A picture of a male Phengodes beetle on the Facebook page What’s Happening in St. Charles showed that this species is still alive and well…
Glowworms
Fireflies
For almost a week now-since 10:54 a.m. on Friday June 21– it’s officially been summer. Unofficially, it’s also firefly mating season, a last hurrah for…
Ground Bees and Beetles — Part 2
Last week when we related the discovery and subsequent identification of an awesome little beetle, Tricrania sanguinipennis, I promised that this week we’d dig deeper…
Ground Bees and Beetles
North America is home to around 30,000 beetle species. Thirty. Thousand. Species. It’s no wonder that identifying them can be difficult. Some beetles, bless their…
Winter Stoneflies
Make no mistake, love is in the air. Jewelers have stepped up their ads for diamond-crusted tokens of tenderness (“Every kiss begins with Kay!”) and…
Woolly Bear Caterpillars
“Where are they now?” It’s a phrase that seems custom-made for former child stars-those little darlings who sang, danced or acted their way to fame…
Katydids
Long ago, the story goes, a newlywed couple was found murdered in their beds. Although the crime was never solved, the primary suspect was the…
Nature & Yardwork
Native pollinators have been in the news a lot lately and, for the most part, the reports have not been good. Powerful pesticides combined with…
Predatory Stink Bugs
The two-spotted stink bug is quite different from the introduced brown marmorated stink bug currently plaguing the TriCities. Our two-spotted friend actually is a predator and should be welcomed to gardens throughout the area. Its favored prey is potato beetles. Predatory Stink Bugs October 6, 2017 Stink. It’s a word on everyone’s mind these days,
Viceroy Butterfly
Do you see monarchs mating? Look again! These two butterflies are viceroys, distinguished from monarchs by the dark line across the hindwing. Look for this species in moist areas where willows grow. Viceroy Butterfly September 22, 2017 A couple of weeks ago we took a look at the current darling of the butterfly world, the