Category: insects
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When Polka-dots Go Bad
My friends and family know I love bugs. It makes me really happy to be known as the person you can send random bug pics to, whether for ID help or just to share something cool. Unfortunately, this summer I’ve had several instances where my reply has been negative. It hurts a little to do…
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Ground-nesting Bees
A couple weeks ago at work, one of my coworkers mentioned he had found the largest group of ground-nesting bees he’d ever seen, right behind our office. I peeked out the window but couldn’t see anything. When I went outside, though, I finally saw what he meant. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of little…
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Three Legs
Recently I had an unplanned shift at the fee booth, to fill in for an absent coworker. This meant I didn’t get to spend as much time walking around and interacting with visitors as I had expected. But I’m not complaining, because I did end up having a really cool encounter with an insect I…
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Blogtober- Foul Odor
I usually think of flowers as lovely, sweet-smelling decorations. They’re actually plants’ reproductive organs, though, and some are distinctly weird. The fragrant, colorful ones like roses and asters attract bees and butterflies for pollination. However, other kinds of flowers are downright stinky, because they evolved to attract a whole different set of insects. Rather than…
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Blogtober: Masked
It seems fitting that after writing about how maybe orange bugs seemed more prevalent just because they were easier to see amid the green leaves, today I write about masking and camouflage. I am fascinated by the different ways creatures have of disguising themselves. From cryptic patterns on their skin/exoskleleton, to even gluing pieces of…
The Contented Naturalist 