Monthly Archives: May 2011

The Gilgal Grasshopper

Posted on May 31, 2011 by jjneal

A cool rainy day is not great weather for photographing insects, so I did the next best thing, photograph insect art. Looking for something to do before an afternoon flight from Salt Lake, City, Utah, I visited the small, eclectic … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Literature | 1 Comment

Milkweed Bugs

Posted on May 30, 2011 by jjneal

The Milkweed bug, Oncepeltus fasciatus, is a conspicuous inhabitant of milkweed plants. The bright orange and black colors of the adults warn potential predators that the insect is toxic and distasteful. The milkweed bug larvae are bright red with black … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | 3 Comments

Utah Antlions

Posted on May 29, 2011 by jjneal

In the high Utah desert, some soils are very sandy with plenty of ants and other small crawling arthropods. The habitat is perfect for antlions. The antlion larvae make conical pits in the sand by backing in a circle and … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | 2 Comments

Living With Box Elder Bugs

Posted on May 28, 2011 by jjneal

In Capital Reef National Park, I was a bit surprised to see familiar box elder trees and boxelder bugs. Many Indiana residents are familiar with the orange and black bugs that sometimes invade houses during the winter. The boxelder bugs … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, Environment, Pest Management | Leave a comment

Western Tent Caterpillars

Posted on May 27, 2011 by jjneal

The Rocky Mountains divide the US geographically. Crossing the Rockies means driving over high mountain passes. At higher elevations, the climate and the ecosystems change. Insect species that can survive at low elevations, may not be able to survive the … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, Environment | 1 Comment

Living With Galls

Posted on May 26, 2011 by jjneal

One of the most prominent insects in the Nevada landscape at Cathedral Gorge are the Rabbitbrush Galls. Most of the mature rabbitbrush has a dozen or so galls per plant. Several species of picture-wing flies (Aciurina spp.; Family: Tephritidae) are … Continue reading →

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Living With The Sponge Gall Midge

Posted on May 25, 2011 by jjneal

Sagebrush is a predominant plant of the arid Utah and Nevada landscape. Plants that grow in arid regions have less competition for sunlight from other plants, but competition for water is fierce. The foliage of desert plants is a potential … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | 5 Comments