Off topic! Insects

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cowz

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Jan 10, 2007
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One of my boys is in entomology this year for the county fair.  The dining room table is covered with jars of bugs!    Since it is so wet, he is in search of a lightening bug.  They are not common here.  He has been busy looking for big dragon flies.

What kind of bugs are common in your part of the country?
 

knabe

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Feb 7, 2007
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Hollister, CA
cows have insects.  one could collect all the various flies on the bovine, on the bovines pooh(flies are very pretty in a display.  interesting insects out here in CA are praying mantis, lady bugs, tarantula hawks, various butterflies that migrate including but not limited to monarch's, giant water bugs, hemiptera's (half-wings), lace wings, tarantula's (try and find a male, they get eaten after the mate), various moths, .  get a page viewing magnifying glass.  insects are totally awewsome.  there are special pins to display bugs.  one could sort the display into genus, pest, non pest etc.  one thing to do if you want to capture butterflies or insects with delicate wings, is to get a kill jar that has a very rapid death, but be careful to not breath it.  a good source for bugs is the water, even in the mud.  you can make your own nets for that with a decent heavy duty seive surrounded by canvas on the sides but not on the bottom.  there are supply houses that deal in this stuff.  great learning tool on how species are categorized.

one could include parasitic wasps in  the collection too, and put the wasp next to what it preys on by placing it's babies strategically.

also forgot about velvet ants, there is orange, yellow red others.  they are not ants, but wingless wasps.

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/velvet_ants.html
 

red

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LaRue, Ohio
Horseflies!
About the end of June we get them so thick it's unbearable sometimes. They bite really hard & it is hard to work w/ cattle. Hate them w/ a passion.

Tomato Worms are another thing I hate. I can't stand those thick green things w/ the horns on them. Only thing that makes me happy is to to see the white eggs on them where a wasp has laid it's eggs. Know then they'll be eaten.
hrnwrm11.jpg


Red :p
 

farmboy

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south webster ohio
THOSE BIG GREEN THINGS HURT TOO. THEY GOT A BIG STINGER ON THE BACK OF THE BODY :( I DON'T KNOW THE SCIENTIFIC NAME BUT WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL JUNEBUGS. U CATCH EM AND TIE EM TO A STRING AND FLY CIRCLES AROUND YOU. GREAT FUN FOR YOUNGONES
 

Show Heifer

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Jan 28, 2007
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I am going to show my MAJOR weakness here ::)...I HATE junebugs. And I do mean HATE.  I can think of a reason for every critter, bug, snake, insect, EXCEPT FOR A JUNEBUG. :eek:
Even maggots have a purpose. Snakes too. Heck, bees have a goal/purpose in life. BUT WHAT THE HECK DOES A JUNEBUG DO???? Except get caught in my hair, crash into the windows/siding of the house making a clicking noise, and heaven forbid you step on one and hear a loud disgusting "CRUNCH, SQUISH".. .... :mad:
Sorry, I just can not stand junebugs!!
 

farmboy

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south webster ohio
(lol) THEY ARE METALLIC GREEN? IVE NEVER ACTUALLY THOUGT ABOUT THEIR PURPOSE. BUT YOU CAN TIE EM TO A STRING (lol)
YOU MENTIONED A MAJOR WEAKNESS, MINE WOULD HAPPEN TO BE SNAKES.

ONE TIME I HAD MY STEER TIED UP AND BRUSHING ON HIM WHEN OUT OF NOWHERE A 7 FOOT PINE SNAKE SLITHERS OUT OF THE MANGER BETWEEN HIS FEET.

AT MY SISTERS HOUSE, THEY FOUND A DEAD COPPER HEAD IN THEIR WASHING MACHINE :eek: I LIKE JUNEBUGS BETTER THAN SNAKES FORSURE
 

garybob

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Feb 4, 2007
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NW Arkansas
Contact Dr. Maxx V. Meisch, at the UA Dept of Entomology, 479-575-2000. He is a hoot, and an ultimate resource of information. Let me know what level of Taxonomy is required for evaluation of the Arthropod Collection, and, I may try to make a "kill Jar" and assist you guys by catching some specimens for y'all down here.

Gary Bob
 

Jill

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Gardner, KS
You know it is funny you mentioned lightning bugs.  A couple of weeks ago there were some people here from California and we were all outside after dark, they were just like little kids.  I didn't realize that they don't have lightning bugs everywhere, they were always a sign of summer around here.
 

cowz

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Jill said:
You know it is funny you mentioned lightning bugs.  A couple of weeks ago there were some people here from California and we were all outside after dark, they were just like little kids.  I didn't realize that they don't have lightning bugs everywhere, they were always a sign of summer around here.

We only get to see them in wet years.  I think we are a little high altitude for them normally.  We are the same way....get all excited about seeing them.  We also freak out when we see circadias sp? back east.  So, now we have a porch full of nets, kill jars, etc.
 

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