Alex Wild on insects, science, and photography
Tonight’s insect challenge is a tight crop: What is it? Points will be awarded to the first commentators to pick the structure (5 pts) and the genus (5 pts). The cumulative points winner for the month of November will win their choice of 1) an 8×10-sized print from my photo galleries, or 2) a guest [...]
From the talented, and prescient, Bill Bailey: A newer version here.
Well. I thought I’d finally come up with a tricky enough challenge that it might go un-guessed. Silly me. The Geek in Question answered correctly in just 20 minutes. The mystery creature that lays an egg 1/3 its own weight is an ant cricket, Myrmecophilus. So, 10 points to TGIQ. These small crickets are commonly [...]
To earn yourself ten shiny new Myrmecos points, be the first to answer this question: What insect with prominent cerci lays an egg one third her own size?
Halteria is the name for a group of insects defined by a severe modification of flight wings into gyroscopic stabilizing structures called halteres. The group includes all the true flies plus Strepsiptera, an oddball lineage of parasites. This taxonomic scheme is a pleasing arrangement by some counts, as it requires but a single evolutionary origin [...]
Another classic from the BBC’s Life in the Undergrowth:
photo details: Canon 17-40mm f/4L lens on a Canon EOS 7D camera. ISO 100, f/4.5, 1/250 sec
This morning I see that The Dragonfly Woman- who writes one of my favorite insect blogs- has listed me as a top “Insect-Inspired Artist“. That’s quite an honor, especially considering the other talent on her list. But, the notion I might be an artist never sat well with me. Artists project vision. Artists express personal [...]
Think, for a moment, about the animals involved with human civilization. For food we keep chickens, cows, goats, pigs, turkeys, sheep, bees, and others. Our pets include cats, dogs, ferrets, goldfish, parakeets, and many more. Then there are the pests that live off us, like bed bugs and lice, and off our crops, like the [...]
If you’re going to pimp taxonomy articles on your web page, it’s probably a good idea to use a photo of the correct insect. Or at least try for an animal that shared a common ancestor with the target species within, say, the last 100 million years. Love, Myrmecos
A personal weblog by Illinois-based biologist and photographer Alex Wild.
Myrmecos- derived from the ancient greek word for "ant"- hosts Alex's musings about these and other little creatures that share our planet.
Questions? Comments? Email alwild [at] myrmecos.net
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