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

Bronx Zoo Butterflies - Orange-Barred Sulphur Phoebis philea

I think I only saw one of these. I don't remember....XD but they were pretty. I don't have any experience with these other then at the Bronx Zoo.

The one I saw was alot paler then the one in the photo though.

Bugguide
Wikipedia

Linkies today because of lack of detailed info. XD

Bronx Zoo Butterflies - Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae

First off sorry. I'm gonna have to be lazy on this one and just give you the links to info for now as I'm very tired and can't think straight.

This little series of mine is going to go into the first 6 days of September!

Linkies:

Wikipedia
Bugguide

I will most likely edit this later don't know we'll see.

Bronx Zoo Butterflies - Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes

Haven't had much experience with these except at the Bronx Zoo. It was wonderful.

The Giant Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio cresphontes) is a swallowtail butterfly common in various parts of North America, particularly the south and east. With a wingspan of about 10–16 cm (3.9–6.3 in), it is the largest butterfly in Canada and the United States.

P. cresphontes is mostly seen in deciduous forest and citrus orchards where they are considered major pest. They fly between May and August where there are 2 broods in the North and 3 in the south. They can range from southern California, Arizona as deep south as Mexico north into southeastern Canada. Their main habitat is the mountain ranges of Jamaica.

As usual info from Wikipedia. Go do extra research please. Seriously Wikipedia tells lies sometimes and I don't want to have a "bad reputation" thanks. :P

I'm tired so that's why I didn't rant like I usually do. ^___^

Bronx Zoo Butterflies - Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes

I don't think I've seen these other then at the Bronx Zoo Butterfly Exhibit ( BZBE for future references ). I might've seen one at camp a million years ago with what I thought for certain was a Spicebush Swallowtail ( Papilio troilus ) but now I know better.

That butterfly was a Pipevine Swallowtail ( Battus philenor ). However since I'm feeling kind of weird right now I'm going to wrap this one up. Sorry no rant today. ^.^ Next time.

Bugguide and Wikipedia once again provide info:

The common names for the caterpillars vary because they can be found on many important cultivated plants in the Carrot Family. Pick the host plant, add the word "worm", and you have another common name that has probably been used and published somewhere.

Larvae feed primarily on plants of the carrot family (Apiaceae = Umbelliferae), and some in the Rue Family (Rutaceae). Commonly found on Dill, Parsley, Fennel, Carrot, and Rue in gardens, and Queen-Anne's-Lace, Poison Hemlock, and Lovage in the wild. They will occasionally be found on Citrus trees. Adults take nectar and frequently visit moist ground.

Quoted in part from Bugguide here. It has very nice pics to go with it and to help with ID, whihc I think is wonderful because so many other Swallowtails resemble these and vice-versa.

Next is a bit from Wikipedia. Some stuff might be the same. I advise reaserch after to confirm what is posted below please. Thank you!

The reason being Wikipedia is sometimes incorrect on certain things.

The (Eastern) Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) also called the American Swallowtail or Parsnip Swallowtail, is a butterfly found throughout much of North America. It is the state butterfly of Oklahoma. There is an extremely similar-appearing species, Papilio joanae that occurs in the Ozark Mountains region, but it appears to be closely related to Papilio machaon, rather than polyxenes.

The Black Swallowtail has a wingspan of 8 to 11 cm (3.1 to 4.3 in). The upper surface of the wings is mostly black. On the inner edge of hindwing is a black spot centered in larger orange spot. A male of this species has a yellow band near edge of wings; a female has row of yellow spots. The hindwing of the female has an iridescent blue band.

Rest of the info is here. Once again I advise you to do extra research. Thank you

Until next time!!

Bronx Zoo Butterflies - BOTM Monarchs Danaus plexippus

Yes I know I've mentioned these numerous times but it was almost inevitable that I would do so again. And here is yet another entry on the Monarch.

I believe this to be the most informative one yet due to the fact that I found out some new info that's shocking. Surprisingly I can't believe I've never thought of this before. But there are subspecies of monarchs!

To put it simply: Holy cow! In a sense how could I've been so stupid? How could I not have thought of this? Any who on with the info!

The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae), in the family Nymphalidae. It is perhaps the best known of all North American butterflies. Since the 19th century, it has been found in New Zealand, and in Australia since 1871 where it is called the Wanderer.

The common name “Monarch” was first published in 1874 by Samuel H. Scudder because “it is one of the largest of our butterflies, and rules a vast domain”.

But the name may be in honour of King William III of England. The Monarch was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae of 1758. It was first placed in the genus Papilio. In 1780, Jan Krzysztof Kluk used the Monarch as the type species for a new genus; Danaus.

Since Latin grammar requires that the specific epithet and gender names agree it is unclear if the genus Danaus is drawn from Danaus (Greek Δαναός), a mythical king of Egypt and great-grandson of Zeus or is a masculinised version of Danaë (Greek Δανάη), Danaus’s great-great-granddaughter.

The species name, plexippus, refers to Plexippus, one of the 50 sons of Aegyptus, Danaus’ twin brother. In Homeric Greek δαναος πληξιππος also means "a Greek who beats (= lashes, drives and urges on) horses", i.e. "Greek charioteer".

Holy.......oh it get's better ( note this was edited since there's so much on them ). Remember I told you about the white form of the monarch some time ago? Well there's a nice bunch of info on them too. I'm very happy about that.

Why? Well it's my favorite form of the monarch. And I hope to see one someday. Although I think for that to happen I'd have to go to Hawaii. XD

Once again on with the info! These will get a separate entry too.

A color variation has been observed in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and the United States as early as the late 1800s. Named nivosus by Lepidopterists, it is grayish white in all areas of the wings that are normally orange. Generally it is only about 1% or less of all monarchs, but has maintained populations as high as 10% on Oahu in Hawaii, possibly due to selective predation.

On Oahu, a white morph of the monarch has emerged. This is because of the introduction, in 1965 and 1966, of two bulbul species, Pycnonotus cafer and Pycnonotus jocosus. They are now the most common insectivore birds, and probably the only ones preying on insects as big as the monarch. Monarchs in Hawaii are known to have low cardiac glycoside levels, but the birds may also be tolerant for the chemical.

The two species hunt the larvae and some pupae from the branches and underside of leaves in milkweed bushes. The bulbuls also eat resting and ovipositing adults, but rarely flying ones. Because of its colour the white morph has a higher survival rate than the orange one.

This is either because of apostatic selection (i.e. the birds have learned the orange monarchs can be eaten), because of camouflage (the white morph matches the white pubescence of milkweed or the patches of light shining through foliage), or because the white morph does not fit the bird's search image of a typical monarch, and is thus avoided.

I wonder do the caterpillars look the same with this color variation? It's something to wonder about indeed. And as I've said they'll be getting a separate entry with the info provided above along with anything else I can find.

I'll also rant on these too. I won't do so here because I'm tired for one thing and the other I want to dedicate my rant to the special entry.

I'll probably interrupt this series of mine to post it. XD Rest of the info is here.

Enjoy! I sure did. I learned even more!

Bronx Zoo Butterflies - Julias Dryas iula

First off these butterflies are very variable. This I didn't know. I had thought that they were different species. But this wasn't the case. They were all in fact the same butterfly just very variable. Also according to Wikipedia they're over 15 subspecies known to science.

Wowzer. I bet you that these were once possibly variations of the butterfly. Hell the ones in the photo could be a subspecies for God's sake!

Why? Well let's see here:

1. Both male & female have this patterning.
2. It's common. As in it isn't something that's "unique".
3. Due to the above it could be classified as a subspecies

If of course it hasn't already. But for all I know it probably has.

Dryas iulia (often incorrectly spelled julia), commonly called the Julia Butterfly or Julia Heliconian, is a species of brush-footed butterfly. The sole representative of its genus Dryas, it is native from Brazil to southern Texas and Florida, and in summer can sometimes be found as far north as eastern Nebraska. Over 15 subspecies have been described.

Its wingspan ranges from 82 to 92 mm, and it is colored orange (brighter in male specimens) with black markings; this species is somewhat unpalatable to birds and belongs to the "orange" Batesian mimic complex.

This butterfly is a fast flier and frequents clearings, paths, and margins of forests and woodlands. It feeds on the nectar of flowers, such as lantanas (Lantana) and Shepherd's-needle (Scandix pecten-veneris). Its caterpillars feeds on leaves of passion vines including Passiflora affinis and Yellow Passionflower (P. lutea) in Texas.

The species is popular in butterfly houses because it is long-lived and active throughout the day.

So there you go ( for now, will be edited for more info if found ).

Enjoy!

Bronx Zoo Butterflies - The Queen Danaus gilippus

Well as a sort of tribute to all the butterflies I saw at the Bronx Zoo yesterday I'm doing an entry on all of the ones I was able to ID. Some of them have been mentioned before, yes but so what? ^.^ While on the search for info I came across some of my own in a sense.

Apparently there are a number of subspecies and species that are quite similar ( this I already knew ) to Danaus gilippus. IMO the subspecies could just be called variations of the butterfly because I honestly don't see that much of a noticeable difference.

But maybe I'm just blind? It's been known for me to overlook things that are staring me in the face I admit.....*blush* However this IMO deserves mention. Don't you think?

Now how that happened.....I haven't a clue.

Secondly a BIG taxonomic change apparently happened in the past. I was apparently stupid for thinking that when pretty much all of the Danaid (sp?) butterflies were discovered they were placed in the genus Danaus that was immediately thought up by whoever discovered them.

Pssh yeah right. No. Back way back when Your Majesty was known as Papilio gilippus. Oh Ho! cue the backlash. No honey there's proof. When I was searching for info on these I came across this site that mentions 2 of the many subspecies.

On the page that mentions Danaus gilippus berenice on the very bottom it clearly mentions this ( note I'm quoting just what's necessary ):

Genus Danaus Kluk, 1780

Zwierz. Hist. Nat. Pocz. Gospod. 4: 83-86, no. 145. Type-species: Papilio plexippus Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat. (ed. 10) 1: 471, no. 80, by designation of Hemming (1933), Entomol. 66(845): 222. I.C.Z.N. Opinion 278 placed this name on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology as name no. 699.

Danaus gilippus (Cramer, 1775)

Uitl. Kapellen 1(3): 41, pl. 26, figs. E ♀ D, F ♀ V; (8): 153 (index).

Original Combination: Pap[ilio]. Dan[aus] festiv[us]. Gilippus

Type Locality: “Rio de Janeyro...Brazil” “Rio Janéiro...Côte du Brasil”

Types: Type(s) probably lost.

Well let me tell you my jaw dropped when I read this. As you know ( or don't you? :P ) butterflies placed in the genus Papilio are Swallowtails.

Now where the big leap came from I have no idea. How did it get from the genus Papilio to the genus Danaus? And were they any other synonyms in between?

Gah! So many questions! >_<

Anyway I suppose I get on with the info then huh? I've done enough rambling for you. The first is bits and pieces from Wikipedia.

Once again Idk how reliable this is so I suggest you do your own research.

The Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus) is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae (the brush-foots) with a wingspan of 2.75–3.25" (70–88mm). It is orange or brown with black wing borders and small white forewing spots on its dorsal wing surface, and reddish ventral wing surface fairly similar to the dorsal surface. The ventral hindwings have black veins and small white spots in a black border. The male has a black androconial scent patch on its dorsal hindwings.

This species is possibly a close relative to the similarly-colored Soldier Butterfly (or "Tropic Queen"; Danaus eresimus); in any case, it is not close to the Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) as was long believed. There are about 10 recognized subspecies (Smith et al. 2005). As with other North American Danaus species, it is involved in Müllerian mimicry with the Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) where the two co-occur.

Fascinating I tell you. Honestly I need a really really good book on butterflies and their life cycles and any other interesting behavioral habits they have.

They are wonderful......beyond wonderful even. More info here.

Bronx Zoo Butterfly Exhibit

So I finally went today.......*happy sigh*

They were so pretty!.......

I couldn't possibly list all of the ones I saw today but I can list the ones I know I saw:

1. Queens ( Danaus gillippus ) * A male landed on me BEAUTIFUL!

2. Julias ( Dryas iulia )

3. Monarchs ( Danaus plexippus ) * Saw 2 mating on the wall

4. Black Swallowtails ( Papilio polyxenes )

5. Giant Swallowtails ( Papilio cresphontes )

6. Cloudless Sulpher ( Phoebis sennae )

7. Orange-barred Sulpher ( Phoebis philea )

8. Zebra longwings ( Heliconius charitonius ) * Saw 2

9. Comma ( Polygonia comma )

10. Red-spotted Purple ( Limenitis astyanax ) * Got to hold it

11. White Peacock ( Anartia jatrophae )

12. Polydamas Swallowtail ( Battus polydamas )

I was hoping to see a Luna moth but they had said that once they let them out into the house they only last about three days. Does anyone else see something wrong with this? I most certainly do. Luna moths live about a week according to all of my books.

Maybe it's too hot for them in there? Idk but hopefully I'll get lucky next time I go and will be able to catch one there. And before you ask yes I have pics.

Did you honestly think I'd go to the Bronx Zoo and NOT be prepared? You must be high. We went and saw almost everything else after that except a few things. But we saw most of the bugs of course. I even got bonus creepy crawlies crawling about outside of exhibits! Spiders and a bee of some sort.

YAY! So so happy. Not to mention TIRED! I will try and get the pics up here ASAP.

For now Byeee! Happy 10th Anni BoA!! WE LOVE YOU!

The Miniscule Series - Wormie Goes To The Beach ^.^

Absolutely adorable.



Posting this now as I'm leaving for the Bronx Zoo Butterfly Exhibit tomorrow. YAY!

Download:

Wormie Goes To The Beach

Spider Silk Fishing

Fascinating. One thing I must point out is that for these kind of things they always hunt specific species in other words Golden Orb Weaver, Banana Spider, ( Nephila sp. ) whatever you want to call it. Do you see any other spider silk being used in this manner?

Nope. Unless you can give me proof that other spider species's silk has been used for purposes like this then I stand by what I've read in my books and online.

Go look it up I tell you. I'll do an entry on these guys later.

SO FUNNY

I thought this was hilarious so I posted it. XD In case you're wondering the insect in the comic is fly. As for the flies in our house.......DIE!

Eh nothing entomologically interesting happened today. -_-

The Miniscule Series - The Mosquito in Honey & Flies With Spaghetti

LMAO! Can you imagine if mosquitoes were that strong?



These are the only flies that I will ever like ( I'm talking about Musca domestica and other flies commonly found in houses ).

So cute! As you can see you get 2 today. Your very welcome.

Download:

The Mosquito in Honey

Flies With Spaghetti

Enjoy! Until next time my pretties!!

These Damn Flies

No that's not disgusting. What's disgusting is the fact that we have too many and I haven't the slightest clue on where they're all coming from. We finally got screens but I still see them flying around the window! Like they're looking for a way in or something....

.....which they're probably are. And all the fly paper in the kitchen is covered in dead/dying Musca domestica. The bathroom is crawling with Musca domestica and they're starting to scare me now.....it's not even funny. It never was. First it was annoying.....and now they're scaring me.

I killed three but more got in. How? I'm going to close the other window until we some how get them all out because quite frankly this is ridiculous.

There was one in my room too. I don't think so. GTFO or die.

Mystery Solved?

I think I might've solved another mystery insect of mine. Quite a few times I've seen these moths in my house and I haven't a clue as to what they were.

But I got one. I believe that they might be Cutworms/Dart Moths of the genius Feltia. Unless of course there are other moths in Noctuidae that resemble the ones I have seen the most in this house. I will definitely check.

I will get back to you. In the mean time here's pics here. I will keep you updated on this of course ^.^

Whatever they are they are pretty.

Big Eyed Bug - Geocoris ugilinosus

I saw one today at the pool. Or at least I think it was this one it also might have been Geocoris atricolor too. Either way I saw a Big Eyed Bug Geocoris sp.

I love them. I think they're adorable. There doesn't seem to be info on them though, which is a shame because not only are they cute but they seem interesting. However this PDF mentions them being used to control Army worms.......

Interesting......so I'm guessing that that's one of their foods as nymphs. Don't know about adults though as I haven't read the whole thing yet.

Scroll down to page three and start reading on the left hand side.

Bugs I Saw Today:

♥ 1 Big Eyed Bug - Geocoris sp. ( at pool )
♥ 1 dragonfly
♥ 5 flies ( different species blue bottles, green bottles, Tachinids )

Until next time folks!

LOL WTF?

I have something to say on this. While black widows are extremely venomous and can be fatal they don't go out of their way to bite people. They only do so when they feel threatened. Secondly deaths are ( thankfully ) rare. Plus they're shy....awww ^.^

The worst you're likely to get if you're stupid enough to provoke one and get bitten is you'll get a very high fever, feel like shit, go to a doctor or whatever get the antidote and get better.

Of course symptoms are much more detailed but I don't feel good right now.

I'll explain them and provide linkies later ( expect an edit note containing info ).

Hermit Crabs

I FINALLY got some today. Thank you Allie!

God bless. And no they're nothing exotic. Just your regular Purple Pinchers. But they're just as cute as this one. I love them. ^.^

It's been way too long since I've had them in the house.

So I'm happy. Very happy.

The Miniscule Series - Dragonfly and Wasp In A Race

Once again Ultra Kawaii!!

Plus Karma's a bitch ain't it?

Download:

Dragonfly and Wasp In a Race

Your welcome!

Katydids!

I saw one today and I have to say I wasn't expecting that at all. It was a nice surprise. =) I believe it was a Microcentrum rhombifolium. Like the one in the photo. Only mine was a bit darker. There are 6 Microcentrum species in the U.S.

So of these so far I'm betting on M. rhombifolium being the one that I saw today. I have never seen Katydids that large over here before. I've seen plenty at camp sure but not here.

So like I said it was a pleasant surprise. As for info I can't find too much.

I'll keep looking though. One interesting fact is that Katydid eggs in general look like seeds. They take the camouflage thing very seriously don't they?

I'll let you know if I find anything on them.

The Miniscule Series - Dragonflies Bully Other Insects

I would love to see something like this in real life. XD

Download:

Dragonflies Bully Other Insects

Until next time my pretties!

Sleeping Bees?

Well as I was leaving the pool today I saw something rather interesting in the mini garden they have there. There were four bees clustered on a plant in a circle of sorts.

Now I've never seen such a thing so naturally I was wondering what they were doing. And now I'm pretty sure this is what they were doing. Cause first off the plant they were on was dead. Dead as a doorknob, as in there were no flowers no nothing.

I think I woke one up because I picked one of the seedpods off the plant to see if there was anything still inside it and the plant was dry it snapped like a gunshot when I picked one and one of the bees was startled and it flew off and was circling the plant before it landed and settled down again. So cute! ^.^

But that's what got me thinking that they were probably sleeping. I mean what else could they be doing you know? It was very interesting anyway.

As for what kind of bees they were....I can only guess. They were all black.

And very very cute. ^.^

Edit: They might be Melissodes desponsa.

Bugs:

4 bees ( possibly Melissodes desponsa )
1 picture wing fly
1 cucumber beetle ( Diabrotica undecimpunctata in my house)

Cute!

I thought this was cute. Auditioning for a circus perhaps?

Yes I think so......introducing the Physocephala balancing act!!

Copyright infringement not intended.

Mystery Butterfly.........

I saw a butterfly today at the pool flying.

I have no idea what it was. It could've been a monarch, red admiral, or any other orange butterfly that occurs around here.

Although I'm betting it was either a monarch or a red admiral or even a painted lady.

호랑나비?
작은멋쟁이나비?

....but the latter is most likely.

The Miniscule Series - The Lazy Bee

I've come to 2 scenarios and none of them involve the poor bee being lazy:

1. She's tired and doesn't want to be bothered with her "co-workers."
2. She doesn't like crowds.

Although she seems more tired to me.....

Download:

The Lazy Bee

Until next time my pretties!

These Are AMAZING!

I'm sure you remember the last Spilomyia species I briefly mentioned here yes? Well this one ( Spilomyia fuscata ) is mimicking the Baled Faced Hornet and if I didn't know better I would think it was one. Damn things are geniuses not to mention epic.

I couldn't find too much on any specific species but there's some on S. sayi:

Spilomyia sayi is a common species of North American hoverfly. It is a wasp mimic.

Adults 12-16 mm in length, are seen from June to October in the northern part of their range. Males engage in hilltopping, where they find high ground to await females. Larvae are found in decaying heartwood of deciduous trees.

This is from Wikipedia. There doesn't seem to be too much on them for some reason.

It's disappointing since I find these so fascinating. Happy August!