Category Archives: bugs

  Dragonflies are grouped into seven families, each of which contains many members. Skimmers, one of the biggest of the families, prefer marshy areas and so are not often seen around the well drained portions of the Kootenay Lake shoreline. … Continue reading →

  It is amazing what one can see around here by taking the time to look. Or as Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) observed: “The world is full of obvious things which nobody ever observes.” Consider the cicada. When compared … Continue reading →

  The crab spider (Misumena vatia) lives by deception. On a yellow flower, it turns yellow; on a white flower, it turns white. In this way, it is camouflaged as it awaits pollinators. So, how will it present itself when on a … Continue reading →

  Common is a part of the name of many species: Common Carp (fish), Common Loon (bird), Common Pika (mammal), Common Whitetail (insect), Common Harebell (plant), Common Orange Lichen (lichen). Vastly more examples could be offered. There are perils in … Continue reading →

  I enjoy polysemes—words with plural meanings. One might think that my title, butterfly symposium, must refer to a seminar of lepidopterists. It doesn’t. The root meaning of symposium is drinking party (sym: together; posium: to drink). Certainly, it is clear how … Continue reading →

  A pond skater goes by an amazingly large number of common names. Wikipedia lists some—water strider, water bug, magic bug, pond skater, skater, skimmer, water scooter, water skater, water skeeter, water skimmer, water skipper, water spider, Jesus bug—but, there … Continue reading →

  I find it difficult to photograph insects in flight—birds are not easy either, but they are not as difficult as insects. Insects are small and usually too fast for my camera’s auto focus to capture. So, my occasional modest … Continue reading →

  For all its parasitic behaviour, a cuckoo bee is beautiful to look at. A cuckoo bee looks something like a wasp—but it isn’t a wasp; it’s a bee. There are quite a few different apian species that have earned … Continue reading →

  Normally, the only moths I spot in the daytime are those that are sleeping in conspicuous places such as on a window, wall or carpet. In their natural habitat, they are a great deal more difficult to find because … Continue reading →