Author: Vicky Bertagnolli

Decorative Crypsis Display by Synchlora spp. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) The ability to camouflage oneself and the level of that camouflage is often a matter of life and death for an insect. Adults...

Eastern Cicada Killer, (Sphecius speciosus) The appearance of Eastern cicada killer, Sphecius speciosus, indicates that we are in the throes of summer. Although menacing-looking due to their size...

I liken the house centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata, to a swift-moving hairball. Due to their secretive behavior, dart and freeze movements, and what seems like an overabundance of legs, encounters...

Dog Vomit Slime Mold Dog vomit slime mold is not: from or caused by a dog, actual vomit, slimy, or a fungus! Dog vomit slime mold is not a true fungi but, instead, a single-cell fungus-like organism...

Dark-winged fungus gnat (Diptera: Sciaridae) maggots Dark-winged fungus gnat (Diptera: Sciaridae) maggots (fly larvae) are about 3/8 inch long, slender, legless, and have transparent bodies with...

Moth fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) Moth flies (order: Diptera) are in the family Psychodidae. Entomologists often refer to insects using a shortened version of the family name. In this instance, I...

Fasciation Fasciation (also called “cresting”) is a relatively rare plant growth condition that produces flattened, ribbon-like, crested, or contorted tissue in the stem, root, fruit, or...

Red Mites (Balaustium spp.) Several species of mites have population outbreaks after a change in seasons (particularly spring and fall). One of the tiny, fast-moving red mites commonly encountered...

Sculptured Pine Borer, Chalcophora virginiensis Sculptured pine borer is the largest metallic wood-boring beetle in the eastern United States; adult beetles can measure up to 1.25 inches long!...