Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Creatures of the Night

I know that you're probably sick of me writing about it, but since we move to our new house about a year ago, I've had to look harder for interesting photographic subjects close to home. But really, the subjects are endless. One of my favorite places to photograph biological diversity is the lamppost that sits in our front yard, and one of our lights in the backyard. Take a look at what I photographed this past Saturday evening, and this selection doesn't even include the moths. I don't know the names of these creatures, scientific or common, and I'm plenty OK with that. I would like to learn them in time- now I'm just trying to observe them and learn about them, without having the trouble of learning names. Once I really learn each creature, the name should be easy. That being said, I wouldn't mind input if you recognize one of these buggers.










Tom

4 comments:

  1. Great bug pictures! I think the fourth one down is a stonefly. And you're right: never a lack of fascinating nature, wherever you look. From reading your blog, I gather that you know your "odes". I found two gorgeous dragonflies yesterday (6/29) and would love to have you see if you could name them. They look identical except one is bright yellow, the other bright red (www.saratogawoodswaters.blogspot.com).

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  2. The last one looks like the black patent leather beetles I used in school when teaching the scientific method to the kids at the beginning of the year. Except, it doesn't look quite as shiny, and I don't think they were native to this area.
    mom

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  3. Nice shots, Tom. I seem to take a lot more photos than I can get identified -- and have a hard drive loading with "just bugs" to prove it.

    A few ID guesses:

    Based on coloration alone, the beetles on top look like they might be False Bombardier Beetles. If so, don't get one close to your eyes because they can squirt a concentrated formic acid solution.

    If the click beetle on the bottom is large (like 3cm), I'd guess that it's a Orthostethus infuscatus

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  4. That last one is certainly interesting looking. A neat bunch of bugs.

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