for this species. They are supposedly associated with Owl’s Clover (some now reassigned to Castilleja), but I don’t recall ever seeing any at this location. I usually notice this plant whenever I’m in the field because it is the host to a handful of other interesting leps.

One frustrating character of the genus Adela is the homogeneity of the genitalia. For any entomologist out there it is par for the course to use the morphology of genitalia as a plethora of characters most useful in species identification. Microleps are often most easily differentiated through dissection, and a few groups must be dissected to even get to genus! But even strikingly different Adela are almost identical internally. ແທນທີ່ຈະ, a leg will go off to get DNA barcoded. Chances are it’s nothing too interesting, but stranger things have been known to happen. At the very least it will be informative to know what the genetic divergence might be across the range of the species.

Adela flammeusella

Chlosyne palla blackmorei Northern Checkerspot

Lycaena editha Edith’s Copper

ການ​ທະ​ນາຍ​ຄວາມ​ພຽງ​ແຕ່​ໃນ​ຕົວ​ເມືອງ

ໃນ​ພາກ​ຕາ​ເວັນ​ອອກ county Lassen, ໃນ​ເຂດ​ເນີນ​ພູ​ສູງ juniper ຫຼວງ​ຫຼາຍ​ຂອງ​ຊາຍ​ແດນ California​-Nevada, ມີ herds ຂອງ​ການ​ມີ “ປ່າ​ທໍາ​ມະ​ຊາດ” ມ້າ, ແກະ​ແລະ​ງົວ​ຄວາຍ. par ສໍາ​ລັບ​ຫຼັກ​ສູດ​ການ, ພືດ​ລະ​ດູ​ອອກ​ດອກ​ພຽງ​ແຕ່​ປະ​ມານ​ນີ້ Horehound (Marrubium v​​ulgare). ເຖິງ​ວ່າ​ຈະ​ມີ​ພືດ​ທີ່​ບໍ່​ແມ່ນ native ແລະ (ເຄິ່ງ)ຂະ​ຫນາດ​ໃຫຍ່​ສັດ​,, ແມງ​ໄມ້​ທີ່​ຍັງ​ຄົງ​ຢູ່​ໃນ​ເຮ​​ືອນ. ເປັນ​ພຽງ​ແຕ່​ແຫຼ່ງ nectar, the small clumps of invasives were packed with thirsty Lycaenidae. In all I netted 6 different species and got some decent shots of 3. It seems like I take a lot of butterfly photos for a moth collectorbut it’s hard to pass up such a charismatic group.

But thinking of those horses (ah OK, “mustangs”) has given me a great idea. Yes, horses were once part of the prehistoric American fauna up until about 12,000 ປີກ່ອນ. While the horse family may have evolved on the American plains, they have been long absent. Reintroduction of horses by the Spaniards planted the seeds that would become a staple of American culture. That is why today millions of dollars and tens of thousands of feral horses run wild in CA, NV and Utah. Even less popular are the somewhat clandestine annual culls that must be strictly enforced to keep these large herds healthy. My solution: reintroduce lions. America was once home to the North American lion (Panthera leo atrox), which stood a whopping 25% larger than the African lion and was the largest cat to have ever lived. These must have feasted on horse-tacos and in turn kept the populations stable. And since our feral horses are of Arabian dissent, we may as well introduce the extremely endangered Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica), that will be well suited to feast on its Persian brethren. If we are conserving “ປ່າ​ທໍາ​ມະ​ຊາດ” ມ້າ, we might as well do it right (plus, I’d be much more interested in seeing horses if I could see lions too).


Grinter Satyrium californica cygnusSatyrium californica cygnus

Satyrium behrii

Callophyrus gryneus nelsoni




Grumble grumble

I’m not too sure if I’m sold on this theme. I’ve been shopping around for a new look, and am givingtwenty tena try. Let me know your opinionwhether or not you think it is better than the previous layoutmisty”, or if there is another design you love. Be extra critical (especially since I had zero to do with these pre-fab designs).

ດີ – didn’t like the new theme all that much, went back to the tried and true misty. I can always hope for a future one that fits this page a bit better though.

Thanks for the input (especially for some received off-blog).

Western Arizona

A few months ago I was out collecting in western Arizona and failed to follow through with any images or updates on that trip. ດີ, it was a success and well worth the miles to get there! I was searching for a Crambid moth in the mountains of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (special thanks to the Kofa staff for quickly approving my permits). While I’m still sorting through moths from that trip, the timing couldn’t have been better weather wise. It was mild out (mid 90’s is almost cool for that region!) and still wet. As you can see below, there were plenty of moths that night. Here are a few images from the tripnow to catch up with my latest photos!

This is as close to the Big Horn Sheep as I could get

Continue reading Western Arizona

(Grinter) ເຮືອນຜີ

I’m back from the road with thousands of specimens, a little weary and ready to sit still for a bit. In all it was a wonderful tripbut I have lots and lots of processing to do. While I play catch-up, enjoy this clip. ເທົ່າ​ທີ່​ຂ້ອຍ​ຮູ້, there is no direct relation. But the Grinter pool is a small one and it seems like he should be somewhere on my tree. All I can say is that I hope after I am gone there are ghosts of my creepy employees haunting my home, breathing heavily behind visitors (ກໍ່? that’s the latest ghost trick?). I also fully expect a documentary with a guy trying ກໍ່ hard to sound creepyit should be in my last will and testament.

On the road again

Over the next week and a half I’ll be driving up to Washington state for the annual Lepidopterists’ Society meeting. It is located in the tourist-trap town of Leavenworth, which is aBavarian themeddiorama of postcard and clog shops. While I can never quite understand the appeal of themed towns, it is something Americans just love. ເຮກ, I lived in Solvang for two years (ຂ້າງ​ລຸ່ມ​ນີ້), so Leavenworth will be a nostalgic remembrance.

Now of course I’ll be camping and collecting along the way, so my posting will dip below the already slow norm. I’ll try to post some updates form the road, especially when incredible things happen*. ຕິດຕາມຢູ່, and enjoy the other spectacular bloggers from my blogroll.

* Which they undoubtedly will. Of course, I know I promised this from my last road trip to Arizona and have yet to deliver. I’m working on it!