Mayflies invade Dubuque

Mayflies have an interesting relationship with folks who live near rivers. Hexagenia mayflies are very common in Iowa rivers and they tend to emerge in huge swarms which cover nearly everything in sight. The swarms can be so big that they’re occasionally picked up on weather radar. They can cover bridges in such numbers that [...]

LOL…altie-med emergency room.

More fun with bees and fruit…guess what keeps them from stinging you?

Awhile ago, I wrote a post about honeybee attack pheromones. It’s a strange coincidence that the chemical that makes things taste like bananas cues bees into attack. Well, in this issue of Medical Entomology (which has some other cool articles that I might blag about), some scientists looked a chemical that keeps bees from attacking. [...]

Westboro Baptists Coming to Ames.

I hate to see this display of hatred in my hometown, but it looks like the Westboro Baptists are coming to Ames on July 24th and protesting at Iowa State University on the corner of West Lincoln and University…right by Jack Trice Stadium. I know I have some readers who go to ISU and will [...]

Circle Of The Spineless #40

I recently hosted Skeptic’s Circle, but I’ve got to tell you…COTS feels a lot more like home. I’m just as much an entomology student as a skeptic…but I try to focus this blog on insect biology as much as I can with occasional forays into other subjects. So without further ado, I give you this [...]