a little wild   (a small slice of wildlife)

A relatively quiet year in terms of Arthropods, but it had some nice moments. Here are some highlights.

Here’s a scorpion from Bonaire. It took a little effort to turn over rocks until we finally found it.

From 20140421_bonaire

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A gorgeous longhorn beetle. Plintocoelium suaveolens? [EDIT: more likely Anthophylax cyaeneum?] But if you look at it in more detail, there’s a hitchhiker or two on it. A pseudoscorpion, and one more I can’t identify.

From 20140601_moosehill

From 20140601_moosehill

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Differences of scale: a collembola on top of (probably) a beetle grub. Springtails are among the most common animals on earth, but don’t get the attention they deserve.

From 20140601_moosehill

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While we’re on the topic of common arthropods that don’t get a lot of attention, here’s my first member of Symphyla, relatives of the millipedes and centipedes. I love the prehensile antennae!

From 20140601_moosehill

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I just like how this cranefly looks contrasted with the dead log underneath.

From 20140601_moosehill

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A hairy click beetle (Elateridae?). Hanging out in a niche on a boulder, perhaps feasting on springtails.

From 201407_king_phillips_ant_war

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Some photos from an ant war next to our driveway.

From 201407_king_phillips_ant_war

From 201407_king_phillips_ant_war

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A red-necked cane borer. I like the colour of its collar.

From 201407_around_house

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From 201407_around_house

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Wasps can be incredibly small (the fairy wasp is smaller than a paramecium). Here’s a tiny one found in our home, on my laptop screen. You can see the individual pixels to give a sense of scale.

From 201407_around_house

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Just a Salticid doing what she needs to to get by.

From 201407_around_house

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And another Salticid and an Agelenid that dropped by to give me some company while I was working from home.

From 20141009_jumping_spider

From 20140820_spiders

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Picturesque eyes on a pesty horsefly.

From 201408_1000islands

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I love Tetragnathids, because they’re absurdly shaped, like giraffes.

From 201408_1000islands

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Orb-weaver found in Canada.

From 201408_1000islands

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Jumping spiders are just too cute.

From 201408_1000islands

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I always find robber flies to be picturesque.

From 201408_1000islands