Alex Wild on insects, science, and photography
5 points to Morgan Jackson for getting Order & Family (-1 for missing the genus, though!); 4 points for Matt Bertone for the correct genus; 1 point to Mark Fox for brazenly attempting a species guess, and one point for ABM for the tongue depressor comment. We’re all on alert for the dreaded marmorated stink [...]
A splash of color for your Thursday evening: The rose aphid, Macrosiphum rosae, dates its taxonomic heritage right to the opening of modern nomenclature. It was described by Linneaus himself in the 1758 volume Systema Naturae. Of course, the aphids don’t pay much attention. They’re just happy to tap into rose phloem. ***update: Cameron Brumley informs [...]
In Paraguay, where I lived for a time in the 1990s, one insect is feared more than any other: the Vinchuca, or bloodsucking conenose. The bug itself isn’t the problem. It’s the pathogen it transmits while feeding. Trypanosoma cruzi is a horrific slow-acting protozoan that chews at the muscle fibers of your internal organs. It [...]
A clip from the BBC’s brilliant Life in the Undergrowth: Per our earlier discussion, the assassin is a true bug in the order Hemiptera.
An issue that invariably surfaces when entomologists interact with non-entomologists is the “bug problem“. I don’t mean pest infestation troubles. Rather, I mean that entomologists use a different definition of the word “bug” than the general English-speaking populace, with confusing results. To most people, a “bug” is any small crawly animal. Like a spider, or [...]
Because I get a lot of requests for pest insect pictures, I’ve created a new gallery: Household Pests Rather than the untrammeled nature I usually shoot, this collection is a bestiary of roaches, mice, flour beetles, bed bugs, ants, termites, and other creatures that enjoy the great indoors.
Hey look! A bug! But there’s more to this insect than meets the eye. Check out Mr. Membracid in side view:
photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 7D ISO 160, f/13, 1/200 sec Lit with indirect foreground & background strobes
While it remains a mystery why anyone thought a peaceful green daisy-dwelling insect was a bed bug, the correct identification is Miridae, or plant bugs. The mirids are one of evolution’s spectacular radiations. The family contains more than 10,000 mostly herbivorous species and is found worldwide. As many of you picked, mirids are especially recognizable [...]
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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