Lunedi Moth

I’ll keep the ball rolling with Arctiinae and post a photo today of Ctenucha brunnea. This moth can be common in tall grasses along beaches from San Francisco to LAalthough in recent decades the numbers of this moth have been declining with habitat destruction and the invasion of beach grass (Ammophila arenaria). Ma . . . → Per saperne di più: Lunedi Moth

Curators Astounded!

Well as you may have guessed the subject isn’t as shocking as my title suggests, but I couldn’t help but to spin from the Guardian article. I really find it hilarious when I come across anything that says scientists areastounded”, “baffled”, “shocked”, “puzzled”, – I guess that’s a topic for another timeNevertheless a . . . → Per saperne di più: Curators Astounded!

Lunedi Moth

Today’s moth is a beautiful and rare species from SE Arizona and Mexico: Lerina incarnata (Erebidae: Arctiinae). Like many other day flying species it is brilliantly colored and quite likely aposematic. After all, the host plant is a milkweed and the caterpillar is just as stunning (sotto).

Lerina incarnata (Erebidae: Arctiinae)

 

This . . . → Per saperne di più: Lunedi Moth

Tutto il nuovo, Falene attacco!

Sembra che ci sia una preponderanza di leggende metropolitane che coinvolgono gli insetti striscianti in faccia mentre dormiamo. Il più famoso mito è qualcosa sulla falsariga di “si mangia 8 ragni un anno durante il sonno“. In realtà quando si google che il numero varia da 4 a 8… fino . . . → Per saperne di più: Tutto il nuovo, Falene attacco!

Il mondo incredibilmente rumoroso di bug sesso

Micronecta Scholtz

Le colline della campagna europea sono vivi nel coro di amorosa, urlando, insetti acquatici maschi. Il piccolo insetto sopra, Micronecta Scholtz (Corixidae), misure ad un enorme 2,3 millimetri e ancora produce un clic / ronzio facilmente udibile dall'orecchio umano al di sopra della superficie dell'acqua. To put that in . . . → Per saperne di più: Il mondo incredibilmente rumoroso di bug sesso

Lunedi Moth

I’m going to keep the ball rolling with this series and try to make it more regular. I will also focus on highlighting a new species each week from the massive collections here at the California Academy of Sciences. This should give me enough material forat least a few hundred years.

Grammia . . . → Per saperne di più: Lunedi Moth

Arizona on Fire

Maps/containment % updated: 16 Giugno

As July approaches I being to look forward to the Pacific Coast meeting of the Lepidopterists’ Società. This year it will take place in Prescott Arizona, circa 2 hours north of Phoenix. And as of this moment it is one of the few places in Arizona not on fire. . . . → Per saperne di più: Arizona on Fire

Take that, vertebrates!

I’ve known for a while that beetles and other inverts occasionally have vertebrates on their menu, but I didn’t really know how large of an animal they could subdue! Even when the odd mantis grabs a hummingbird the size difference is not as substantial as is shown below. This impressive video was . . . → Per saperne di più: Take that, vertebrates!

Lunedi Moth

Whoops, it’s almost Tuesday! Above is Schinia ligeae (Noctuidae) resting on its host plant Xylorhiza tortifolia, the Mojave Aster. I photographed this about three weeks ago outside the town of Big Pine, California. The asters were thick in the valleys below the snow capped Sierra, and the moths were abundant. . . . → Per saperne di più: Lunedi Moth

Genio della stampa XVIII

 

Who can tell me what’s wrong below? Not only is it the obvious photo problem, but the author of the article takes some logical leaps to support his premise. Who can tell me what his logical fallacies are? I won’t link to the entire article quite yet because a well known Lepidopterist has already . . . → Per saperne di più: Genio della stampa XVIII