tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28867008532555259692024-03-19T03:48:37.599-05:00Bug EricAll about insects, spiders, and other arthropods, focusing on North America north of Mexico.Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.comBlogger776125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-60799212852153142632024-03-14T08:00:00.001-05:002024-03-14T08:00:00.244-05:00Spooders and NoodlesRecently, I asked my friends on a social media platform to express their opinions on the trend of anthropomorphism as applied to traditionally uncharismatic fauna such as spiders (“spooders”) and snakes (“noodles”). The topic received over one hundred comments, with few people commenting more than once. The responses were all over the map, including some uncharted places in my own mind when I Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-69011069095416932402024-03-01T12:13:00.000-06:002024-03-01T12:13:17.005-06:00How We Can Stop Hating WaspsRecent studies have shown that wasps are among the most loathed of all insects. Consequently, much time and money is wasted on trying to eradicate them, especially by homeowners. Let’s consider why we have the attitudes we do, and how we can achieve coexistence with wasps.A trio of Western Yellowjakcet workers dispatches a pest caterpillar.Why do we hate wasps?There are three main reasons wasps Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-30136903947205934142024-02-14T11:41:00.000-06:002024-02-14T11:41:05.887-06:00"Bird Food"Recently, in certain circles, insects have come to be defined as “bird food.” I was going to devote this post to describing why this is offensive, because it is, but it also occurred to me how hilarious this is, because it is that, too. Let us begin.Western Meadowlark with sphinx moth caterpillarThe first question that may come to mind is, “What is not bird food?” Like pretty much all animals, Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-53621052186449246882024-01-31T22:06:00.000-06:002024-01-31T22:06:30.822-06:00Hibiscus Scentless Plant Bug Life CycleIt is a rare occasion when I am able to document all life stages of an insect species, let alone in the same location, or over a period of a couple of days. That is what happened, though, when I photographed a population of a scentless plant bug, Niesthrea louisianica, sometimes called the Hibiscus Scentless Plant Bug. Indeed, hibiscus and related plants in the family Malvaceae are their hosts. Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-70228264845667362722024-01-07T12:19:00.009-06:002024-01-07T12:19:47.725-06:00Book Review: UnderbugTermites exist at the intersection of biology, chemistry, ecology, engineering, and perhaps even philosophy. In Underbug: An Obsessive Tale of Termites and Technology, author Lisa Margonelli masterfully weaves all of these elements together, and then some. She manages to remain in that sweet spot between total participation in the story, and complete detachment, never overtaking the spotlight of Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-73703979486563929402023-12-17T20:10:00.003-06:002023-12-17T20:10:53.619-06:00Book Review: Flower BugsI must preface this review by stating that the author, Angella Moorehouse, and publisher, Heather Holm, are personal friends. That is not why I am conflicted in my reaction to this book. Neither is it because I view this book as being in competition with any of my own works. We cannot have enough literature devoted to promoting public understanding and appreciation of insects. It boils down in Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-72906511393175893412023-11-04T23:51:00.003-05:002023-11-05T17:55:38.693-06:00Last Night to Blacklight?A green mantisfly (left) and a leafhopper parade across the top of the sheet behind our blacklight at night.Back on October 23, 2023, we had an abnormally warm day of 86℉. I took advantage of this to put out a blacklight, in front of a white sheet, on our back yard fence that night. Because of insect decline, and the role of light pollution in driving down the survival and reproductive Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-83813609373501456992023-08-23T15:34:00.010-05:002023-08-23T15:34:58.417-05:00Bug Fair 2023 RecapI had not attended the annual Bug Fair at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (California) since about 2011, so I was overdue in seeing old friends and making new ones. Heidi and I had a wonderful time, and stayed in the area for the week afterwards to enjoy some of the natural areas in the greater Los Angeles region, as well as spend time socializing. The fair itself is a major Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-17143974278103163352023-08-13T21:59:00.000-05:002023-08-13T21:59:39.599-05:00I Am Unable to Reply to Comments, and I'm SorryVisitors to this blog need to know that Blogger will no longer allow me to reply to your comments and questions on my posts, or even make my own comments. I understand your frustration, as it is mine, also. I can sometimes reply in a different browser than I normally use (Mozilla Firefox), but even that seems unreliable. Eventually, I want to have a dedicated author and writer website, where I Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-10625314772696073162023-06-08T20:28:00.001-05:002023-06-08T20:28:51.123-05:00Guest Post: "Friend or Foe?"by Caity JuddCaity Judd is one of those people who I put in the category of “best friends I haven’t met in person yet.” She is curious, adventurous, and a tireless advocate for all things unsung and underappreciated, including fellow humans. The following is a post she made to a Facebook group that we both subscribe to. It is so eloquent and passionate that I asked if I could publish it here as aBug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-42559826234397687772023-05-12T16:09:00.004-05:002023-05-12T16:09:25.923-05:00City Nature Challenge 2023 RecapPearl Crescent butterfly, Phyciodes tharosHere, in our neck of the woods in Leavenworth, Kansas, USA, the 2023 City Nature Challenge was, well, challenging. Our county is part of the Greater Kansas City Metro as defined for the City Nature Challenge. Besides unseasonably cool temperatures, and viciously windy weather, there was the competition of the National Football League draft in downtown Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-30502623735166895012023-03-28T10:34:00.001-05:002023-03-28T20:07:18.600-05:00Strange Flies on a Fish CarcassSpring has been dragging her heels here in northeast Kansas, USA, but my partner and I managed a brief outing to take advantage of a certifiably warm and sunny day this past Saturday. Finally, there were a few insects to be seen, even if they were mostly non-biting midges, a few other flies, one butterfly, and several Eastern Boxelder Bugs. Heidi spotted the remains of a large fish just off the Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-44007175108594501752023-01-12T18:24:00.001-06:002023-01-12T18:24:48.070-06:00Wasp Webinar Presentation to Athol Bird & Nature ClubLast night I presented a webinar on "Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect" to the Athol Bird & Nature Club. Here is the embedded recording from Youtube if you would like to view it. I cannot guarantee an indefinite duration for the link. Thank you.Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-16415042533884892302022-12-07T16:33:00.002-06:002022-12-07T16:33:52.689-06:00A Potential New Host Record for Calliephialtes grapholithae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from a Paper Wasp nest (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistes metricus)Adult female ichneumon wasp, Calliephialtes grapholithaeIt started out innocently enough. Back in 2021, a Facebook post by Sloan Tomlinson (@thatwaspguy on Twitter) caught my attention. He had reared small parasitoid wasps, Elasmus polistis, from an abandoned paper wasp nest that he had contained. I messaged him to learn more, and then followed his suggestion to try this myself.Nest of Polistes Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-24852900646695257302022-11-06T10:19:00.001-06:002023-11-16T16:46:12.548-06:00The Changing Conversation Around Invasive SpeciesRecently, the debate about invasive species has become more polarized than ever, with a degree of defensiveness and anger not seen previously. The reasons for this are many, some difficult to admit to.Chinese Clematis may be invasive, but it deserves a less bigoted name.I attended a webinar a few weeks ago in which the presenter asserted that “invasive species” is a “militarized term.” My Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-21169169124391483392022-10-24T23:33:00.000-05:002022-10-24T23:33:36.191-05:00Fall (Bug) ColorsOctober is the heart of autumn in many parts of North Amreica, with intensifying colors of fall foliage. Insects reflect the changing hues of plants, the better to camouflage themselves. As chlorophyll recedes, xanthophyll (yellow) and other carotenoids (orange), begin to manifest. Anthocyanins (reds to purples) become prominent, too. Could it be that insects feeding on those leaves take on the Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-70982554872296247892022-10-17T18:16:00.000-05:002022-10-17T18:16:13.102-05:00Jim Anderson: My Original MentorLast week I learned that my first true mentor, Jim Anderson, passed away on September 22, 2022 at the age of 94. It was my intention to honor him while he was still among the living, but I did not make that enough of a priority. That oversight in no way reflects what a powerful and positive influence he was on my life, and the lives of so many others.Jim Anderson at 82 years youngI am reasonably Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-11647859599549931012022-09-25T14:45:00.000-05:002022-09-25T14:45:54.970-05:00Book Review: Spiders of North AmericaIt is “Spider Sunday” on this blog, so what better to post than a rave review of the newest spider identification resource, the Princeton Field Guide to Spiders of North America, by Sarah Rose. Yes, I wrote the foreword for this book, but I guarantee that this is an unbiased review. There is far more to recommend this book than my mere two cents at its beginning.Spiders have faced an uphill Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-88349066785276250912022-09-20T17:24:00.005-05:002022-09-20T17:52:15.991-05:00Fungus Party-y-y!Sometimes, with luck, you stumble upon a wonderful circumstance of insect abundance. My partner, Heidi, did so this past Saturday afternoon, September 17, along a trail through Wyandotte County Lake Park, Kansas, USA. She happened to notice a thick mass of mushrooms at the base of a tree. It was literally crawling with insects.Everybody on the dance floor!The fungus in question may be a species Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-29110886673455455432022-08-31T21:32:00.000-05:002022-08-31T21:32:40.809-05:00Wasp Wednesday: Another Cricket Hunter, Lyroda subitaCrickets in the family Gryllidae are sufficiently diverse, and abundant enough, to be the target hosts for a variety of parasitoid wasps, especially those in the families Sphecidae and Crabronidae. There are previous posts about the Steel Blue Cricket Hunter, and the genus Liris, but here in eastern Kansas there is another player. Lyroda subita is easily confused with Liris, but the clue is in Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-27571512784908949882022-08-17T17:58:00.001-05:002022-08-18T22:10:25.442-05:00Wasp Wednesday: AulacidsPristaulacus fasciatus femaleSometimes an unfortunate event yields something interesting later. More on that in a minute. Aulacid wasps are seldom seen, but also often overlooked due to their superficial resemblance to ichneumon wasps. They are found in similar situations as ichneumons, and behave similarly. Two genera and 185 species make up the family Aulacidae, and they collectively occur on Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-38468491640048965092022-08-09T19:22:00.000-05:002022-08-09T19:22:12.285-05:00Why I am Reviewing The Trayvon Generation in a “Bug Blog”I have been accused of being “political” even in some of the entomology posts in this blog, but there is nothing political about human rights. It is my opinion that there will be no abatement of the “insect apocalypse,” no permanent success in the conservation of endangered species of any kind, until we save our own species from racism and other forms of bigotry afflicting people of color, women,Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-4585104995302798472022-07-24T23:05:00.000-05:002022-07-24T23:05:25.845-05:00It's National Moth Week Already?!Yes, National Moth Week is once again upon us! This year it happens starting yesterday, July 23, and ends Sunday, July 31. NMW is an annual citizen science event that anyone can participate in. You might start by visiting the National Moth Week website for information about the history of the project, and how to contribute your observations.Suzuki's Promalactis Moth, Promalactis suzukiellaDespiteBug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-8726282719451148022022-07-17T16:29:00.001-05:002022-07-17T16:29:29.469-05:00What is, and is NOT, a Japanese BeetleIt is that time of year again in North America when everything is a Japanese Beetle. No matter whether you are a trusted and reliable expert, other people will insist that Green June Beetles, Fig Beetles, Dogbane Leaf Beetles, and various other beetles, are in fact Japanese Beetles. Why is this the case? There is much misinformation online and in the media. Family, friends, coworkers, and others Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886700853255525969.post-48661758910443024872022-07-13T11:36:00.000-05:002022-07-13T11:36:26.583-05:00Still Unable to Reply to CommentsFriends, I am still unable to reply to comments, even using a different browser. I am so sorry. I can do so "anonymously," in M.S. Edge, but then I have to approve my own comment! If anyone knows how to resolve this and can explain in as non-technical a manner as possible, please let me know. No answers in online forums are terribly helpful, nor current. Thank you.Bug Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253157009010644214noreply@blogger.com2