Alex Wild on insects, science, and photography
March came in like a lion. Then it became a grizzly bear, a shark, then, I think, a Tyrannosaur. Last week’s storm brought enough snow to close the University. But today’s weather was a welcome change. Sunny with temps in the 60s, the last of the snow melted into the prairie garden. March has indeed [...]
This is a typical satellite capture from the middle regions of North America. We can gnash our teeth and pull our hair about disappearing bees and butterflies, but until we address the fact that approximately 100% of the ex-prairie landscape above is either plowed under, paved over, or lawned in, we’re just fiddling at the [...]
photo details: Canon EF 17-40mm f4L lens on a Canon EOS 7D ISO400, f/8, 1/15th sec
Although I wish I could regale you with spellbinding tales of courage, blood, and African ants, I’m on a tight turnaround as I prepare for the BugShot photo workshop in Florida next week. Thus, Myrmecos will remain slow until afterwards. For those of you attending the workshop, I am looking forward to meeting you soon! [...]
Mid-February and central Illinois should be buried in snow. Instead, we’ve averaged 4-6 degrees above normal all winter. The crocuses are blooming, the daffodils are pushing up through the mud, and our resident Tapinoma are already raising up their first brood. Bizarre. Here are some photos from just now.
February is the most exciting time of year in Chambana, Illinois. Why? The Insect Fear Film Festival, of course! Doors open at 6:00 pm, February 25th, at Foellinger Hall on campus. This year’s theme is International Ant Films, featuring the awful-yet-inexplicably-awesome ant thrillers Glass Trap (2005) and Bone Snatcher (2003). The film festival also hosts a living [...]
This is the class I am teaching at the University of Illinois next spring: I asked May Berenbaum, who created this class years ago, about the main idea. She explained (paraphrase mine): I want students, 10 years from now, to see a bug on the sidewalk and appreciate it enough not to step on it. [...]
The late afternoon sun was hitting the goldenrod just right, so I snapped a few shots of a beetle enjoying the last nectar of the season. This species- the goldenrod soldier beetle- is common across eastern and central North America in late summer. photo details: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens on a Canon EOS [...]
From this afternoon: The crisp, bright colors aren’t photoshop. They’re a polarizing filter, one of those inexpensive bits of equipment that make an inordinate difference to image quality. photo details: Canon EF 17-40mm F/4L wide angle zoom lens & circular polarizer on a Canon EOS 7D ISO 100, f/8 1/125 sec exposure
During the day our showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) is visited by the usual sun-loving suspects: bumble bees, sweat bees, hover flies, butterflies, and so on. I was curious about what happens after dark, though, so I just popped out to have a look. It’s nearly as active at night, too, but with a different set [...]
A personal blog 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? Email alwild [at] myrmecos.net; or follow @Myrmecos on Twitter.
