Category Archives: Insects

Project LBB: Drawing workflow

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Butterfly Psyche

The somewhat disheveled and quite deceased beetle on the left is the original collected type specimen of Hyperaspis troglodytes, well over 100 years old. I obtained the image from the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) entomology type database; the … Continue reading →

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Posted in Artwork, Insects, Lady beetles, Project LBB, Scymninae, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Project LBB: The drawing begins!

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Butterfly Psyche

The lovely lady to the left is Cycloneda sanguinea, the Spotless Lady Beetle, the first drawing I tackled for Project LBB. (Actually the lovely lady is a male – notice the white vertical line at the center of the black-and-white … Continue reading →

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Posted in Artwork, Chilocorinae, Coccidulinae, Coccinellinae, Lady beetles, Project LBB, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Spring (finally) springing

Posted on April 17, 2011 by Butterfly Psyche

I admit I’ve been waiting for something good to post…the year’s first lady beetle or first warbler or first life-list bird. By this time last year, I had all of those! Heck, I had a clutch of lady beetle eggs … Continue reading →

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Posted in Arachnids, Birds, Blackbirds, Insects, Plants, Spiders, Thrushes, Warblers | Leave a comment

Project LBB: Preparations

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Butterfly Psyche

I spent the first evening of Project LBB going through the invaluable lady beetle reference work by Robert Gordon, “The Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of America North of Mexico.” Published in 1985, it is out of date in some respects, but it … Continue reading →

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Project LBB: What is it?

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Butterfly Psyche

I’ve long coveted a field guide to Eastern North American lady beetles – something akin to John Acorn’s “Ladybugs of Alberta,” the only lady beetle field guide I know of. His book is fantastic, one of my favorites, but it … Continue reading →

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Project Lady Beetle Book: It begins!

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Butterfly Psyche

It starts tonight: Project Lady Beetle Book (hereafter most likely abbreviated “Project LBB”). I’ve been tossing the idea around for a while now, but finally took concrete steps toward it tonight. 4/4/2011. And…GO!

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Posted in Insects, Lady beetles, Project LBB, Writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

More haiku, because they’re addictive

Posted on October 2, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

Indian Corn Pearlescent kernels, Nestled against their neighbors, Gems in a coffer. Cat Ears stiff as sailcloth Whiskers poised like galley oars The hunter embarks. Lady Beetle Smooth-shelled hemisphere Candy-colored polka dots Beneath: the dark jaws.

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Posted in Cats, Lady beetles, Mammals, Plants, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The poetry of nature

Posted on October 1, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

I found a dimpled spider, fat and white
On a white heal-all, holding up a moth
Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth…

(Can you tell what kind of spider it is yet?) Continue reading →

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Posted in Arachnids, Butterflies and Moths, Chit-chat, Insects, Poetry, Spiders, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fall visitors: Brown marmorated stinkbugs

Posted on September 29, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

If you live in the East or Midwest, you’ve probably seen the Brown Marmorated Stinkbug (Halyomorpha halys): a shield-shaped brown insect, about an inch (25 mm) long, that’s trying to get into your house this month! I see them in … Continue reading →

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Posted in Insects, True Bugs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Poison ivy: a burning question

Posted on September 25, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

[T]there really are a few benefits to humans. But as a nature-lover and birdwatcher married to a botanist, I’ve learned that poison ivy is very beneficial for wildlife! Continue reading →

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Posted in Arachnids, Birds, Butterflies and Moths, Insects, Mites, Plants, Poison Ivy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments