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Category Archives: Insects
Special Garden Visitors
At the risk of getting ahead of myself before I catch you up to real time in the new native garden series, I want to share some observations from my garden today. As I’ve mentioned before, one of the primary … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Native plants
Tagged bee, fly, gardening, lepidoptera, moth, native species, Ohio, parasite, Toledo, wasp
5 Comments
Going Native in Toledo — Series Intro
In the spring of 2017 I moved to Toledo, Ohio. I bought a house with a lovely yard where I would finally be able to experiment with native plant gardening. I’m beginning a series of posts to document what I’m … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Native plants, Ohio, Toledo
Tagged biodiversity, gardening, insects, Native plants, Oak Openings, pollinators, Toledo, wild ones
1 Comment
What’s In a Name?
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” ~ Juliet to Romeo, Wm. Shakespeare As if dragonflies weren’t already fascinating enough just by virtue of their body structures and behaviors, I’ve … Continue reading
Insects as Art
It’s obvious that I’ve developed quite the obsession with insects, right? I was talking to a friend the other day about how often people respond to my insect posts on social media with comments like, “Gross!” or “Bugs are disgusting!” … Continue reading
Elves and Sprites: More Dragon-Hunting Gems
As I said in my last post, my friend Ryan and I finished out the weekend after the dragonfly conference by spending Sunday visiting several spots in search of some more species of dragon- and damselflies. We went to Cedar … Continue reading
Posted in Insects
Tagged #GetOutside, Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, damselflies, discovery, dragonflies, entomology, insects, Kiser Lake State Park, Lake Loramie State Park, odonata, Ohio
2 Comments
Hooked on Odes
This past weekend was the long-awaited Odo-Con, the dragonfly conference of the Ohio Odonata Society. This was my second year to attend, and I was glad that this time I would know more people and not feel like such a … Continue reading
Posted in Insects
Tagged damselflies, dragonflies, lifelong learning, odo-con, odonata, Ohio Odonata Society
6 Comments
I Went to Hell and Back for This — Twice
This is a story about expectations. In the beginning of the story you may think I’m quite thick-headed. But I think I redeemed myself in the end, so I’m willing to suffer some embarrassment in the interest of making a … Continue reading
Posted in Birds, Ecotherapy, Happiness and Gratitude, Insects, Ohio, Travel
Tagged clubtail, dragonfly, expectations, insect, Lake County, odonata, Ohio, perseverance, snaketail
13 Comments
The Circle of Life, Insect Edition
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, this is the time of year when the focus of my nature explorations turns away from birds and toward dragonflies and other insects. And just like the birds this year, the dragonflies seemed … Continue reading
The Wings That Lifted Me Up
I just had the most extraordinary experience thanks to the kindness of a friend. I’d been feeling down for a few days and was keeping to myself, refusing to socialize with anyone. I knew I just needed some time away … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness and Gratitude, Insects
Tagged butterfly, chrysalis, cocoon, eclose, insect, lepidoptera, moth
2 Comments
Fun with Fungi (and mosses and lichens)
After bemoaning the end of insect season in a recent post, I decided to stop whining and get out there to find something to photograph in the woods. And I’m happy to say that I was amply rewarded for my determination. … Continue reading
Posted in Fungi, Mosses, Lichens, Insects, Ohio
Tagged decay, fungus, lichen, moss, setae, turkey tail
10 Comments
