Monday 24 November 2008

Some Beetle Links


Be Careful With Mushrooms, says Fortey

Trilobite expert and historian of the Natural History Museum, Richard Fortey, urges caution to mushroom collectors. Original article form the Telegraph.

"Lost" Mammal Species Rediscovered

One from October:

The first ever photograph of a live Sumatran muntjac.


..and recently:



The pygmy tarsier, thought to be extinct for 80 years.

Ambitious Identification Project


This is a story from a while back (I'm spending some time blogging about things I bookmarked to blog about ages ago). It gives a good summary of the situation.

Ugly Overload


Head over to Ugly Overload for some basic information about these Horsehair worms and how they make their host insect drown itself. Nature isn't always sweet.....

Some QuickLinks



From YouTube:

Typealyzer

I have just put this blog through Typealyzer, and this is what it has to say about me:

"The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time."

Locust Swarm Video

From National Geographic. I can't embed it - but go and take a look!

Bug Quiz


I tend to mourn regularly the lack of questions on insects in our local Pub Quiz (yes, the website is terrible, the pub's not so bad). This seems to be a lot more interesting!

Invasive Cockroaches

From:
Florida Pest Pro
University of Florida News

Phil Koehler and Roberto Pereira of the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have an article in Florida Pest Pro alerting people to the fact that several new species of cockroach may invade Florida. They are particularly concerned aboput the 'Turkestan cockroach' which has already been introduced into the southern United States by miliatry personnel returning form the Middle East.

Koehlern is also concerned that Madagascan hissing cockroaches may also become naturalised.

One statistic from the UF news article is quite telling: "We have 69 species of cockroaches in the United States and 29 of them were bought in from other countries".

One possible threat comes from people rearing exotic cockroaches as pets os a s food for reptiles and amphibians. In the San Diego area the stick insect Carausius morosus has naturalised.

Tuesday 18 November 2008

Phasmid on Dutch TV

"A nervous Suzanne De Jong arrived yesterday at Innisfail's Australian Insect Farm, near Cairns, where a 35cm giant walker stick insect, three giant burrowing cockroaches and a 16cm spiny leaf insect awaited."


Link here.

Wednesday 12 November 2008

Not an invert.....


...but still a really good photo! Originally posted here.

Tuesday 11 November 2008

The Entomological Bucket


This report from the Daily Telegraph seems to imply that the humble bucket is the storage tool of preference for entomologists before they resort to the more standard pin and drawer.

"Scientists have also discovered at least three new species hidden among Mr Cadiou's specimen trays and buckets."

Bored Octopus


It seems that Otto the octopus gets bored during the Winter season, when his aquarium is closed during the week and he can no longer entertain himself my splashing water at visitors. Instead he "juggled the hermit crabs in his aquarium, threw rocks at the aquarium glass, confiscated scrubbers with which we tried to clean his exhibit from the inside and decided not to give them back and finally we found him sitting on the edge of his exhibit shooting water at the lights which caused the constant power cuts".

Is Otto a teenager?


To Save A Mockingbird


Head over here and give them some of your hard-earned money. It's a worthy cause.

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