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Caterpillar Hunting
In my last post I mentioned there was a bounty on caterpillars. I said that because there are just SO many out right now. So I took the 12 gauge and 22 to see what I could get. After shooting a bunch,...
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Plant Galls part 2
Back in September 2010, I posted a feature on plant galls here. I have come across a lot of others since then, and decided it's time for part 2. Some of these I pulled from other misc. posts, but the...
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Autumn: Cool Temperatures and Color Changes
Last Friday and Saturday brought some ugly rain. Sunday was nice but a little chilly. I went for a hike, and for the first time all season, there were no caterpillars to be found. I hate to hear people...
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Hickories of Ohio
It's that time of year where I'm not out with the camera much. I often look through my photos in order to come up with a topic to post. I had put this together before I realized fellow blogger Andrew...
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Sumacs of Ohio
The Sumacs of Ohio are comprised of five species in two genera. They are classified as shrubs, but several can obtain large sizes. All have compound leaves, and the majority have red fruit. Sumacs are...
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Mummies and Zombies
What a title for the holiday season, but I bet it got your attention. With finals being over, I can finally catch up on a few posts. These photos are not the greatest, but consider everything here is...
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Wild Grapes
Wild Grapes occur throughout Ohio and are quite common. These fruit are edible, though a bit tart for some. Wine can be made from our species, but it's not as desirable when compared to the more...
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Homoptera Insects
Homoptera insects, once considered their own order, have now been placed into the Hemiptera order. Many people just refer to all insects as bugs. Well this is the one order where they are correct....
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A Thorny Situation
Those woody plants that scratch and pierce our skin when hiking are often called some pretty colorful things by people. I will avoid such language, and describe exactly what they are running into....
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Birch Family
When one thinks of Birches, or the Birch family Betulaceae, this is what usually comes to mind. Trees with white peeling bark. The family is more complex than that, and contains five different groups...
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It's COLD, but the birds are here
Try doing Ornithology classes in sub zero temperatures. Students hate it, but this week has been good. This is only the second time we've included the winter season as part of the class. Last year it...
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Warblers of Ash Cave State Park
Ash Cave is one of the Hocking Hills State Parks located in Hocking County Ohio. It's known for its geological formations and a spectacular waterfall. The Hocking Hills contain glacial remnant forests...
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Skipper Butterflies
Whenever I do a large post on a particular group of plants or animals, I always seem to start with a disclaimer. Not all of the skippers are illustrated here. I simply haven't seen all the species in...
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Mothapalooza part 2. More Than Just Moths
There will be no moth pictures in part 2. Hope that doesn't disappoint anyone, but like I said earlier, the field trips encompassed so much more natural history. For someone interested in multiple...
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SPRING! It's about bloomin' time
Two sure signs spring has arrived. The Forsythia bushes are blooming, and the Eastern Tent Caterpillars are starting their webs.77 degrees and sunny. There's something I haven't said in a long time....
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Springtime, I can DIG it.
It's that time of year when I take my Forest Entomology students out to dig through leaf litter, tree bark, and old fallen logs. I have posted on forest insect pests in the past, but today it's more...
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More Spring Hiking
Before leaving the house I noticed this large Geometrid on my window. This is the Tulip-tree Beauty, Epimecis hortaria. This is one of our larger Inchworm moths.Shooting from the top side shows the...
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Hiking Wahkeena
I recently had the opportunity to get out in the field with Rick Gardner to survey the Carex Sedges of Wahkeena Nature Preserve. In a couple hours we found 33 species, and my brain turned to mush! I...
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Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve
Kind of gives you that feel of the tropics doesn't it? That's to be expected when you are underneath the magnificent Magnolias of Lake Katherine. I joined Rick Gardner, Andrew Gibson, Steve McKee, Dave...
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Mothapalooza II
We just wrapped up another sold out Mothapalooza extravaganza. My vial caught the attention of one or two small beetles, but I didn't grab a single moth. As I mentioned last year, this is not a...
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