INSECTS BRING OUT THE INNER CHILD
By Arthur V. Evans Two wars, recession, earthquakes, and the seemingly endless wrangling of politicians—the news has not been very good lately. These combined with the usual everyday stuff makes it all...
View ArticleA BOUNTY OF BOXELDER BUGS
By Arthur V. Evans A neighbor recently sought my advice about tiny, scarlet insects scurrying across his deck and up his walls, some of which were no larger than bits of coarsely ground pepper. Some...
View ArticleCARPENTER BEES ARE BORING!
By Arthur V. Evans It's spring and the eastern carpenter bees, Xylocopa virginica, are back! The usual suspects of spring are all around me once again, including large, buzzing, blue-black eastern...
View ArticleFALCATE ORANGETIPS
By Arthur V. Evans After a few false starts spring has finally arrived here in central Virginia, and not a moment too soon. In hopes of seeing some examples of the early spring insect fauna, I recently...
View ArticleLUNA MOTHS ARE ON THE WING
By Arthur V. Evans The luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Although the luna moth is native to North America, most of its relatives live in Asia. Last night, while black lighting for beetles on a cool...
View ArticleA BEVY OF BUCKEYES
By Arthur V. Evans For the past month or so, Virginia has been awash with the Common Buckeye, Junonia coenia. The name Junonia is derived from the diminutive form of the Greek Juno, Zeus’ consort,...
View ArticleCAN YOU SAY OSMETERIUM?
By Arthur V. Evans This summer a cadre of dedicated parents and volunteers joined forces at a nearby elementary school to create an outdoor classroom. The Holton Learning Project Garden includes a...
View ArticleSHARPSHOOTERS AND BROCHOSOMES
By Arthur V. Evans Broad-headed sharpshooter, Oncometopia orbona. Sharpshooters (Oncometopia species) measure 11-13 mm in length and are among the largest of North America’s leafhoppers. They feed on a...
View ArticleTIPPING THE SCALES
By Arthur V. Evans Wax scales that is. Indian wax scales to be precise. While trimming our nandina hedge this afternoon, I noticed a couple of small, white, barnacle-looking lumps on a stem. They were...
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