Bumblebees are amazing pollinators
Who pollinates flowers in high mountain meadows? Who might be the first to visit your flowers in the morning? Who might be pollinating flowers when…
Tag: Insects
Mourning cloak butterflies first to flutter around
Spring is full of firsts—first robin, first flower and first butterfly. Not necessarily in that order though. The first butterfly is often fluttering around before…
Aphids capable of rapidly expanding population
As I walked through my garden I noticed a curled leaf on the plum tree. I turned the leaf over and found it covered in…
10 Fun facts about caterpillars
The transformation from a caterpillar to butterfly is incredible but caterpillars are pretty amazing too! 1. Caterpillars only have six true legs. Caterpillars appear to…
Pollinators: Helping make food
Of all the flowering plants in the world, three-fourths depend on animal pollinators. Bees may be the first to come to mind for pollinators but…
Wildlife attracted to dead trees
I often notice snags because of the woodpecker holes or woodpeckers drumming on the tree. However, woodpeckers aren’t the only ones utilizing snags. What animals…
What happens inside a chrysalis?
Butterflies, moths, beetles, flies and bees all look different when they are young. From caterpillars to grubs and maggots, these young undergo a major transformation…
Metamorphosis transforms many insects
One of the most fascinating transformations in nature is the change a caterpillar undergoes to become a butterfly. Small, wriggly caterpillars hide within a chrysalis…
Every burl is different
Every so often while hiking I find a tree with a burl. Sometimes the burl is a small globular protrusion on a branch and…
Some animals capable of growing new appendages
Lizards are one of the more well-known animals to regrow their tail after shedding it to evade predators. Last week, I wrote about autotomy (the…
Animals utilize self-amputation for numerous reasons
Northern alligator lizards and western blue-tailed skinks possess two unique abilities in the animal world–they can self-amputate their tail and grow it back. The process…
Antlions lurk at bottom of mini sand pits
Have you seen the small pits that resemble craters on the moon at the base of large trees? Or maybe in the sandy soil under…
Mourning cloak butterflies first to flutter around
Spring is full of firsts—first robin, first flower and first butterfly. Not necessarily in that order though. The first butterfly is often fluttering around before…
Aphids capable of rapidly expanding population
As I walked through my garden I noticed a curled leaf on the plum tree. I turned the leaf over and found it covered in…
10 Fun facts about caterpillars
The transformation from a caterpillar to butterfly is incredible but caterpillars are pretty amazing too! 1. Caterpillars only have six true legs. Caterpillars appear to…
Pollinators: Helping make food
Of all the flowering plants in the world, three-fourths depend on animal pollinators. Bees may be the first to come to mind for pollinators but…
Wildlife attracted to dead trees
I often notice snags because of the woodpecker holes or woodpeckers drumming on the tree. However, woodpeckers aren’t the only ones utilizing snags. What animals…
What happens inside a chrysalis?
Butterflies, moths, beetles, flies and bees all look different when they are young. From caterpillars to grubs and maggots, these young undergo a major transformation…
Metamorphosis transforms many insects
One of the most fascinating transformations in nature is the change a caterpillar undergoes to become a butterfly. Small, wriggly caterpillars hide within a chrysalis…
Every burl is different
Every so often while hiking I find a tree with a burl. Sometimes the burl is a small globular protrusion on a branch and…
Some animals capable of growing new appendages
Lizards are one of the more well-known animals to regrow their tail after shedding it to evade predators. Last week, I wrote about autotomy (the…
Animals utilize self-amputation for numerous reasons
Northern alligator lizards and western blue-tailed skinks possess two unique abilities in the animal world–they can self-amputate their tail and grow it back. The process…
Antlions lurk at bottom of mini sand pits
Have you seen the small pits that resemble craters on the moon at the base of large trees? Or maybe in the sandy soil under…