Category Archives: Insects

To rear or not to rear?

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

documenting the life cycle of these unpopular but fascinating insects is, indeed, well worth a few bites. In fact, it may be more valuable than popular life cycles like monarch butterflies… Continue reading →

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Ashy-Gray Lady Beetles

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

Despite the name, not all of these beetles are gray; some are black with two red spots. They are also not the only gray lady beetles around… Continue reading →

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Try my new Facebook gift app!

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

Send lady beetle pictures to your friends on Facebook. It’s an exceptionally simple little gift app, but I had fun making it Facebook Ladybugs Gift App

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Video: Monarch butterfly emerging from pupa

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

The first video shows the butterfly’s dramatic exit from the chrysalis. He emerges wet, fat-bodied, and tiny-winged, almost unrecognizable as a butterfly! Continue reading →

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Video: Monarch butterfly caterpillar pupating

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

It took exactly 3 minutes from the time the caterpillar’s skin split to the pupa shaking free of the skin. I took 12 hours of footage overnight to make sure I got those three minutes! I then cut it down to a 4-minute video, which I invite everyone to watch. Continue reading →

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Chilocorus kuwanae lady beetles

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

Chilocorus kuwanae has no common name in English, and has been introduced to North America for biocontrol. It is a beautiful species, glossy black with two red spots. Continue reading →

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Welcome, BugEric readers!

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

It took me almost a day to get around to posting this because I was so flustered and thrilled to be the subject of the 100th post on the popular blog BugEric that I forgot my login name here! As … Continue reading →

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It’s my Lady Beetle Anniversary! (Coccinelliversary?)

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

One year ago today I was looking for caterpillars and found a lady beetle larva instead – a big, orange and black, fourth-instar Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis). I’d seen and identified one the previous year, so I recognized … Continue reading →

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RIP, Fluffy

Posted on May 23, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

Sadly, my little scymnine lady beetle larva has died. *sniff* I just can’t seem to keep this subfamily alive! I saw more larvae in the same milkweed patch, so I’ll try again – but leave some in the wild, lest … Continue reading →

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It’s a lady beetle-eat-lady beetle world…

Posted on May 22, 2010 by Butterfly Psyche

…still, it hardly seems fair for two active larvae to gang up on a prepupal larvae for breakfast. I gave them a lot more aphids and although that particular prepupa is never going to pupate, I hope the rest of … Continue reading →

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