Showing posts with label arthropods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arthropods. Show all posts
Bed Bugs!
Don't forget to click the video and jump over to the youtube page to tell Cornell that you like their video by clicking the "Like" button.
More info on bed bugs can be found here, here and of course here.
Oh no! I (almost) missed IRFD, 2010!!!
Sunday, September 12, 2010 at 10:40 PM
Labels: amphibians, arthropods, ecology, education, nature, reptiles, wildlife
Labels: amphibians, arthropods, ecology, education, nature, reptiles, wildlife
So what's a thesis-writing, easily distracted grad student to do? Why run outside and flip some rocks, of course. Pics will be posted below once I get them cropped and uploaded to the intertubes.
[Brief pause while I run outside with a camera and flashlight...]
Turns out, there aren't too many rocks worth living under in our yard - and the few that are are a bit on the huge end of the spectrum. Still, I managed to snap some decent photos of a few of the invertebrates living around our house. Pictures will be posted below tomorrow.
Nature/Science Gadgets
If you like fun gadgets, check out some of Adam Bowman's work available on his gadgets page. These can be customized and are interactive. Here are some examples...
[Thanks to David Steen @ Living Alongside Wildlife for bringing these to my attention.]
[Thanks to David Steen @ Living Alongside Wildlife for bringing these to my attention.]
It's International Rock Flipping Day!!
Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 7:05 AM
Labels: amphibians, arthropods, ecology, nature, reptiles, wildlife
Labels: amphibians, arthropods, ecology, nature, reptiles, wildlife
So why aren't you outside looking under rocks!? As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, Sunday September 20th is International Rock Flipping Day - a day to grab a friend or family member and head outdoors to go explore the variety of really cool critters to be found under rocks (or logs, or old plywood, or...).
It's super easy to participate!
To maximize your fun, and minimize any risk of harming you or the critters tucked away under those rocks, please read over the short list of tips and rules here or here. A camera is a must!
Want to share what you find or see what others found this weekend?? Lots of things are already showing up over at Wanderin Weeta's blog, and you can also upload photos to the Flickr group "rockflippingday".
So turn off your computer, maybe call up a friend or neighbor or round up the family, and head outside to your nearest patch of woods, rocky shoreline, or desert wash and flip a rock or two! Get outside and have some fun!
Almost time for International Rock Flipping Day!
Friday, September 4, 2009 at 11:05 PM
Labels: amphibians, arthropods, ecology, nature, reptiles, wildlife
Labels: amphibians, arthropods, ecology, nature, reptiles, wildlife
You're going to join in too, aren't you?
Here in western New York there are plenty of flippable pieces of Devonian shale, and plenty of cool critters living underneath them: various insects, snails, slugs, Scutigera centipedes and other Myriapods, earthworms, a few salamander species, half a dozen or so species of snakes (no venomous species save the few locales away from Ithaca with rarely seen Timber Rattlesnakes and Eastern Massasuagas - no way I'll find one near Ithaca, unfortunately).
While encouraged to flip a rock or two (or three) I think I might have some fun with it... maybe flip a few rocks in a number of different habitats? Maybe flip progressively larger rocks until I can't flip anything more? Some urban, some rural, some wilderness? Other suggestions, anyone?
Hope you get a chance to join the fun! :)
Paraphrasing the rules over on Wanderin' Weeta's blog - if you're joining in for the first time, here's a quick rundown of the procedure:
- On or about September 20th, find your rock and flip it over.
- Record what you find. "Any and all forms of documentation are welcome: still photos, video, sketches, prose, or poetry."
- Replace the rock as you found it; it's someone's home, but...
- as David Steen suggests - "If there are critters underneath, don't place the rock back on top of them, move the animals to the side, replace the rock and let them scurry back."
- Post on your blog, or load your photos to the Flickr group.
- Send me a link. My e-mail address is in my profile, or you can add a comment to any IRFD post.
- Wanderin' Weeta will collect the links, e-mail participants the list, and post it for any and all to copy to their own blogs. (Maybe we can Tweet it, too, this year. Use the hashtag #rockflip.)
Springtime in New York (part III)
With spring now turning to summer, here's a few more photos and comments to follow up on part I and part II of "Springtime in New York". Sticking to my promise, I'll leave the insect world behind with a parting nod to another arthropod before getting into more bird, reptile and amphibian pictures.
When most people think of animal mothers and their young, they're likely to think of a family of some mammal or bird. Indeed, familiar urban and suburban animals like birds, deer, foxes and the like can very noticeable when they've got young in tow!
Still, nearly all major groups of organisms contain examples of moms (and dads!) providing some form of parental care for their offspring - far more species in fact that just the furry and feathered species we tend to notice the most!
Young Canada Geese (Branta canadensis), Ithaca, NY - 23 May 2008.
In many spider species, for example, the eggs are carefully bundled up together with various kinds of silk produced by mom, and are then guarded until they hatch. While most young spiders are independent and can fend for themselves, young wolf spiders will spend some extra time under their mother's guard by clinging to her abdomen. Other arachnids (e.g. scorpions) are known to do the same.
A large (dollar coin?) sized wolf spider (species unknown),
Guarding her eggs in Ithaca, NY - 24 May 2009.
Amphibians, on the other hand, are more hands off - they tend to produce offspring that are ready to fend for themselves and need no care from mom or dad once they've hatched.
Similar to the very first vertebrates to adapt to life on land, modern amphibians still need to lay their eggs in water. In most species, these eggs often hatch long after the parents have left, and the young are left to look after themselves as they mature from fish-like larvae (e.g. tadpoles) to more adult-like forms that can leave the water and live on land.
By late spring a variety of frog, toad and salamander larvae can be found in ponds and streams near Ithaca ( full list of these species and other information can be found here at the New York Herp Atlas (DEC) website). Some species have clear preferences for where they lay their eggs. For example, the two-lined and spring salamanders prefer moving water, while others like most frogs and toads almost exclusively use shallow ponds.
A female American Toad (Bufo americanus) nearing the
end of her stay in a breeding pond near Ithaca, NY
Her offpsring won't need any parental care (Note the biting flies!).
24 May 2009.
American Toad eggs from the same pond as the above female.
A Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris) found along
the grassy banks of a stream near Ithaca, NY - 24 May 2009.
Larval salamander or newt (unknown species - approx. 2cm),
Monkey Run, Ithaca NY - 25 April 2009.
A 4-5" larval Northern Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus p. porphyriticus)
under a rock along a small stream near Ithaca, NY - 24 May 2009.
Northern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea b. bislineata)
An adult from near Ithaca, NY - 24 May 2009.
And of course, there are the most observable of all wildlife - the birds! While I was tempted to stick to "herps" for this post - the evolutionary position of birds more than justifies their inclusion here. Still, I'll be brief.
By late spring, a number of the local breeders have returned from their wintering grounds south of New York - some having traveled up from Central or South America or islands in the Caribbean. Many (like the Northern Waterthrush, below) waste little time - and begin to breed almost immediately.
Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis) with
nest material, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Ithaca, NY - 4 May 2008.
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) with
nest material, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Ithaca, NY - 4 May 2008.
Resident or shorter-distance migrants have in some cases already begun to breed by the time these migrants return. This adult red-tailed hawk, for example, is taking a young Cottontail Rabbit to its almost adult-sized chick up in a nest on Cornell campus.
A Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) with a prey item
(a young Eastern Cottontail Rabbit) near the hawk's nest,
Cornell University, Ithaca NY - 29 April 2009.
Finally, I'll end with a few shots of our local snakes. Many snakes like the locally uncommon Black Ratsnake (Pantherophis o. obsoleta) emerge from hibernation in spring, and after their first shed will mate and lay their eggs once it's warm enough to maintain the higher temperatures they'll need to hatch later in the summer. Others, like the Brown Snake and the Garter Snake (T. sertalis) are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young - usually in late summer around the time other snakes eggs are hatching.
Dekay's Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi dekayi)
near Ithaca, NY - 24 May 2009.
Northern Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii)
A rear-fanged snake, though it rarely bites. It's venom doesn't
appear to affect humans, only it's prey (e.g. salamanders).
This one was found near Ithaca, NY - 24 May 2009.
Black Ratsnake (Pantherophis o. obsoleta)
Note the opaque eyes, indicating it's about to shed.
Seen near Ithaca, NY - 9 May 2009.
When most people think of animal mothers and their young, they're likely to think of a family of some mammal or bird. Indeed, familiar urban and suburban animals like birds, deer, foxes and the like can very noticeable when they've got young in tow!
Still, nearly all major groups of organisms contain examples of moms (and dads!) providing some form of parental care for their offspring - far more species in fact that just the furry and feathered species we tend to notice the most!
In many spider species, for example, the eggs are carefully bundled up together with various kinds of silk produced by mom, and are then guarded until they hatch. While most young spiders are independent and can fend for themselves, young wolf spiders will spend some extra time under their mother's guard by clinging to her abdomen. Other arachnids (e.g. scorpions) are known to do the same.
Guarding her eggs in Ithaca, NY - 24 May 2009.
Amphibians, on the other hand, are more hands off - they tend to produce offspring that are ready to fend for themselves and need no care from mom or dad once they've hatched.
Similar to the very first vertebrates to adapt to life on land, modern amphibians still need to lay their eggs in water. In most species, these eggs often hatch long after the parents have left, and the young are left to look after themselves as they mature from fish-like larvae (e.g. tadpoles) to more adult-like forms that can leave the water and live on land.
By late spring a variety of frog, toad and salamander larvae can be found in ponds and streams near Ithaca ( full list of these species and other information can be found here at the New York Herp Atlas (DEC) website). Some species have clear preferences for where they lay their eggs. For example, the two-lined and spring salamanders prefer moving water, while others like most frogs and toads almost exclusively use shallow ponds.
end of her stay in a breeding pond near Ithaca, NY
Her offpsring won't need any parental care (Note the biting flies!).
24 May 2009.
the grassy banks of a stream near Ithaca, NY - 24 May 2009.
Monkey Run, Ithaca NY - 25 April 2009.
under a rock along a small stream near Ithaca, NY - 24 May 2009.
An adult from near Ithaca, NY - 24 May 2009.
And of course, there are the most observable of all wildlife - the birds! While I was tempted to stick to "herps" for this post - the evolutionary position of birds more than justifies their inclusion here. Still, I'll be brief.
By late spring, a number of the local breeders have returned from their wintering grounds south of New York - some having traveled up from Central or South America or islands in the Caribbean. Many (like the Northern Waterthrush, below) waste little time - and begin to breed almost immediately.
nest material, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Ithaca, NY - 4 May 2008.
nest material, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Ithaca, NY - 4 May 2008.
Resident or shorter-distance migrants have in some cases already begun to breed by the time these migrants return. This adult red-tailed hawk, for example, is taking a young Cottontail Rabbit to its almost adult-sized chick up in a nest on Cornell campus.
(a young Eastern Cottontail Rabbit) near the hawk's nest,
Cornell University, Ithaca NY - 29 April 2009.
Finally, I'll end with a few shots of our local snakes. Many snakes like the locally uncommon Black Ratsnake (Pantherophis o. obsoleta) emerge from hibernation in spring, and after their first shed will mate and lay their eggs once it's warm enough to maintain the higher temperatures they'll need to hatch later in the summer. Others, like the Brown Snake and the Garter Snake (T. sertalis) are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young - usually in late summer around the time other snakes eggs are hatching.
near Ithaca, NY - 24 May 2009.
A rear-fanged snake, though it rarely bites. It's venom doesn't
appear to affect humans, only it's prey (e.g. salamanders).
This one was found near Ithaca, NY - 24 May 2009.
Note the opaque eyes, indicating it's about to shed.
Seen near Ithaca, NY - 9 May 2009.
Springtime in New York (part II)
With the "spring" semester coming to a close, true spring is finally in full force in western New York state. Among the student and amateur naturalists in the region, it's time to shift gears and welcome back the many plants, migratory birds, reptile, amphibians, and invertebrates that can be found in the region during the warmer months. Following up on part I of Springtime in New York, here are a few of my own sightings of this spring. This post was clearly growing to large, so I'll be posting more in a part III sometime in the coming weeks.Some of my favorite places to frequent during spring are the many woodland swamps, wetlands and creeks in the greater Ithaca area. The reasons are twofold: First, these areas host a variety of organisms during the warmer months, including those mentioned above. Second, visiting these areas before they become thick with mosquitoes and biting flies tends to make for much more pleasant visit!
Like birds, some insects (e.g. some adult moths and dragonflies) migrate to avoid the harsh northern winters. Others overwinter and endure the harsh conditions by altering their physiology to avoid the dangers of freezing or by finding more hospitable environments (like the bottoms of streams and lakes). In either case, the result is that they are some of the first to be found each spring as temperatures warm and the world again becomes a hospitable place for these little critters.
This larvae likely spent the winter at the bottom of this marshy
area where it endured the cold, New York winter.
25 April 2009 - Summerhill, NY.
For those individuals that are lucky enough to survive the winter, the spring warmth is a mixed bag. Not all invertebrates awake in spring and find the world a cozy hospitable place! Just as the world has again become a livable place for the caddisfly above, so to has it returned to a state amenable to predators like the tiger beetle.
25 Apr 2009 - Summerhill, Cayuga Co., NY.
25 April 2009 - Summerhill, Cayuga Co., NY
While these little killing machines might not seem like the most friendly of insects, these and other predatory insects play an important role in keeping other insects (e.g. the kind that might otherwise destroy plants important to people or the local ecosystem) under control. For a more familiar example, the "ladybug" is another such predator, and is even used commercially in agriculture to control damaging agricultural pests like aphids.
All organisms have basic requirements necessary to live and reproduce, and the vast majority rely upon other organisms to obtain the requisite resources. Predatory organisms like the tiger beetle rely upon their prey for resources, while other organisms thrive on non-living resources - including those unlocked from the grip of winter each spring. The growth of plants and other primary producers such as the Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) pictured above help to capture the light's energy and feed it into local (and hence global) food web.
While spring is often considered a time of rebirth, it's also a time of some heavy-duty recycling! With all the growth, scarce resources can't be left to go to waste - and organisms that keep those nutrients in the local food web can provide an essential resource for other organisms. While much of this recycling is done by the work of microscopic organisms, some of it is done by larger organisms like the Margined Carrion Beetle (Oiceoptoma noveboracense).
feeding and breeding on a White-tailed Deer carcass.
25 April 2009 - Summerhill, Cayuga Co., NY
I've been having too much fun with my new macro lens, so I'll leave the insect world for now. In an upcoming post, I'll take a look at some more of our local reptiles and amphibians - so stay tuned for part III!
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