Click Beetle
The lack of updates the last few days was due to the wife and I moving to a new apartment. We’re mostly moved in now and somewhat unpacked, but it will still be a few days before we’re all the way in.
This drab looking fellow is a click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae); the lateral spines of the pronotum are good family field marks. They have a spine on their sternum that they can snap into a groove which causes them to jump up into the air, giving off a loud “click” in the process.
Field Study
This past weekend at work, walking past a holly tree to get to my pan traps, I was almost blown away by the diversity of insects working the tiny flowers. Flies, bees, wasps, they were everywhere. Getting workable pictures wasn’t that easy, as none of the insects were inclined to sit still.
You’re getting multiple insect species today, but a single tree species, so, somehow it makes sense. Hollies are dioecious, meaning some trees produce only male flowers, and some produce only female flowers thus requiring outcrossing (therefore pollen transfer), which these insects are happy to provide. This particular plant is a female.
Overwintering Ladybugs
Another older one, but a personal favorite. These ladybugs were aggregating to pass the winter in the Visitor’s Center at work. There were several of these groups throughout the building.
Bess Bug
A couple of older pictures of this Passalid. Bad weather today for insect collecting, and not a ton of time to boot. I found this one inside a rotting log, with three others, a couple of weeks ago. They are so shiny in person, they’re really something to look at.
Dermestid
Finding this beetle was very much a good news/bad news moment. On the one hand, good news because it gave me a subject to photograph today. On the other hand, much worse, it means my insect collection (not to mention clothes, rugs, etc.) is in jeopardy. Dermestid larvae (such as this carpet beetle) like to eat not only fabric, but dead insects as well; they are the bane of insect collectors, entomologists, and museums. It looks like I’m now going to be monitoring my collection much more closely, as well as spending some time scouring the apartment and looking for the source.
Beauty is Only Chitin Deep 