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[youtube kZyIN23Cy4Y 480 360] The microscopic insect world is a very different one from ours and we rarely are given glimpses into it. Thanks in part to the impressive Phantom camera system and the Flight Artists project researchers have filmed the minute (1mm!) Trichogramma wasp (Chalcidoidea) in flight. These insects are . . . → Read More: The Soaring Microcosmos Share this! Comments are closed  Entomology  Behavior, Biomechanics, Entomology, Flight, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Parasite Trosia nigrorufa (Megalopygidae)
This Monday moth is a stunning female of the Neotropical Megalopygidae – Trosia nigrorufa. Ed Ross and Ev Schlinger collected this specimen in Peru in 1955, and I’ve heard many stories about these epic expeditions. I can’t really imagine travelling via cargo ship, being gone for six or more . . . → Read More: Monday Moth Share this! Comments are closed Entomology California Academy of Sciences, Collecting, Entomology, Lepidoptera, Megalopygidae, Monday Moth, Moths Oops, I skipped last monday’s moth, so here are two! These are some stunners from the CAS Philippines expedition and I think I have figured out their names. If you know better, please correct me.
Parasa darma (Limacodidae)
Parotis marginata (Crambidae)
. . . → Read More: Monday Moth Share this! One comment - (Comments are closed) Entomology California Academy of Sciences, Entomology, Lepidoptera, Monday Moth, Moths, Philippines Schinia villosa
This Monday’s moth is a duo of Schinia villosa (Noctuidae) resting on what I am assuming is their host plant (Erigeron sp.). I snapped this shot around 9,000 feet up on the Kaibab plateau in Northern Arizona last month. A fire must have burned the area a few years ago . . . → Read More: Monday Moth Share this! One comment - (Comments are closed) Entomology Arizona, Entomology, Flowers, Lepidoptera, Moths, Photography A month ago or so the California Academy of Sciences launched a full fledged expedition to the Philippines. While the majority of the cash was spent on a clipper ship and dive teams, there was a terrestrial component. While I didn’t get to go (and sat at home and pouted), I did talk some of . . . → Read More: Insects of the Philippines I Share this! 2 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology Butterflies, California Academy of Sciences, Collecting, Entomology, Lepidoptera, Philippines Last week Jim Hayden guessed the moth I posted was an Australian Oecophoridae. It was a good guess because there are so many large and stunning moths in this family from Australia. One of the best has to be this one, Wingia lambertella (Oecophoridae), captured on Black Mountain in Canberra October 23, 1955 (CAS collections). . . . → Read More: Monday Moth Share this! One comment - (Comments are closed) Entomology California Academy of Sciences, Entomology, Invasive Species, Lepidoptera, Moths, Photography This GOP is less of a challenge and more of a simple roundup of miserable stock photography. Alex Wild and others have long ago pointed out the massive failings of many stock photo sites – but here is a brief and painful lep roundup using Google. Step 1: Image search “moth on flower”. Step 2: . . . → Read More: Genius of the Press XX Share this! 5 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology Bad Science, Butterflies, Contest, Entomology, Flowers, Lepidoptera, Media Here is another wonderful video from Warren! I am guessing this is a Choreutidae because of the way the wings are held while dancing – although it’s too fast to really get a clear look. Given that it’s from a fauna I’m totally unfamiliar with I could easily be wrong – so please correct me . . . → Read More: Dancing Moth Share this!Fresh off the presses, the Miami Blue Butterfly (MBB) is now listed as federally endangered by act of an emergency provision. Huzzah! (right?) Miami Blue Butterfly from Butterflies of America My first thought was “wait, wasn’t this already endangered?”. Yes, turns out the MBB has been state-endangered since 2002 after a previous emergency . . . → Read More: NABA Turns Fish and Wildlife into Brainless Zombies Share this! 9 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology, Skepticism Bad Science, Butterflies, Conservation, Entomology, Fish and Wildlife, Law, Lepidoptera, NABA, Skepticism, USFWS
This week’s moth is a video of a dancing micro from the Philippines (taken by Warren Laurde). As you might suspect this is a mating display that ends in a pretty spectacular headstand. There are lots of other microleps that have dancing or display behavior, but there are almost no other videos online . . . → Read More: Monday Moth Share this! 3 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology Behavior, Entomology, Lepidoptera, Mating, Microlepidoptera, Moths, Philippines |
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