A scientific parody of Do you wanna build a snowman? from Disney’s Frozen. Lyrics by hyacynthus and myself. Vocals by me. A music video may be forthcoming.
This is brilliant. A++
Encyrtus saliens (a member of the family Encyrtidae) was brought to California from South Africa in 1980 to control introduced scale insects (Pulvinaria spp. – also from South Africa) that were causing issues with ice plants (Carpobrotus spp.), which people had imported from South Africa to put in their gardens. Stuff gets complicated when we start moving plants & animals around the world, and now Californians have a tiny African safari going on in their gardens & yards.
Here’s another view of the female’s wings, which are so highly modified that females aren’t able to fly.
What’s 3 times better than 1 louse on a holiday? That’s right, 3 lice on a holiday! To celebrate the most American dish of American Thanksgiving, I present 3 chewing lice found on each of the participating fowl.
Cuclotogaster heterographus - Feather louse collected off a Domestic Chicken
Anaticola crassicornis - Feather louse collected off a common Mallard Duck (and which strangely kind of looks like a duck…)
Menacanthus stramineus - Louse collected off a Domestic Turkey (but can also be found on Domestic Chickens)
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! May your Turducken be moist & louse-free, and your gravy smooth!
Leptinotarsa decemlineata, the Colorado Potato Beetle, is one of those insects which no one really likes seeing, especially if you grow potatoes or tomatoes! Native to the US, this species took a liking to potatoes when they were introduced to the Southwest USA and spread like crazy, despite our best efforts. The Colorado Potato Beetle is infamous for its ability to develop resistances to pesticides, making its control all the more difficult.
Learn more about Leptinotarsa decemlineata at the Encyclopedia of Life.
One of the largest insects in North America, Lethocerus americanus is an aquatic predator that feeds on pretty much anything it can catch, including fish and tadpoles! Also known as the Toe Biter, it doesn’t normally bother humans, unless you should happen to step on one in the pond.
Learn more and browse photos of this species at BugGuide.net.
Found in the lowland rainforests of Ecuador, Heteronotus vespiformes stands out thanks to the incredible modifications to its thorax. These spines are thought to make predators think twice before attacking. Combine the spikes with the bright yellow & black markings, which may be an attempt to mimic stinging wasps, or may just serve as a warning to predators not to try anything funny, and you’ve got yourself one crazy looking bug!
Sometimes flies don’t necessarily look like flies. Take for example Braula coeca, the Honey Bee Louse Fly, which has lost its wings to live on honey bees. These flies are kleptoparasites of honey bees as adults, which means that rather than drinking the bee’s hemolymph (insect blood), they steal food directly from the bee’s mouth! Braula coeca maggots feed on honey & pollen from the hive, but these flies are not thought to cause any economic damage or health issues for bees.
Learn more about Braula coeca from the University of Florida Extension Website.
Mantidflies are some of the coolest insects out there. Spider egg parasites as larvae, deadly predators as adults, the mantidfly has it all. Mix in some mimicry and convergent evolution and you’ve got yourself one crazy insect.
To celebrate National Moth Week, here’s the Fall Cankerworm Moth - Alsophila pometaria - (and one of its known parasitoids, the tachinid fly Blondelia eufitchiae).
Learn more about Alsophila pometaria at the Encyclopedia of Life.
The first of what I hope will be a series of Vines highlighting some of the cool, weird and wonderfully diverse insects housed in the University of Guelph Insect Collection!
Learn more about Cicindela sexguttata, the Six-spotted Tiger Beetle, at the Encyclopedia of Life