Reserved

Yes I'm still alive. This has gone on too long. Damn this situation (can't wait until it's over) that I'm in. It's put a damper on me updating this thing.

Will fill in post for December a bit later. I need to start working on this month.

Real Nice Linky

I found this blog just now I swear......another one that's gonna help me in the future! Thank you!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a great one! Love you all! *^^*

I know I'm waaay behind post ( stress does that ) but I'm working on it. Never fear. :)

Mayflies

Baetus sp. You'll get another rant on these later.

Got this photo from that ingenious Chinese insect site. Lots of photos of insects that have me wondering WTF is going on? Sucks that there's no English version or something.

I have questions though. Like do all Baetus species have those fascinating eyes? I've never seen a mayfly ( picture or in person ) with eyes like that. Holy shit. All the more reason to have that damn site in ENGLISH PLEASE!! T_T

I will do more research to find out somethings. What are those things?

1. Find out what Baetus species this one is.
2. Find out if they all have those type of eyes
3. Find out if there's any specific reason for having those kind of eyes
4. Find out more about them in general cause I love mayflies. *^^*

Toodles! I have work to do. YAY! *^^*

BOTM: Amorpha Borer ( Megacyllene decora )

Came across these by accident really. I thought they were pretty so I decided to do research on these and I found that they're pretty variable but that's about it.

There doesn't seem to be anything else on them. I wonder why?

Miniscule Series - Snail Dreaming About Speeding

You missed these didn't you? More to come! And this is adorable! *^^*

Download:

Snail Dreaming About Speeding

Your very welcome! Until next time!

"The Forgotten Ones"

Ok they weren't really forgotten....as if they were this wouldn't be here. :P AOL's quotes on the ACP ( Asian Citrus Psyllid ) and the Persea Mite.

Have fun with these!

1. Asian Citrus Psyllid

What they threaten: California's $1.3 billion citrus industry.

Modus operandi: The Asian citrus psyllid isn't such a bad bug on its own, but it can carry the devious and deadly Huanglongbing (HLB) bacteria, which kills all varieties of citrus trees. And what's truly sneaky is that it's often not evident for years that a citrus tree has been infected, so if the owner of the trees isn't aware of what's going on, the psyllids continue to eat away at the tree, allowing HLB to continue to spread.

"Left unchecked, the Asian citrus psyllid will spread throughout California," warns Elizabeth Grafton-Cardwell, a University of California entomologist working to minimize the Asian citrus psyllid population. As for the disease it carries, "There is no cure," Grafton-Cardwell says, "and it is a death sentence for citrus."

Fun fact: "The adult psyllid tilts its rear end up in the air when it feeds -- a unique posture among citrus pests," Grafton-Cardwell says.

- AOL Small Business

No cure?! Damn them little bastards. :P

2. Persea Mite

What they threaten: California's $320 million avocado industry, where 90 percent of the nation's avocados are grown, as well as the peach and apricot industries.

Modus operandi: They like to feed on avocados, which causes the plant's leaves to fall prematurely. As the leaves fall too soon, the bark becomes sunburned, the fruit doesn't grow properly and the avocado trees in general get stressed out.

Fun fact: The average persea mite only lives 15 to 40 days. The warmer the weather, the shorter the life. Sixty-seven degrees Fahrenheit seems to be the sweet spot.

- AOL Small Business

Sweet Jesus........GET RID OF THE FUCKERS! Sorry.....^^; I just really like avocados.

8. Coffee Borer Beetle ( Hypothenemus hampei )

Alright.

First off. I don't like coffee. But sooooo many people do so this little bugger is bad. :P Once again I don't know squat about these so you'll be learning with me.

YAY! *^^* So anyway as for pictures forget it. All I could find were pics of dead specimens and the one pic that I could've used is blurry. Bad quality. But you'll get to see it anyway cause it's on the Wikipedia article that I'm quoting below ( do extra research ).

Did anyone spot the "bad quality" pun in there? Cookies if you have.

The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei, is a small beetle native to Africa. It is recognized as the most harmful pest to coffee crops worldwide. The insect affects over seventy countries, mainly in Latin America.

The maturation of the insect (from egg to adult) lasts between 24 and 45 days, varying according to the weather. Usually, the female drills the berry through the central disc, although it can enter through the side walls if the fruit is dry. Two days after the access, the beetle lays 35–50 eggs, which produce 13 females for each male.

The lifespan for females is 35–190 days and for males 40 days. The new insects mate inside the seed. Some females lay the eggs in the same coffee plant, others colonise new ones. The males never leave the fruit.

The same plant can host three to five generations of beetles. Up to a hundred beetles can be found in a single fruit. The insect is very sensitive to desiccation, and waits for the rains to leave the fruit. The most affected areas in the crops are the shady and moist ones.

Fascinating huh? And now for something you and I would've never thought possible ( unless you know better ):

Parthenogenetic Beetles!

Is there such a thing? Yup! It's mentioned in said article. I will look into this more to confirm it and also see if other species of beetles are like this.

Bloody fascinating I tell you. This is why I love insects. All the surprises!

What they threaten: Hawaii's coffee growers, an estimated $60 million industry.

Modus operandi: These insects, which are well-known in Central America and South America, were recently discovered in Hawaii by a University of Hawaii graduate student. The bug bores into the coffee cherry and lays its eggs. As soon as the larvae, the juvenile coffee borers, arrive on the scene, they instantly feeding on the coffee bean. Borers typically ruin about 20 percent of a crop and do an estimated $500 million in damage every year.

Fun fact: The coffee cherry borer is a small beetle, about the size of a sesame seed.

- AOL Small Business

Holy....$500 million a year?! I told you they were bad.

* And that ladies and gents concludes this "series" of mine. Thank you! You've been a wonderful audience! *^^*

What's cooking next: The Hall of Shame.......dun dun dun....^^

7. Brown Marmorated Stink Bug ( Halyomorpha halys )

Oh joy! You'll be pleased to know that I've had "experience" with these before ( said "experience" is seeing them and holding them that's all ). I had no idea these were pests. Well until they start fucking my garden I won't hate them.

Hell I don't hate them because they haven't done anything to me. XD In fact they've helped me not have a complete and total breakdown this year. How? Well it's rather personal but I had found one in my house crawling on the wall right before I lost it and let's just say it prevented me from having a breakdown because it made me feel better.

As for knowing about them all I knew is that they were a type of stink bug and that I've seen plenty before. I had no idea they were a pest.

It's a shame because I like them. Hell I'll always like them just don't fuck up my garden. *^^* So anyway on with the info on these babies!

As always from Wikipedia ( do extra research ):

Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug, or simply the stink bug, is an insect in the family Pentatomidae, and is native to China Mainland. It was accidentally introduced into the United States, with the first specimen being collected in September 1998. The brown marmorated stink bug is considered to be an agricultural pest.

The brown marmorated stink bug is more likely to invade homes in the fall than others in the family. The brown marmorated stink bug survives the winter as an adult by entering houses and structures when fall evenings start to turn cold.

Adults can live for several years and look for buildings to overwinter in that shield them from the elements. They will work their way under siding, into soffits, around window and door frames, under roof shingles and into any crawl space or attic vent which has openings big enough to fit through. Once inside the house they will go into a state of hibernation where they wait for winter to pass, but often the warmth inside the house causes them to become active, especially in winter months, and they will fly clumsily around light fixtures.

Awwwww.....♡ *^^* And now here's AOL bashing them. XD

What they threaten: Farmers, and they could embarrass some business owners in their own stores.

Modus operandi: Although the United States has plenty of stink bugs, this one first showed up in Pennsylvania in 1998. Since then, they've been attacking farmers' crops, including apples, figs, peaches, citrus and mulberries. On the plus side, "Often, they just do cosmetic damage rather than actually destroying the fruit," says Ron Harrison. Of course, try telling a potential customer the apple he's eying isn't as disgusting as it looks. As for getting into a place of business, they won't -- unless you have cracks around your windows or doors, or if they can find a way through the utility pipes or by invading your siding.

Fun fact: Once stink bugs move into your storefront, they will come year after year. They return because they can smell the odor they left behind. It's kind of like leaving out a sign to other stink bugs that your establishment is a fun vacation spot.

- AOL Small Business

Well that's all folks. I also found a PDF on them that I'll post my download linky for in a bit so expect an edit on that.

And I wouldn't mind having some visit me. But not too many. *^^*

6. Varroa Destructor

Don't know too much about these little parasites but I can tell you right now that they're most likely in the serious decline of our fuzzy honey making little friends.

Wikipedia has alot of information on these ( DO EXTRA RESEARCH! ):

Varroa destructor is an external parasitic mite that attacks honey bees Apis cerana and Apis mellifera. The disease caused by the mites is called varroatosis.

Varroa destructor can only replicate in a honey bee colony. It attaches at the body of the bee and weakens the bee by sucking hemolymph. In this process the mite spreads RNA viruses like wing virus (DWV) to the bee.

A significant mite infestation will lead to the death of a honey bee colony, usually in the late autumn through early spring. The Varroa mite is the parasite with the most pronounced economic impact on the beekeeping industry. It may be a contributing factor to colony collapse disorder (CCD), as research shows it is the main factor for collapsed colonies in Ontario, Canada.

The rest of the article can be found here. And AOL Small Business's entry on the little suckers:

What businesses they threaten: The beekeeping industry -- a $12 billion industry in the United States alone.

Modus operandi: The varroa destructor is a blood sucking parasite, attacking both adults and kids. The juvenile honeybees born under the influence of a varroa destructor often are deformed, missing legs or wings. It's a very bad situation for the bees and not a great one for the honeybee industry, and considering how we depend on bees to pollinate flowers and crops, it's a bad situation for the world at large.

Fun fact: The varroa destructor was first discovered in Southeast Asia in 1904. They first turned up in the United States in 1987.

- AOL Small Business

Fascinating and evil at the same time. I wonder if there's an effective way to get rid of them for good in development or something?

Something has to be done because we need our honey bees!

5. Asian Ladybugs ( Harmonia axyridis )

Some of the many forms or "disguises" of Harmonia axyridis. Very pretty.

How many times have I mentioned these so far? Idk. But one thing is for sure is that they're bad. And you thought ladybugs were all good. Nope. And Harmonia axyridis isn't the worst of them either although I'd say this and another species tie first place.

That species will be mentioned at a later date. The list of crimes these beetles have committed over the years has grown as of now. It's shameful.....smh.

Some of these crimes are most shocking. The list if you will:

Zeh Crimes ( along with commentary ):

* Breaking and Entering
* Destroying native ladybug species
* Crimes against humanity ( in other words costing businesses $$ )
* Being a pain in the ass ( simply put there's too many of them )
* World Domination
* Biting people...... 0.0 What. The. Fuck.?!

The whole "Breaking and Entering" thing is in reference to the fact that every Autumn on warm days around October the little bastards find their way into houses by the hundreds or thousands to hibernate. This also attributes to the "there's too many of them" statement/crime.

They've settled themselves in as illegal U.S citizens of the order Coleoptera. Not only that but they're international now. In the UK they've been wiping out native ladybug species, two of which have gone extinct ( I remember reading this somewhere sometime ago ). The being a pain in the ass is in reference to all of the above.

And to quote the last one from the lovely Wikipedia:

Harmonia axyridis is a "typical" coccinellid beetle in shape and structure, being domed and having a "smooth" transition between its elytra (wing coverings), pronotum and head. It occurs in three main color forms: red or orange with black spots (known as form succinea); black with four red spots (form spectabilis); and black with two red spots (form conspicua). However, numerous intermediate and divergent forms have also been recorded. The species is typically large (7–8 mm long) and even more dome-shaped than native European species (these characteristics distinguish Harmonia axyridis from native species in the UK). It often has white markings (typically defining an "M"- or "W"-shaped black area) on its pronotum, and usually brown or reddish legs.

Many people now view this species as a nuisance, partly due to their tendency to overwinter indoors and the unpleasant odor and stain left by their bodily fluid when frightened or squashed, as well as their tendency to bite humans. (It is also currently increasing in Europe to the detriment of indigenous species, due to its voracious appetite which enables them to out-compete and even eat other lady beetles, as it also does in the United States).

Holy shit. Oh there's more people. Read about it here and do extra research. The world domination thing is due to the fact that they're found internationally now.

And the crimes against humanity as quoted by AOL Small Business:

What they threaten: The grape and wine industries -- and any business that has a building

Modus operandi: Basically, this is the Asian version of the ladybug, and mostly, they're harmless. But during the winter, they fly into buildings and crawl into windows, walls and attics. Before dying, they'll often release an annoying stench and a yellow fluid that stains. But if you're a fruit grower, you'll be much more than annoyed. This is war. After all, these Asian lady beetles like to munch on peaches, apples and grapes, among other fruit, and as wine growers have found, if even just a small number of these beetles are accidentally processed along with the grapes, it can taint the wine's flavor.

Fun fact: The Asian lady beetle's stench, which you'll discover if you try squashing them, Harrison says, "is their way of discouraging things from eating them."

- AOL Small Business

Oh joy! Now as for them biting people.......they have never bitten me.......oh wait.....0.0 I remember this one time I was on my terrace many years ago and I found one and it nipped me sorta. It wasn't painful. It's kinda hard to describe......0_0

There's a whole lot more you can find out on these if you do research. You'll be hearing about these from me again most definitely.......

.........as I'm not done trashing them. Toodles! *^^*

4. Crazy Rasberry Ants ( Nylanderia sp. )

I've heard of these before. And I also remember them being mentioned in a documentary years ago I think on the internet. It was fascinating.

Any way let's get on with it. My ramblings will come after.

The crazy Rasberry ant or Rasberry crazy ant is an invasive species of ant found near Houston Texas.

While this species is part of the crazy ant complex (group named because of the ants' random, nonlinear movements) the media and others in Texas are also calling it "Rasberry" after the exterminator Tom Rasberry who first noticed the ants were a problem in 2002.

This ant has yet to be identified as a species due to confusion regarding the taxonomy of the genus, and has for now been scientifically named Nylanderia species near pubens.

There is currently a large infestation in at least 11 counties in Texas. The ants appear to prefer the warmth and moistness of the coast.

This ant may or may not be the same ant as the Caribbean crazy ant, Nylanderia pubens (Florel ). I have something to say on the last part. Find Nylanderia pubens and put a bunch on electrical equipment and see if they munch it up. I briefly did some research to see if other ( namely N. pubens ) did the same thing and so far no mention of it.

Suspicious ( atm ) no? I'll keep searching later. But here's why they're on this list in the first place as quoted by the lovely article on AOL.

Happy Happy Joy Joy ( for me cause I enjoy reading things like this ):
What they threaten: Every business in parts of Texas, mostly in Houston. Reportedly seen in southern Arkansas.

Modus operandi: Crazy rasberry ants are named for exterminator Tom Rasberry, who first identified the critters in Houston in 2002. These ants bite humans and are oddly attracted to electrical equipment -- they enjoy nesting in it and chewing it up. In fact, the NASA Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake City, Texas, had some crazy rasberry ant sightings and brought in Rasberry to exterminate them.

After exterminations, "I've seen them in piles of two to three inches," says Ron Harrison, technical director for Orkin, the national pest control chain. Harrison says the businesses that seem to be the most in danger of infestation are manufacturing firms that have warehouses and storage areas among trees.

Fun fact: They're called "crazy" because the ants don't move in a straight line -- they move all over in a lot of different, zigzag directions. - AOL Small Business

Not only that but they're also on the list of ants that break the "typical ant life cycle". Why? Because these ants have multiple queens.

Yup. They have lots of mommies. Awwwww.....But that makes them a bitch to try and get rid of ( obviously ). I'd go on to imagine that other Nylanderia species have multiple queens too.

Must do research on that and get back to you. Crazy huh?

3. Persea Mite ( Oligonychus perseae )

First off. No piccies ( for now ). Sorry. And I once again have no experience with these because I never even heard of them before now.

Apparently they're pest of Avocados. That's horrid because I like Guacamole. I like my California rolls.....yummy. Correction: I LOVE my Guacamole and California rolls. And to think that these bastards put that in any sort of jeopardy........I'd like to sacrifice them to Nordic Gods.

Anyway this site has some rather interesting info on their criminal status. This is a rather long ( YAY! ) extract from said site.

Sorry if I bored you to death. :P But that's not my fault. *^^*

Persea mite (family Tetranychidae) is a key pest that occurs in most avocado-growing areas of California except the Central Valley. It is most damaging to Hass, Gwen, and a few other varieties. Esther, Pinkerton, and Reed are of intermediate susceptibility. The Bacon, Fuerte, Lamb Hass, and Zutano varieties are much less affected.

Many ornamentals and weeds also host persea mite. When persea mites were first introduced into California in the early 1990s, individual mites from heavy populations on avocado trees were seen drifting onto leaves of adjacent stone fruit trees, although they did not feed. Since that time, however, populations have been reduced and persea mites have not been observed on stone fruit trees or fruit, and Prunus species are not known to be a host of this mite.

Persea mite develops from an egg through a six-legged larval stage and two eight-legged nymphal stages before becoming an eight-legged adult. Adult females have an oval-shaped body that is slightly flattened and elongated. Females and immatures are yellowish or greenish with two or more small dark blotches on their abdomen.

Old females that have ceased oviposition turn darker green and become somewhat smaller and inactive. Males are smaller than reproductive females. Males are somewhat pear-shaped, slightly flattened, and yellowish with or without small dark spots. Persea mites feed and reproduce mostly beneath webbed patches or silk-covered "nests."

Each female lays about 2 to 4 dozen eggs during her life. Eggs are round, pale yellow, and develop red eye spots as they mature. Egg to adult female development time is about 2 to 3 weeks when temperatures average 77° to 63°F. Generation time can be accurately estimated by monitoring degree-days.

Cool winter temperatures slow persea mite population growth. Mite densities are lowest about March and gradually increase through spring feeding on new leaf flush. Populations generally peak in July and August. Persea mite populations are suppressed, and populations may decline rapidly, when the daily high temperature is 100°F or more on several consecutive days and humidity is low.

There are pictures on Google of them. Once find one that's "worthy" I'll post it.

Good day my minions!

2. Emerald Ash Borer ( Agrilus planipennis )

Photo/cartoon depicting the adult, larvae, and damage of the EAB ( Agrilus planipennis ).

Once again no actual experience with these. Although I've heard of them before. If I had any sort of experience I'd be rambling like crazy. I can tell you though that there's alot of info on these and how to get rid of these pests. Oh yeah and they invaded New York too. Oh joy!

Yup they're on the "Annoying Little Buggers That Must Die List" according to people who have dealt with them. As for me I've never even seen one except pictures.

And as to quote on what AOL says about them and why they're on ALPTMDL:

What they threaten: Wooden furniture manufacturers, lumber companies and at least one famous baseball bat company.

Modus operandi: This metallic-green, beautiful-but-devastating insect is attempting to destroy 7.5 billion ash trees in the United States. They were first discovered in Michigan in 2002. How they got here is anyone's guess, but most international insects travel to America for a better life as stowaways in luggage or on humans traveling on planes, or they burrow in cargo on ships or in packages sent through the mail.

The emerald ash borer is now found in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Maryland. Pennsylvania's trees, meanwhile, are the source for the Major League Baseball bats manufactured by the famed company Louisville Slugger, and the state has been girding itself for the emerald ash borer's arrival but has so far kept them at bay.

Fun fact: Minnesota is introducing stingless wasps into the state to combat the emerald ash borer.

- AOL Small Business

Bloody fascinating. I wonder how the stingless wasps will annihilate the EAB's? There's also a list of PDF's containing info on them here. Not to mention that the whole site is dedicated to research on these. Nice. Now I'd like something on their life cycle.

Wikipedia gives a very brief description of said life cycle. I like details but I'll take what I can get. I'll do deeper digging on said life cycle later.

For there's this little brief number on it:

The adult emerald ash borer emerges in May-July and the female lays numerous eggs in bark crevaces and between layers of bark.

The eggs hatch in 7-10 days and larvae bore into the tree where they chew the inner bark and phloem creating winding galleries as they feed. This cuts off the flow of the water and nutrients in the tree, causing dieback and death.

- Wikipedia

As always do extra research. Said article also list a number of references but as always you can't be too sure with regards to Wikipedia.

Eh I think I'm done for now on this. Peace out!

1. Asian Citrus Psyllid ( Diaphorina citri )

First off Happy Birthday to BoA!!

And now we get on with why we're here. Now I tried "researching" these but I must say there doesn't seem to be info on these things that's directly online. In other words not in 10,000 PDF's. However on Wikipedia there is info on Psyllids in general.

Very fascinating. I didn't read the whole thing but what I did read was interesting. The Psyllids themselves look like leafhoppers so much so I thought they were a type of leaf hopper with just a weird name.......one that I've heard/read before all of this.

Before properly finding out about Psyllids I imagined them to be aphid like you know? The name practically oozes that kind of image. You know Psyllid.

At least for me.....*^^* And the differences between leafhoppers and psyllids?

Well there isn't much on the physical aspect although I'm sure there's alot I'm missing but that's probably due to the fact that I'm tired.

I tend to get disoriented and moody when I'm tired. XD But for me the first most obvious is the antennae. Leafhoppers have those "non existent" ones. The ones so small you can hardly see them. Like dragonflies.

But Psyllids have noticeably larger more see able ones. Leafhoppers jump when startled or touched Idk if Psyllids do this or not but I have to look into it.

I wonder if they fly? Anyway said article is here.

8 Insects You Have To Worry About Besides Bedbugs

Yup. You didn't think it could get worse did ya? AOL did a very interesting article on these 8 evil little bastards. These buggies have it out to put people out of business and businesses out of business. But perhaps the most shocking is who's on the list.

Taking all of this from a crazed bug fanatic's view it's all very messed up. All 7 make more sense then No.8 ( please note that they're in order ):

Zeh Culprits:

1. Asian Citrus Psyllids
2. Emerald Ash Borers
3. Persea Mite
4. Crazy Raspberry Ants
5. Asian Ladybeetls ( Harmonia axyridis? ) WTF?! Unless they're talking about another ALB....
6. Varroa Destructor
7. Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
8. Coffee Borer Beetle

You can bet your ass all of these will have their own entries. Along with all the quotes and fun facts from the article which can be found here.

As well as stuff from additional sites. Oh joy!

The Miniscule Series - Zeppelin With a Spider

Once again complete and utter cuteness! (^^) The star of the show is the cellar spider aka "Daddy Longlegs" ( yes they're 2 arachnids with that name ).

As for the black spider......probably based on the other daddy longlegs. *^^*

Download:

Zeppelin With a Spider

一 隻 弄 蝶 吃 螞 蟻 Get a Butterfly to Eat Ants

Remember sometime ago I did an entry on Harvester butterflies and their predatory caterpillars? Remember what I said about how next time you're going to tell me there's predatory butterflies?

Remember? Well......I was right. See here. The text is unfortunately once again in Chinese.

All that's left is finding out what kind of Skipper this is.

青黃枯葉蛾 Trabala Vishnou guttata

青黃枯葉蛾 Trabala Vishnou guttata

Ok so remember that Chinese insect site I told you about? Well I got this from there on this page. It's making me mad because from just the pictures I can tell it would be a fascinating entry. I can tell though that straw/hair that are on the eggs were more then likely put there for protection against predators/parasites.

That site though it's amazing. I just wish they had English translations because I want to understand it all. Alot of these insects don't have alot of info on them and the info that is on them isn't even in English. It's not fair!

That's why for a good while ( while I devour that site picking through it ) I'm gonna need help from any and all Chinese speakers that happen to read this thing. *^^*

Thank you! Once again the link to the article on this moth is here.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What did I do to celebrate? Nothing yet. I painted my nails orange. ^^ And later I'm gonna pig out and watch Charmed.

As for bugs I didn't see any today. I didn't want to stay out too long understandably. And the reason for my absence this week was because my comp got some sort of virus so I had to get it fixed. All is well now obviously or this post wouldn't be here. :P

Onto the photo. The spider ( yes it's a spider ) in the photo is none other then Maratus volans the Peacock Spider. Just by it's name you can "guess" a whole lot about this spider.

I don't even have to go on Wikipedia for what I'm about to say. These spiders are the arthropod version of the peacock in it's life style and mating rituals. Of course it's more detailed then that but that was the "short version".

The long version with all the lovely details is here. Now if you were to look up M. volans even further you'll see that there's quite alot of info.

Also the genius Maratus is peaking my interests and I have questions:

Questions I'd Like Answers To:

1. Do all Maratus species males have the peacock like mating rituals/"body parts"?
2. Is anything else known about the other Maratus species?
3. ......or is Maratus volans the only one with info?
4. Have the others even been observed or are they hard to find?
5. Was M. volans hard to find?
6. Why was Maratus volans studied and not the others?

I hate when I don't have answers to questions involving interesting insects/spiders. It's quite annoying actually.....smh.

Anyway have a happy and safe Halloween!

BOTM: Mystery Ladybug

First off calling all Chinese speakers to translate this:

三年前農曆年假回老家過年，順便到村後的八掌溪拍攝高蹺鴴，偶然發現岸邊的芒草有幾隻大十三星瓢蟲，從此我開始注意大十三星瓢蟲在北部的分布，但這幾年間沒再見過牠。大十三星瓢蟲體型很大，較一般小瓢蟲大2 ~ 4倍，主要特徵為前胸背板有1枚梯形的大黑斑，翅鞘左右各5枚，加上中央的3枚，總計有13枚黑斑，與小十三星瓢蟲差別在於：小十三星瓢蟲左右各6枚黑斑，加上翅末端的1枚；位置和大小也與大十三星瓢蟲不同。

自從在八掌溪發現這隻大瓢蟲後，每年春節、掃墓回老家都要到八掌溪畔看看，幾番寒暑下來只在當年的四月再次看過，但沒拍好照就讓牠飛走！之後不死心，不論 春、夏、秋、冬只要回老家就去找，但每次都悵然而回。八掌溪畔為沙質地，那裡栽種玉米、蘆筍、蕃薯等農作物，岸邊還有許多高大的芒科植物、竹林、大花咸豐 草、和某些豆科的野生植物，因為有蚜蟲所以引來許多瓢蟲，以六條瓢蟲最多，七星瓢蟲、波紋瓢蟲次之，龜紋瓢蟲和錨紋瓢蟲較少，但怎麼找也看不到大十三星瓢 蟲。

今早我照例到這裡報到，拍了許多瓢蟲，有不同種類的瓢蟲在交尾，雖然搜尋不到目標但也算有所收穫。我不相信尋不到牠們，下午又去找，決心沿著溪邊往前走， 不放過每一株可能躲藏瓢蟲的植物。下午豔陽高照，風沙吹得滿臉不舒服，走了二個小時還是沒著落只好折回，正要收工時，忽然發現玉米田裡有一隻大瓢蟲，輕輕 撥開葉子一看，啊！大十三星瓢蟲，睽違多年我們終於再次相遇！

大十三星瓢蟲已經成為稀有昆蟲了！為什麼這種大瓢蟲會驟減呢？難道體型較大的昆蟲在物競天擇下容易被淘汰嗎？象鼻蟲中的大字號─台灣大象鼻蟲不也變成瀕臨絕種的稀有昆蟲，但牠們在過去農業年代是很普遍的。皇天不負苦心人，讓我找到這隻大瓢蟲，除了影像記錄牠的存在，我也寫下這些文字，見證這隻大吉祥的瓢蟲還在我們身邊，牠告訴我們要重視環境保育，才有機會一飽眼福再與牠相見。

Secondly the site that I found out about this ladybug is all in Chinese hence the text about it and my need to understand it. So I went to translate on Google and it made no sense.

However what did make sense is that it apparently is very rare and it hasn't been seen in a few years. Google also mentions it being called "Samsung Big Ten Ladybug" Seriously?

First off Samsung is a Korean electronic company and they make TV's and DVD players and other stuff I can't think of. So it's quite obviously not going to come up under searches with that ridiculous name. And it didn't cause I went searching just in case.

However if I found out the Chinese name for it ( since it's obviously known to science ) that might lead to a scientific name and possibly an English one.

However I want to know what the text says. There's more pics here.

That site is AMAZING! I wish they had English translations. :(

The Miniscule Series - ♥ Love Story ♥

This is ADORABLE!!! *^^* More to come!

Download:

Love Story

Hoverflies

The mugshots of 16 different species of Hoverflies ( Syrphidae ) who have more then likely stolen the identities of numerous bees, wasps, and their children...>:)

I dare say I'll be researching these like crazy. After reading about Volucella sp. I'm compelled to find out even more on other species of Hoverflies because they're mind bogglingly fascinating. I also wonder how many species will break the rule of the "typical" hoverfly life cycle.

Assuming that they all more or less follow the same "rules". Hell no. They're quite surprisingly variable as the Wikipedia article mentions ( backed up with references galore ).

I also wonder if any are parasites. I had assumed that some species were because I could've sworn that I've read about certain species infiltrating various bees and wasps nest and killing their children. But Wikipedia doesn't mention a thing....

I'll keep looking on that of course. Photos of said mugshots borrowed from Wikipedia.

Questions

In regards to Cimex lectularius I have questions. Lots of questions. Sadly most of them will never have answers I don't think unless America gets up off of their asses and does something to answer these questions of mine and undoubtedly the world.

Thank God there are people doing their part though. I have a friend that's researching them as we speak more or less on how to send their blood sucking asses back to hell.

As for the questions that I have......I'm sure other people have wondered:

1. Whether or not they have a Bed bug repellent.

*In other words a spray you spray on yourself to keep them from biting you

2. How did this whole damn epidemic start?

They're suspicions that it started in Chicago in some sort of shipment I believe.

3. How to make sure that they don't return.....ever.

*After I get them out of the house I don't want them coming back obviously so how do you prevent this?

4. Is there anything that hunts the bastards down and eats them?

You know how like spiders are beneficial to have in the household because they keep the number of flies and other insects down.

5. Out of curiosity how do you tell the sex of the damn things?

*An exterminator had told me by the shape of the head and legs but of course I don't know if they're other methods cause they all look alike to me.

Remember this is just out of curiosity. Everyone I see will die regardless of gender or sexual orientation.......*giggle*

Sorry I had to put that it was priceless. XD

Volucella pellucens

This is a fascinating little bugger. They are "parasites" of Yellowjackets ( Vespula vulgaris, V. germanica ). Wikipedia has a rather detailed entry on said life cycle ( with 2 references ).

I however atm can't find any other info online on them. I'll keep looking.

The female enters the underground paper nests of the common wasp Vespula vulgaris, or the German wasp, Vespula germanica, and lays her eggs. Despite the conspicuous nature of the intruder, the hosts do not appear to register her presence as she makes her way into the otherwise well-guarded nest entrance.

When the eggs hatch, the larvae drop to the bottom of the nest chamber where they feed as scavengers on debris. This may include dead wasp grubs and adults, remains of food brought into the nest by the wasps and other insects living there.

Mature larvae are sometimes on the combs and have been recorded feeding on dead or moribund wasp larvae and pupae which were left in the combs when the nest was abandoned by the wasps in the autumn. Fully grown larvae leave the nest and pupate in the soil below.

If the host nest is in the roof or walls of a house then it is not unusual for the larvae to end up crawling about in the dwelling-space.

Interesting. Since they're not exactly parasites feeding on the live larvae themselves I put " so I hopefully wouldn't mislead anyone. It's funny how the host don't seem to notice their presence. I wonder how that's possible? Do they release some sort of pheromone?

I'd like to find all of this out somehow. I wonder what other Volucella species are like? Since this is a species of hover fly I'm compelled to wonder what other species do.....

I bet that I'll find one that's twisted.....*^^*

Ants

Jerdon's Jumping Ant ( Harpegnathos saltator ) worker killing rival queen...

As I've mentioned many times before ants are quite amazing. Not only are they incredibly smart, strong, and work well together in teams to solve every problem that comes their way, they've also managed to fuck up our preschool/kindergarten "knowledge" of them.

How? Well when you go into your science class and the teacher starts to "educate" you on ants and their life history she fails to mention the golden rule.

The rule that I've been "preaching" to you since I've started this blog.

"Never assume anything about the insect world...you'll be proven wrong 99% of the time"

~ Me

The teacher tells you that ants live in groups called "colonies". And in the colonies they have 4 "family members". Oh happy happy joy joy!

The Ant Family Members:

Workers: Which may number up to one million individuals, do all the work in the colony while Your Highness sits on her lazy ass and shits out the next "generation"

Males: Mate with the queen and then die

Soldiers: Defend the colony against predators.

Queen: See above

What the teacher fails to mention is that there are exceptions to your "typical" ant life cycle/history. She fails to mention the army ants who don't even build a nest, but live on the move building a fort of protection for Your Majesty with their own bodies. They call this a bouviac ( sp? ). Fascinating.

She also tells you how the queen lays the eggs and that the workers while are females don't lay eggs....they leave that "job" to Your Highness...........

What she fails to tell you ( and I just found this out ) is that Harpegnathos saltator utterly breaks this rule!

They are also unusual amongst ants in that the queen-worker difference is very limited and some workers can mate and lay fertilized eggs just like the queen. These workers are termed gamergates. New colonies are founded independently by single queens, and on aging they are replaced by several gamergates.

The gamergates copulate with males from their own colonies and being inbred are related to the original founding queen. Colonies being very small, they never undergo fission to form new colonies.

~ Wikipedia

And yes there's references backing this up ( thank God! ). H. saltator goes on to break even more rules to the typical ant life cycle! Read the rest here.

I tell you this is utterly fascinating. I wonder if any other species do this?

I WANT THIS!

This book.......I want it. Give it to me!!

*Goes to add this to her wish list*

I know so little on these moths and their larvae.....and they're one of my favorite Lepidopteran families ( don't ask me to list anymore....there's too many XD ).

It's wonderful to know that such a book is out there.....and it will be MINE!

Dermestid Beetles *Rant*

My friend is going to love this......XD

So I saw one of these little guys on my bathroom wall.......I threw him outside after I showed him to mommy.......she loved it.....naaw JK.....*giggle*

So I went researching. Dermestes maculatus.....isn't the first time I've seen them in my house along with the larvae. Why? There's no rotting animal carcasses for them to strip clean to the bone in this house so what drags them here?

I've just read through several blogs and articles on them and I must say they're very.....um.....well they're very good at what they do. Wikipedia lists them as pests I see them as something that can be very useful in what they do in a controlled environment.

I say controlled environment for obvious reasons. You know "Too much of a good thing" isn't good. In this case if your little flesh eating friends get out of control.........

*DRAMATIZATION* Warning: Do not read if you're easily traumatized. I have a sick sense of humor.....you have been warned....

*~* So your friends' husband/boyfriend kicked the bucket and his body is being dressed up for the viewing/burial.......what his friends/family didn't know is that he isn't alone......

Dermestid Beetle 1: *Giggle* Do you think they know we're here?
Dermestid Beetle 2: Nope. ^________^ Did you bring the reinforcements?
DB 1: Yup 500+ are feasting tonight........Whee!
DB 3: Quick! Get in his pockets someone's coming this way!

*They all hide*

Mourner 1: *Sniff* It's all so sad!
Mourner 2: I know. But at least he had a good life.

*~* Everyone clears out of the room so the guys ( whatever they call the people who dress up dead guys ) can finish up and go look over the tribute thingy to the guy....WTF do I know about these things? Any way in that one hour they left him in there ( the coffin ) horror ensues.....

*Dermestid Beetle 3 peaks out of coffin* They gone yet? It's all dark.
Dermestid Beetle 1: Yup! *giggle* There's no one here.
Dermestid Beetle 5: In that case......PAAAAAAARTEEEHH! Whoo Hoo!

*CENSORED* You know what happens next. I don't need to tell you.

Dermestid Beetles: He's so good! Best feast EVER!!
DB 365: Better then that sea gull they fed us at the museum thingy we work at. *munch* *swallow* Good thing Fred let us come with him...oh wait he doesn't know we escaped! AAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

*Burp*

*~* In one hour they.....well you know what they did! I feel kinda sorry for Freddiepoo. Fred was one of the dead guys friends who works for a museum and specializes in said Dermestidae. What the poor bastard should've known was not to bring 500 of them in his car to take to some lab or something.......poor Fred.......the fucker's doomed.

Funeral Management Guy 1: .......and let us always remember him.
Funeral Management Guy 1: Would you like to say your goodbyes?

Girlfriend of Dead Guy: YYYYYYYYESSSS! *Giant Sniff*

FMG1: Should we open the casket?

Girlfriend: I want to see him one last....time

*~* What happens next is nothing short of something out of a horror movie....

*The casket opens......*

Dermestid Beetle 8: *Dancing on top of dead guy's bones*.......YEAHHHHH WHOO HOO SHAKE WHAT YA MOMMA GAVE YAH.....*turns around* Uh Oh.....*drops fork* LET'S GET OUT! PARTY'S OVER!

*Swarms*

DB's: See ya later! Thanks for the food!

*CENSORED*

Everyone: Oh. My God. $*%($^(#*#%.........AAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Fred: ........oh my.....I didn't think they would get ou...

GF: WHAT?!

Fred: Um.......well I had.....um they were in my car.......I didn't think they would get out.........

GF: YOU MOTHER FU.......

Fred: .......Uh oh *Runs*

*~* It was never cleared on what happened to Fred.......but as I said he was one dumb mother fu......

So there you go my morbid sense of humor.....XD I used to write things like this for The Venom List ( which I need to pop in for a visit.....it's been too long ) and they loved it. XD

Key points:

1. I imagined the beetles dining with mini forks and knives.....
2. ......and they had a mini juke box...hence the dancing.
3. Please note that this never happens. XD Hope I didn't traumatize you. XD

.....Bye! *^^*

BIG RANT

Ok first things first. My bitch ex therapist sent me into the loony bin for 2 weeks without my beloved internet. Because of this I was unable to finish filling in post for September. Now I have 2 weeks worth more to work on for this month.

Possibly a bunch will be ramblings if I can't think of anything but it will include a bunch of creepy crawly things.....YAY! This one will as well because I came home to some bittersweet news. My last beloved hermie Mary Shelly "Ms. Switchy" went to heaven sometime while I was away.

I was crushed because I at least wanted to say goodbye. So I guess I'll post it here:

Dear My Little Mary Shelly,

You and your friend Little Buddy were an ABSOLUTE JOY to have. Both unique, adorable, and fun to have in this house. Me and mommy LOVED you both so much. You Mary Shelly were my little troublemaker.

Always switching shells every other day or week. I honestly didn't know where you were sometimes and to be honest it scared me a bit.....*^^* But when I found you in another shell safe and sound I can swear you thought it was funny.

If you could laugh I'm sure I would hear you snickering.....my little troublemaker. But you also gave me such a unique opportunity to have a crab that did something none of my other ones lived to do for some reason: change shells. That was a gift in itself. Plus I can tell it made you happy.

You looked so pretty in all of them. But my favorite on you was your last one. The same kind that Little Buddy and my first hermie Swifty lived in. It made me happy and sentimental.

I thank you for that with all my heart. I'll NEVER forget you. Give Little Buddy a kiss for me.

God bless you! Kisses and hugs! See you later!

Love Mommy......♥

The sweet news is that I got 3 new ones. And they're Pacific Hermies. Ones that I've seen but never had the pleasure to own until now. They're GORGEOUS! My little babies that are going to be pieces of work I can tell but I'll try my best and hopefully won't pinch me anymore after I get to know them and them me.

I do hope that they change out of the shell though because they're too small for them I think. But if they're comfortable then keep 'em. ^^

And after I get some more rest Cimex lectularius will die.

Bronx Zoo Butterfly Photos

This is the best one besides the Queens. So beautiful! I also got to hold this one and it was wonderful. I look forward to going back someday. Planning for Summer of 2011.

I also hope to see a Luna moth. I've never seen one in person only photos. ♥

*Rant*

Disregard this....Idk. I've been through the wind mill lately. So that's why I haven't updated this wonderful blog of mine. I simply didn't have the energy.

I've been through alot. So all these posts mostly are fill ins understandably.

Mystery Moth?

So I found a moth in my house today. Or rather my mom found it and alerted me to it by screaming her but off saying "What is that?!" over and over again. ^^

I told her it's some sort of moth, harmless, nothing to be afraid of.......*giggle* so cute. As for the moth itself it still remains somewhat of a mystery. It's nothing I'm fretting over like some of my other mysteries that I've stumbled across.

But I'm still curious. It's too bad I didn't get a really good look at the wing patterns. But oh well. It was very pretty though and it made me happy.

Idk about my mom though.....XD :P

Photoshopped?

So a long time ago I came across this photo of a blue Hercules moth caterpillar. Now I'm wondering if this is real or photoshopped.

I've never heard of blue caterpillars of any species but I guess there's a first time for everything yes? So if anyone can confirm that this is real don't hesitate to drop me a line.

Thanks! :)

Why You Shouldn't Always Trust Wikipedia

Iacchus Skipper, Brown Ochre Butterfly - Trapezites iacchus

Well I came across these by accident so I decided to research them. When I get to Wikipedia I find that the so called article on them has practically nothing on them.

Which isn't surprising for a butterfly supposedly endemic to Australia. When I went searching the genius upon the first one I clicked on Trapezites argenteoornatus gave me somewhat of a start with it's misleading information.

That misleading information is this ( oh the shame people! ):

The Silver Spotted Skipper (Trapezites argenteoornatus) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in Western Australia.

The wingspan is about 30 mm.

The larvae feed on Acanthocarpus preissii, Acanthocarpus verticillatus, and Acanthocarpus robustus.

After reading this I thought how can this be? We have a Silver Spotted Skipper here and it sure as hell ain't endemic to Australia.

T. argenteoornatus was on the list of the other Trapezites sp. that are all endemic to Australia. So upon further research I find the name "Silver Spotted Skipper" to be used on several different species of Hesperiidae.

Smh.... you could at least have mentioned this instead of once again misleading the less smarter people......this is why I always tell you to do extra research. I don't know what's reliable on Wikipedia articles that aren't referenced.

And I'm sure as hell not going to have a "bad reputation". :P So go do extra research and even tell me if anything needs correcting because what do I know?

I don't know everything on an individual species you know.

The Minscule Series - Walnut & Ants With Cubes of Sugar

You missed this didn't you? You get 2 today:



Honestly I think it gets cuter and cuter with every episode!! Another video proving in reality how smart ants are. The only thing is in reality real ants wouldn't be able to lift a bachi ball....

.....let alone move it. ^_^ I love these videos. ♥



LOL! No words......only.....*giggle* SO CUTE!! ^.^

Download:

Walnut
Ants With Cubes of Sugar

Your welcome! Until next time!

Bronx Zoo Butterflies: The Photos

This is the queen that landed on me. I have another photo of it. I'll post that later along with the others. Pretty no?

I wish I had gotten more though. XD

*Bonus Bronx Zoo Butterflies - The Question Mark Polygonia interrogationis

The Question Mark - Polygonia interrogationis

You see? Didn't I have a little rant on the scientific names of these things? Yup. Well I haven't had much or any ( Idk it depends on which butterfly I saw at the zoo ) experience with these so I'm just going to post the info.

However next time if the opportunity presents itself I will check the underside of the wings.

I hope that I can get to ID them correctly.

The Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) is a North American nymphalid butterfly. They live in wooded areas and city parks, or generally in areas which feature trees and free spaces. The adult butterfly has a wingspan of 5–7.5 cm (2–3 in).

Its flight period is from May to September. "The silver mark on the underside of the hindwing is broken into two parts, a curved line and a dot, creating a ?-shaped mark that gives the species its common name."

And now we're done. Go do extra research!!

Bronx Zoo Butterflies - Polydamas Swallowtail Battus philenor

The last in the series. Awww. Don't worry. I have plans on going back someday. Whether it'd be this year or the next I have plans to go back.

And then there's also the Natural History Museum's butterfly exhibit that's opening sometime in October. I would love to check this out too. Hopefully I get to see luna moths. And now for the entry itself. This was my first time seeing these.

So I have no other experience with these to relate to you. One was sitting high up on the mesh ceiling but I was able to make it out.

It was beautiful. As for info there doesn't seem to be much other then Wikipedia ( which contains a photo of a butterfly that's not a polydamas swallowtail ) and Bugguide. I'll do some more digging and see if I can find anything of interest.

Oh and then there's this which I thought was a nice little entry on the subspecies B. p. lucayus. There are a few subspecies of this one, one of which is extinct. :(

If I find anything else I'll definitely mention it.

Bronx Zoo Butterflies - White Peacock Anartia jatrophae

My only experience with these is at the Butterfly Exhibit. They're alot smaller then pictures imply. For years I thought they were medium sized like a Painted Lady. Nope. They're smaller then that. I think it's cute.

They're are other species in the genus Anartia and they look nothing like this one. They're just as pretty yes but you wouldn't think that they were in the same tribe ( Victorinini ) if it weren't for the wing shape being the same.

Mind boggling isn't it? What's even more mind boggling is Wikipedia:

The males of the species display a unique territorial behavior, in which they stake out a territory typically 15 meters in diameter that contains larval host plants.

They perch in this area and aggressively protect it from other insects and other male white peacocks.

After this statement it said "citation needed" What. The. Fuck.?! Why? Unless someone made it up I don't see why this needs citation.

However after doing a quick search to find anymore info and possibly confirmation on the above I found nothing. There doesn't seem to be anything on this butterfly other then Wikipedia.

So Idk......Where did they get the info from?

Bronx Zoo Butterflies - Red Spotted-Purple Limenitis astyanax

I've had past experience with these at camp. I never got to hold one until I went to the Bronx Zoo. So that was a real treat. While researching these I was reminded that these were mind boggling little bastards ( no harm meant, quite the opposite ).

And why do you ask? Well this is why my dear friends. They're polytypic. What does it mean?

Easy this:

WARNING!: Trying to understand the following will result in a major headache.

The White Admiral or Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis) is a polytypic species of North American brush-footed butterfly, common throughout much of the eastern United States. L. a. astyanax has red spots on its underside and the top of the wings are notable for their iridescent blue markings. L. a. arthemis on the other hand has a large white band traversing both the forewings and hindwings.

The Red-spotted Purple is a mimic of the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) and is typically found in open woodlands and along forest edges.

Are you screaming from the pain yet? :P Yeah this is mind boggling because I don't have the slightest clue what polytypic means and Wiki doesn't give a decent definition.

I'll have to look for one and edit this post with updated info. I'm just guessing that this is another form of the White Admiral and they named it as subspecies. The Bronx Zoo has it listed as Limenitis astyanax instead of Limenitis a. astyanax.

They're making people think they're separate species!! Oh blasphemy! :P And they fooled me too because I had forgotten about all of this.

But it's fascinating even if thinking on it too much makes your head hurt.

Rest of info here.

Bonx Zoo Butterflies - The Comma Polygonia comma

I have had past experience with these at camp but that's about it. I remember a friend of mine catching one of these and thinking it was a monarch. ^_^

So cute right? =) Anyway other then that I haven't had much. The one I saw at the Bronx Zoo landed on one of the rocks. It stayed long enough for me to get a nice look at it's beautiful wings moving up and down before it took off again.

Too bad not long enough for me to get a photo but it was nice to see one again. Haven't seen any at Morning Side. Although if there's a chance I'll have to wait for next year.

Maybe.....we'll see. Well here's the info. As always do extra research!

This butterfly is seasonally variable. The upper side of the summer forms hind wings are all black whereas, the winter forms hind wings are reddish-orange. The underside of both forms is striped with dark and light brown. There is a silvery comma mark in the middle of the hindwing in both forms. Its wingspan is 4.5–6.4 cm (1.8–2.5 inches).

The Eastern Comma may be spotted in woods near rivers, ponds, marshes, swamps and other water. This butterfly seldom visits flowers, but rather feeds on sap, rotting fruit, salts and minerals from puddling, and dung.

The green eggs are laid singly or in stacks under host plants leaves and stems. The spiny larva varies in color from pale green to yellow to white and to even black. The solitary larva feeds on leaves at night. Older larvae construct daytime leaf shelters by pulling a single leaf together with silk. The chrysalis is brown and covered with spines. Winter form adults overwinter, some will also migrate south for the winter.

There's also one more thing I should mention. The Question Mark ( Polygonia interrogationis ) is also a possibility. As in it could've been a Question Mark that I saw instead of a Comma since they look so similar except for the difference in the underside of the hindwings obviously.

Because of that I'm including the Question Mark as a bonus in said series of mine. Finding a correct picture of one should be fun.

Oh before I forget:

The dark form of comma is frequently confused with the dark form of the Question Mark (P. interrogationis), but the two can readily be distinguished by the shape of the comma mark on the underside. The pale form is easily confused with the Satyr Comma (P. satyrus), which usually occurs north and west of the Eastern Comma's range.

Oh so now you tell me......smh. ^_^ I didn't get to look at it's hindwings hence the need for the bonus entry. I also wonder.......are there Exclamation Points and Periods?

You know what I mean like:

The Exclamation Point ( Polygonia exclamens )
The Period ( Polygonia periodis )
The Bracket ( Polygonia brackii )

*Giggle* I'd imagine that if this hasn't been thought of already someone would try and steal my idea and make hybrids or something.

*Giggle* I'm all for it! Just give credit to this blog please!

Excuse me and my horrible sense of humor. ^____________^

Bronx Zoo Butterflies - Zebra Longwing Heliconius charithonia

I just learned quite a bit on these. I saw 2 of them at the Bronx Zoo. Plus I was reminded of things that I already knew on them.

IMO this is so far one of the most interesting entries in this series.

Heliconius charithonia, commonly known as the Zebra Longwing or Zebra Heliconian, is a species of butterfly belonging to the subfamily Heliconiinae of the Nymphalidae. It was declared the official butterfly for the state of Florida in the United States in 1996.

The caterpillar feeds on Yellow Passionflower (Passiflora lutea), Corky-stemmed Passionflower (Passiflora suberosa), and Two-flower Passionflower (Passiflora biflora). The adults are unusual among butterflies in that they eat pollen as well as sip nectar.

This ability contributes to their longevity—3 months as an adult. Because of their relatively long lifespan and their activity throughout the day, this is a popular species with butterfly houses. Another unusual feature is that adults roost in groups of up to 70, and return to the same roost each evening.

My advise to other butterflies who want to live longer: EAT POLLEN!!

But of course more then likely that would be impossible since Zebra Longwings probably have a specially developed proboscis that allows them to do so.

Kinda like how the Vampire Moth ( Calyptra sp. ) has specially developed mouth parts to suck your blood........more on that later. Also males are attracted to female chrysalids just before they emerge. And they're not the only ones that do that either.

Apparently other Heliconids have this interesting behavior too. See here for a nice peak into the crazy sexual life of Heliconius charithonia!

And you didn't hear it from me! :P