Who or what is cutting down those beautiful prairie flowers?
#Ecology #Ecosystems #NaturalHistory #Rewilding
https://prairieecologist.com/2025/05/14/the-penstemon-lumberjack-mystery/
The mimics and the mimicked. Note how the spider and the beetle not only reddish brown with black at posterior end but they both have two white perpendicular dashes that separate these colors. These white dashes probably make them look like they have a waist like the carpenter ant.
I observed these today on a hike at a local state park. Species names are in the alt tags.
Upon seeing this, your first reaction is....
bee's face
beetle's butt
Take poll in comment.
Megischus bicolor (Bicolored Crown-of-thorns Wasp). Notable features of this parasitoid wasp are the long "neck," enlarged and toothed hind femora, and teeth on the head (from where its name is derived). Although it appears wingless, they're there--just held tightly against the body. Females have an ovipositor that exceeds their body length--used to lay eggs in larvae of wood-boring beetles.
Four flies for #FridayFlyDay which I photographed in the back yard yesterday.
Genus Zacompsia (I think)--a picture-winged fly in the family Ulidiida. Neotephritis finalis
(Sunflower Seed Maggot fly)--a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae. Genus Elachiptera--genus of frit flies in the family Chloropidae (larvae feed on grasses). Cylindromyia intermedia--a species of bristle fly in the family Tachinidae.
Meet Rhinocyllus conicus (the Nodding Thistle Receptacle Weevil). Native to Eurasia and North Africa, it was introduced to the United States in 1969 as a biocontrol for invasive thistle. However, it began attacking native thistles also. The larvae feed on the flower receptacle, reducing seed production.
If you live in Oregon, like to hike, and are a nerd, this site's for you. Yet another reason I'd like to move to that state. #oregon #hike #hiking #scientist #science #naturalist #biology #geology #NaturalHistory https://trailscholar.com/
Woodpecker holes are like rental properties: used by all kinds
#NaturalHistory #Ecology
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/hole-story-how-woodpeckers-make-homes-forest
#OTD in 1859.
Charles Darwin sent John Murray the first three chapters, and a proposal for the book's title. An early draft title page suggests On the Mutability of Species. In September the main title still included "An essay on the origin of species and varieties", but Darwin now proposed dropping "varieties".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Origin_of_Species
On the Origin of Species at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1228
The Forgotten Victorian Craze for Collecting Seaweed
Victorian women were excellent at it.
by Cara Giaimo (from the archives)
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-forgotten-victorian-craze-for-collecting-seaweed
Books by or about Margaret Gatty at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Margaret+Gatty&submit_search=Search
How to plan and plant a wildlife garden. Don't forget the water, the critters need it
#NaturalHistory #NativeGardening #GardeningforWildlife
https://1001species.substack.com/p/wildlife-gardens-get-ready?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1822331&post_id=159281284&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=mlfh&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Do you plan to start a Wildlife Garden (or just a welcoming patch in a corner) this spring? Here are some ideas to get you started.
#Photography #NaturePhotography #NaturalHistory #Conservation #Nature #Rewilding #Gardening #Wildlife #Birds #Gardens
https://1001species.substack.com/p/wildlife-gardens-get-ready
The Age of Wonder Meets the Age of Information
What can past eras of information overload teach students about critically consuming content in the present?
By: Whitney Barlow Robles
https://daily.jstor.org/the-age-of-wonder-meets-the-age-of-information/
This excellent site shows how you can restore ecosystem while having a working farm 
#NaturalHistory #Conservation #Rewilding #Ecosystems #Resilience #Sustainability
https://www.sunnysideconservancy.com/
A really tragic loss for #science and #scicomm. I can't overstate how great Fortey's books were; Trilobite! was immensely influential on me as a young scientist.
Take a moment today, and appreciate the deep time that has led to the natural world around you.
https://www.thebookseller.com/obituaries/author-presenter-and-palaeontologist-richard-fortey-dies-aged-79 #RichardFortey #Trilobites #fossils #museum #NaturalHistory
Gutted to read that palaeontologist #RichardFortey has passed away. I really enjoyed both his book Trilobite! and his memoir and have his recent book on fungi lined up. He will be sorely missed.
