After three years of raising monarchs from eggs and caterpillars here in Maine, the Lambert family followed the Monarchs south to Mexico to see the next stage in their life-cycle. Here are some reflections from the metamorphosis and migration of Monarchs: At a time when Earth calls on human culture to transform to survive, monarchs […]
Insects
What Are Maine Insects Doing in the Winter?
One of the small consolations of living through a cold, dark Maine winter is that, hey, at least we’re not getting bitten by mosquitoes! There are thousands of “bug” species in Maine. You see them all over in the spring and summer — bees, mosquitoes, flies, and dragonflies zip through the air, ants and beetles […]
Bad News: The Emerald Ash Borer Has Arrived in York County
Yesterday, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) announced that the invasive Emerald Ash Borer has been confirmed in western York County. From their release: Entomologists have confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer (EAB) in western York County, Maine. This alarming new development follows a spring discovery in northern Aroostook County. The […]
Nature Moments: The Buzz About Bees
Bumblebees have tiny brains but extraordinarily sophisticated behavior. If you follow a bee as it forages for pollen and nectar, you’re likely to find that it specializes on only one type of flower. In this latest Nature Moments video, ecologist Patty Jones explains that bees’ choices are influenced by plant chemicals and the behavior of […]
Nature Moments: Getting to Know Bug Spit
You never know what you’re going to find inside a gob of spit in a meadow. If you’re lucky, it might be a young spittlebug. As Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright explains, the “spit,” which is left over from feeding on plant sap, protects these harmless insects from predators and parasitic wasps. […]
Celebrating Moths with Maine Audubon
Moths are an underappreciated, relatively little-known group of insects. They aren’t just little brown bugs that come to your porch light! Varying from leaf miners (at barely 0.1 inches long) to the Atlas Moth of Asia (with a wingspan of over 12 inches — around the same size as the world’s largest butterfly!), they are […]
Nature Moments: House Invaders
If you live in an old house, explains Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright, you probably are acquainted with these three home invaders: Long-bodied Cellar Spiders, Western Conifer Seed Bugs, and Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles. Although they’re not native to the northeast, they’re completely harmless and really quite companionable. Nature Moments�are filmed with […]
Nature Moments: Life Under the Ice
Check out Nat Wheelwright’s latest “Nature Moments” video! Have you ever wondered what could be living underneath the ice of a frozen pond? With no light or air, and temperatures just above freezing, you’d think life would be impossible, but… Nature Moments�are filmed with the help of Wilder Nicholson, Rebecca Goldfine, Tom Porter, Paul Benham […]
Fireflies in Winter?
Most people associate fireflies with soft summer evenings, but late in February and into March it is possible to see Winter dark fireflies (Ellychnia corrusca) glowing in the woods.� The larvae and pupae have the ability to bioluminesce, but lose the necessary organs as they become adults during their two-year lifespan. Larvae are predators and […]