This moth is just about as rare as its paranormal namesake (except that it’s real) – it’s a Gazoryctra sp. in the family Hepialidae. They represent a basal lineage of the Lepidoptera and are commonly known as ghost moths or swift moths. Ghost – because males of some species are known to fly in . . . → Read More: Biology of a Ghost
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Who can see what’s wrong with this article? Share this!This recent article in the American Naturalist has taken a second look at some of the famously inflated species estimates, some going high as 100 million (Erwin, 1988). Estimates conducted by the authors indicate that projections above 30 million have probabilities of <0.00001. Their estimated range is more likely to be between 2.5 and . . . → Read More: Estimates of Global Species Diversity Share this!Just a few images of common California leps, taken along the coast range near Santa Cruz a few weeks ago. Starting to work my way through some photo backlog…
Euphydryas chalcedona
Plebejus acmon
Plebejus acmon
. . . → Read More: May Butterflies (and a moth) Share this!For the rarely reoccurring quiz series, here is a new image. Who is this moth? Share this!For those Californians reading, especially those in the south, keep an eye out for this beautiful little spider, Latrodectus geometricus – the brown widow. Arachnologists at UC Riverside are monitoring the spread of this invasive species. Ironically it turns out to not be as dangerous as our native black widow. Nonetheless, it is not . . . → Read More: Have you seen me? Share this!It’s good to throw a changeup every one in a while, and this week here is an article that is actually GOOD. Yes, you read it here first, a positive article about entomology collections. We all need a breather after that Fox news fiasco with the Michigan State collection. The Honolulu Magazine does a really . . . → Read More: Genius of the Press, v. VI Share this!For those who are not aware, a new book hit the market at the end of last year. “The Moths of Western North America“, Powell and Opler. At only $95 it’s worth every cent (or $75 for the e-book, but I hate e-books). It’s a remarkable tome and the first of its kind . . . → Read More: To all you Moth-ers Share this!From a peppermint Pericopinae. I recorded this video on-site in northern Costa Rica a few years ago. When I reached down to pick up this moth, it was hard to avoid noticing the behavior. The moth, Chetone angulosa (Erebidae: Pericopina) ((used to be Arctiidae)), has a common defensive mechanism for this group – they . . . → Read More: Moth Perfume Share this! 5 comments - (Comments are closed)  Entomology  Butterflies, Defensive Behavior, Entomology, Hazards of Collecting, Lepidoptera, Moths For the last four weekends now I have been on a goose chase, for one moth, Heliolonche celeris. It’s a beautiful small Noctuidae with pinkish forewings and stunning orange-red hindwings. It isn’t very often encountered and only found along the northern California mountain ranges feeding on Malacothrix floccifera – a CA endemic flower. Every trip . . . → Read More: The Art of a Goose Chase Share this! 10 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology Entomology, Flowers, Hazards of Collecting, Lepidoptera, Moths, Non-Insects |
Skepticism |
