Contrary to what everyone is saying about our last "Big L" run, there was at least ONE great find! Quickly overlooked by both Steven, and Travis, I found this little "gem" on the ground right as I exited the vehicle. Here's the photographic evidence to backup my story. Look for yourself!!



By: Michael

Where are the photos? Yabb.

Hey ! Where are the Photographs of the all the progress you have made at the Farm ? Like: "Fish with Gun _ _ _ _ _ _ " , "Bloody Foot _ _ _ _ _ _ " and so on.


Umm! I'm pretty sure that the Moth was in focus. Possibly it may have been an "operator error" that caused such a strange phenomena. Or, perhaps a "mechanical error" within the camera. I'll go with the later explanation. Just don't blame the Moth. NOT NICE.

"Big L" - Fri.- May 18

Well, Michael, Travis, Emma and I journeyed up to "Big L" Fri. evening. We all had a fun trip but didn't find much. Michael found something that he will post about and all I got was a photo I like to call "out of focus moth".









Steven

Last Weekend... (5/13/07)

    Last Sunday Travis and I smoothed out the rough edges on the bridge that crosses over to Michael's hill. Basically, we flattened the top of a log with: a chain-saw, a hammer and two adzes. Boy was that easy! I wish we could do that once a week. Anyway, the bridge is quite a bit easier to cross now.
    We also finished the short trail to the portable restroom. It will be a nice, meandering hike through the woods. Oh, while cutting the beginning of this trail (two Sundays ago) I discovered two phasmids (D.femorata). The first was by accident while chopping through short brush. The second was by joke when I told Travis to shake the small tree he was standing next to. After that we went around shaking trees but didn't find any more.

  Steven

Residual Austin images

Emma, Travis, Katherine and I took a trip over to Ft. Polk yesterday. Not very
many insects out but here are a few pics from the trip:

BL in BR - May 10

Last night we did a little blacklighting at the Aquaculture Research Station in Baton Rouge, after having a nice dinner at Casa Maria. It was a nice night with very little wind, unlike the last time I was there in 2004 when the wind brought down my light rig.

Emma had a great time with the whole night and I enjoyed finding some juvenile lubbers in the weeds. We had two lights going at two different spots. Here are some pics:







- Steven
------------------------------------
Given the number of people, the varied collecting techniques, the perfect weather conditions, and the diurnal/nocturnal combination of collecting time, I am surprised at how little we got volume-wise. Variety was good, though, and included:

wolf spider
long-jawed orb weavers
orb weavers
jumping spiders of at least 3 species
leaf beetles
scarab beetles
hydrophilids of at least 2 species
dytiscids of at least 3 species
backswimmers
water boatmen
whirligig beetles
dragonflies and damselflies of at least 9 species
giant water bugs
water scorpions
leaf-footed bugs
lubber grasshoppers
mud daubers of at least 2 species
crane flies
horse flies
moths of at least 6 families
mole crickets
various homopterans
eastern subterranean termites
fire ants
crawfish (duh!)
and things with backbones

- Zack

Bugstock fever

OK, since I can in fact post - no small feat for us Neandertals - I want to plug Bugstock in this way: for those reading who are not aware, south Louisiana has a terrific diversity of arthropods which, in the summer and fall, are hard to miss! As such, Steven Barney has taken it upon himself to plan and organize a gathering for insect and spider enthusiasts from the state (though I suppose anyone can come!) and host it on some family property. This should be a really fun day and night of collecting, meeting folks with similar interests, talking, and learning. This is a first-time event, so nothing's too fancy - the best way to make it great is to register to come and show up!

- Zack

Southeast LA report

I am new enough to "blogging" that I hope this post finds its way to the right site! Several things from the New Orleans area:
1) A late March black lighting trip to Des Allemends yielded a few neat beetles and moths. Of note: fiery searchers (6 or so) and large hydrophilids and dytiscids (12 in all, of thereabouts), hundreds of medium-sized dynastine scarabs (Dyscinetus morator), good number of fishflies, and a lot smaller moths that were nicely patterned.
2) Audubon Louisiana Nature Center was done wrong by Katrina - blackberry and tallow are far too prevalent, and nearly all the mature trees were killed. There are still good bugs out there, but there is no more understory for lack of big trees, and what was once passable ground is now impenetrable.
3) Spring sprung here a while back - my benchmarks for the closing of cooler temperatures are: crane fly mas emergence, thistle bloom, Eastern subterranena termite swarming (saw almost none this year), and reports of buck moth eggs hatching. This is followed by larger buck moth caterpillars, a few calls about honey bee swarms (which is better than mite infestations causing bee mortality to the point that one gets NO such calls), and Mexican primrose blooms along roadsides. Finally - and this has begun - the Formosan termites start swarming...and then you know it'll be hot enough for all manner of arthropods to start moving about.
4) Bugstock is coming!

Wed 25th..

     On Wed. we went to Wild Basin for more hiking and more wondering why we decided to go on such a long hike when we get to the difficult and less-shady spot near the end of the loop. Here are some more photos:









Steven

Thanks, Travs...!!
    but don't call me wart....