Category Archives: Environment

Living With a Not-So WhiteTail

Posted on May 23, 2013 by

The Female The Common Whitetail Dragonfly, Libellula lydia, has similar hunting behaviors to the male. They perch on the ground and fly up to capture their prey. Females blend into their surroundings even better than the males. The clear wings … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Environment, Taxonomy | 1 Comment

Living With Good Vibrations

Posted on May 22, 2013 by

Green Lacewings are beneficial garden insects, important predators whose larvae are generalist feeders on pest insects. Lacewing adults feed on nectar. There are over 1300 species of green lacewings, some of them cryptic (difficult to distinguish based on visual appearance). … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, by jjneal, Environment | Leave a comment

Living With Early Dragonflies

Posted on May 21, 2013 by

The Common Whitetail Dragonfly, Libellula lydia, is living up to its name this year: “Common”. These dragonflies have a long activity period. They can be active in Indiana as early as April and some are still flying late into September … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, by jjneal, Environment | 2 Comments

Living With Puddles

Posted on May 20, 2013 by

A mud puddle (or soil wet with irrigation water) is attractive to many butterflies. The butterflies at these sites are males that are collecting sodium to supplement the caterpillar diet (plants) which is deficient in sodium. Water dissolves minerals in … Continue reading →

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Living With Invasive Ants

Posted on May 18, 2013 by

Texas has a new ant in town: the crazy ant. Crazy ants are natives of Brazil that have been inadvertently transported to North America, first noted in Houston, Texas in 2002. Crazy ants will likely displace many native (and non-native) … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, by jjneal, Environment, Invasive Species | 3 Comments

Friday Cat-erpillar Blogging: Toxic Caterpillars

Posted on May 17, 2013 by

The Oak Processionary Moth, Thaumetopoea processionea, has been expanding its range. A native of Southern and Central Europe, the moth has expanded into the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern Germany. Why is its range expanding? One factor is movement of plants … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomaterials, by jjneal, Caterpillar Blogging, Education, Environment, Health, Invasive Species, Pest Management | Leave a comment

Battling Invasives

Posted on May 15, 2013 by

We hear most often about the invasive species that overwhelm all our efforts to halt their spread and takeover. There are some instances of success. The Asian Longhorned Beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, is a native of China that attacks hardwoods. The … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Environment, Invasive Species, Pest Management | Leave a comment