Reports from the Field

Bug o’the Week – More Scenes of Summer

Greetings, BugFans, OK – it’s September, but the bug season isn’t over yet. Outside of wetlands, if there’s anything better than a walk on the prairie, surrounded by Big Bluestem […]

09.10.18

Bug o’the Week – Bumble Flower Beetle

Howdy, BugFans, The BugLady had a wonderful Beetle Experience the other day.  She was at Riveredge Nature Center, attempting to photograph some butterflies (a Common Wood Nymph and a few Viceroys) […]

08.29.18

Bug o’the Week – Seven-spotted Ladybug

Greetings, BugFans, Sometimes, the origins of insects’ names are pretty inscrutable, but not that of the Seven-spotted Ladybug.  Its name does need a little unpacking, though – like the firefly/lightning bug, the ladybug/ladybird […]

08.22.18

Bug o’the Week – European Skipper Butterfly

Howdy, BugFans,    The BugLady has trouble wrapping her head around the idea of a non-native butterfly, especially one that’s considered a pest.  What could be more benign than a butterfly?  But, […]

08.15.18

Bug o’the Week – Summer Survey

Greetings, BugFans, The BugLady is spending as much time as she can in the field (and the rest of it editing pictures) because, you know, the Summer Solstice has passed, […]

08.09.18

Bug o’the Week – Red-shouldered Pine Borer

Howdy, BugFans, Meet another of the BugLady’s new neighbors, a handsome black beetle with red epaulets called the Red-shouldered Pine Borer.  It came to her front door – well, actually, it […]

08.02.18

Bug o’the Week – Gold-and-Brown Rove beetle

Salutations, BugFans, This is National Moth Week – find a celebration near you. July is turning out to be Beetle Month, and here’s a beauty.  It’s a Rove beetle, family Staphylinidae, […]

07.25.18

Bug o’the Week – Thistle-head Weevil

Greetings, BugFans, Another week, another alien beetle eating an alien thistle.  The BugLady found this pair of weevils while she was chasing Thistle tortoise beetles (clearly, it’s a weevil that gets […]

07.18.18

Bug o’the Week – Thistle Tortoise Beetle

Salutations, BugFans, The BugLady was wandering the trails at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve recently when she spied a lovely green Thistle tortoise beetle on Canada thistle.  Tortoise beetles have made previous […]

07.11.18

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