Strange (and wondrous) events follow in the footsteps of one's Sson, when he is an ecologist. As an example, today I decided that I should thin out those freezer containers that have been sitting around as the contents dessicate. This particular container held only a small rattle, which clued me that it was, indeed, a very small dab from a long-forgotten meal. So I lifted the red lid to empty the contents into the waste bin...
...and here's what I found! At which point I recalled the night Sson caught the fellow; he followed his standard procedure for preserving insects and popped him into the freezer. In one of my standard portion containers.
Here's another view of the critter. No, I didn't save it for the Sson's next visit, though perhaps that would have been the right thing to do.
Strange (and wondrous) events follow in the footsteps of one's Sson, when he is an ecologist. As an example, today I decided that I should thin out those freezer containers that have been sitting around as the contents dessicate. This particular container held only a small rattle, which clued me that it was, indeed, a very small dab from a long-forgotten meal. So I lifted the red lid to empty the contents into the waste bin...
...and here's what I found! At which point I recalled the night Sson caught the fellow; he followed his standard procedure for preserving insects and popped him into the freezer. In one of my standard portion containers.
Here's another view of the critter. No, I didn't save it for the Sson's next visit, though perhaps that would have been the right thing to do.
Oh, Palo verde boarer beetles are so cool. I think that's what it is from the pictures, anyway. Do you know for sure?
ReplyDeletekim -- isn't the borer an even more ferocious critter than thiw beetle? As I recall, my LH and I called the borers Darth Vader bugs because they were so lethal looking.
ReplyDeleteBesides -- we're at 5400 ft., which, I suspect, is out of his range. Here's a good picture, BTW.
ReplyDeleteI don't think my wife would appreciate it if I did that, grin.
ReplyDeleteThis is off-topic, but since I'm too lazy to log into my email at home, here you go...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.werc.usgs.gov/sattrack/index.html
Follow a link to one of the species, then the maps. Found this since I've become rather smitten with cranes.
SIL, aka Omegadad
You could mail it to him. ;->
ReplyDeleteWhatever it is, I got a nasty start when I first saw it! Not very keen on beetles, though they are fascinating.
ReplyDeletesteve -- I don't have a problem with most insects, tho there are a few...
ReplyDeleteOD -- I take it that these are not the AZ sandhills? Have you visited them in Homer?
cat-A -- for heavens' sake, that's work. Right now, I'm sweating issues trying to buy & print out a priority mail label for a flat-rate box. This for a gift that's really important.
meggie -- I have to admit that he's not a very pretty beetle, as beetles go.
Yeah, you are probably right about being too far north for a Palo Verde Boarer. He looked kind of like one at first glance, but I am by far no beetle expert. I love his antennae though.
ReplyDeleteI think Darth Vadar was based on the P.V. borer beetle as it came first!
ReplyDelete~Anon in AV.
kim -- I especially admire the beetle antennae that fan out to look like fern fronds.
ReplyDeleteanon av -- wouldn't surprise me; of course the PV borer came first.