Thursday, November 13, 2008

Western Pondhawk


Pondhawks (Erythemis collocata) are members of the skimmer family, with similar looking Eastern and Western species.

The male Western Pondhawk, seen in the top picture, is a mixture of green and blue, indicating youth. In a week or so, both the thorax and abdomen will be a consistent light blue color.

Male Western Pondhawks look similar to Blue Dashers. The green nose and solid color thorax (whether early green or mature blue) represent good field identificaion marks to differentiate between the two species.

The female western pondhawk (Erythemis collocata) is green in color with the yellow or tan markings on the abdomen.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Golden tabby tigers

In addition, another recessive gene may create a very unusual "golden tabby" colour variation, sometimes known as "strawberry". Golden tabby tigers have light gold fur, pale legs and faint orange stripes. Their fur tends to be much thicker than normal There are extremely few golden tabby tigers in captivity, around 30 in all. Like white tigers, strawberry tigers are invariably at least part Bengal. Both white and golden tabby tigers tend to be larger than average Bengal tigers

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Tiger Woods

born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the World No. 1, he was the highest-paid professional athlete in 2007, having earned an estimated $122 million from winnings and endorsements. According to Golf Digest, Woods made $769,440,709 from 1996 to 2007, and the magazine predicts that by 2010, Woods will become the world's first athlete to pass one billion dollars in earnings. Woods has won fourteen professional major golf championships, the second highest of any male player, and 65 PGA Tour events, third all time. He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour.

Monday, October 20, 2008

white tiger

A white tiger is a tiger with a genetic condition that nearly eliminates pigment in the normally orange fur although they still have dark stripes. This occurs when a tiger inherits two copies of the recessive gene for the paler coloration: pink nose, pink paws, grey-mottled skin, ice-blue eyes, and white to cream-colored fur with black, grey, or chocolate-colored stripes. Mr. H.E. Scott of the Indian police gave this description of a captive white tiger's eyes-"The colorings of the eyes are very distinct. There is no well defined division between the yellow of the comex and the blue of the iris. The eyes in some lights are practically colorless merely showing the black pupil on a light yellow background (Another genetic condition also makes the stripes of the tiger very pale; white tigers of this type are called snow-white.)White tigers do not constitute a separate subspecies of their own and can breed with orange ones, although all of the resulting offspring will be heterozygous for the recessive white gene, and their fur will be orange. The only exception would be if the orange parent was itself already a heterozygous tiger, which would give each cub a 50% chance of being either double-recessive white or heterozygous orange

Monday, October 13, 2008

Common whitetail Dragonfly

Like many dragonfly species, the name of the dragonfly, the common whitetail, pretty much describes it.

Common whitetails (Plathemis lydia) are among the most ordinary dragonflies across the United States.

They are part of the better skimmer family, and merely one of two members of the Plathemis genus of whitetails.

The adult male, sports a white tail. The picture above shows a gray white abdomen and yellow spots on the rear of the head.

Females of the species split a similar abdomen pattern, without the white cover.

They can easily be mistaken for eight-spotted skimmers because they also contain eight spots on their wings, so the white spots the length of the sides of the abdomen serve as better field recognition clues.


Monday, October 6, 2008

Blue Dasher

The Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) is wide all through the United States, along with being the sole representative of the Pachydiplax genus.

Males are characterized by blue eyes, a blue abdomen and white striped thorax.

Like many of the Libellulidae females, the female blue dasher is brown.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Leaf - cutter bees

• Leafcutter bees are native bees, significant as pollinators.

• Leafcutter bees are not violent and contain a mild sting that is used only when they are handled.

• Leafcutter bees cut the leaves of plants. The cut leaf fragments are used to shape nest cells.

• Leafcutter bees nest in soft, rotted wood or in the stems of big, pithy plants, such as roses.

Leafcutter bees are significant native insects of the western United States. They use cut leaf fragments to build their nest cells. They often are necessary pollinators of wild plants. Some leafcutter bees are even semi domesticated to help create alfalfa seed. However, their habit of leaf cutting, as well as their nesting in soft wood or plant stems, frequently attracts attention and concern.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Anatomy

In humans, the trachea divides into the two main bronchi that enter the roots of the lungs. The bronchi continue to divide within the lung, and after multiple divisions, give rise to bronchioles. The bronchial tree continues branching until it reaches the level of terminal bronchioles, which lead to alveolar sacs. Alveolar sacs are made up of clusters of alveoli, like individual grapes within a bunch. The individual alveoli are tightly wrapped in blood vessels, and it is here that gas exchange actually occurs. Deoxygenated blood from the heart is pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, where oxygen diffuses into blood and is exchanged for carbon dioxide in the hemoglobin of the erythrocytes. The oxygen-rich blood returns to the heart via the pulmonary veins to be pumped back into systemic circulation.


1:Trachea 2:Pulmonary artery 3:Pulmonary vein 4:Alveolar duct 5:Alveoli 6:Cardiac notch 7:Bronchioles 8:Tertiary bronchi 9:Secondary bronchi 10:Primary bronchi 11:LarynxHuman lungs are located in two cavities on either side of the heart. Though similar in appearance, the two are not identical. Both are separated into lobes, with three lobes on the right and two on the left. The lobes are further divided into segments, then lobules, hexagonal divisions of the lungs that are the smallest subdivision visible to the naked eye. The connective tissue that divides lobules is often blackened in smokers and city dwellers. The medial border of the right lung is nearly vertical, while the left lung contains a cardiac notch. The cardiac notch is a concave impression molded to accommodate the shape of the heart. Lungs are to a certain extent 'overbuilt' and have a tremendous reserve volume as compared to the oxygen exchange requirements when at rest. This is one of the reasons that individuals can smoke for years without having a noticeable decrease in lung function while still or moving slowly; in situations like these only a small portion of the lungs are actually perfused with blood for gas exchange. As oxygen requirements increase due to exercise, a greater volume of the lungs is perfused, allowing the body to match its CO2/O2 exchange requirements.

The environment of the lung is very moist, which makes it hospitable for bacteria. Many respiratory illnesses are the result of bacterial or viral infection of the lungs.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Bumblebees

Bumblebees are big and fuzzy social insects in the genus Bombus, and they are in the similar family as honeybees, Apidae.

They are colony nesters with underground nests. The conventional colony consists of a queen with workers and drones. Most colonies are small, reducing the possibility of swarming performance harmful to humans, unless the colony is directly aggitated.

Bumblebee species are first and foremost differentiated by color. Similar to honeybees, a bumblees' life also consists of the day to day work of pollinating flowers. For this reason, gardeners and farmers think them beneficial insects.

Unlike honeybees, bumblebees do not construct up large provisions of honey in their nests.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Western Paper Wasp (Mischocyttarus)

The Western Paper Wasp (Mischocyttarus flavitarsis) is one of merely three or four paper wasps in genus Mischocyttarus that are set up in the United States.

The majority Mischocyttarus species are residents of tropical regions. Similar to its relatives the polistes, it is a social wasp that builds an umbrella wrought paper nest.

The picture shows its feature light abdominal color. Physically, the extended thin waist differentiates it from polistes species.

They are helpful insects. When you are creation a nest removal decision, the benefits your receive by their nesting in and around your house require to be weighed next to your family and friends' potential for getting stung by hurtful the nest residents.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Tarantula Hauk

Tarantula hawks are up to two inches (50mm) long with a blue-black body and bright rust-colored wings. They are among the largest of wasps. The bright rust coloring that they contain on their wings is also known as aposematic coloring; this warns possible predators that they are unsafe. Their long legs end with enthusiastic claws for grappling with their wounded. The stinger of a female tarantula hawk can be up to 1/3 inch (7 mm) long, and delivers a smart which is rated amongst the sorest in the insect world.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Paper wasps

Paper wasps are a collection of wasps in the Vespidae family.

With a small number of exceptions, Vespids are social wasps that exist and breed in colonies complete of paper nests. A few mud building wasps and solitary wasps are also secret as vespids.

Because they are establishing world-wild, frequently in residential settings, Polistes are the most familiar genus of paper wasps.

Their appetite for caterpillars and additional garden pests build them welcome guests in a lot of back yards as beneficial insects.

They are 10-15 millimeters long, tan in colour with darker bands and some yellow on the face.

Other species of paper wasps are bigger or smaller and differently coloured.

Paper wasps create nests of grey papery wood fiber material.

The nests are cone-shaped, flattering round as more cells are added.

Nests are a utmost diameter of 10-12 centimeters, with many hexagonal cells underneath, some with white caps.

Nests are bare and suspended by a short follow under an overhang, often on a pergola, the eaves of a roof or in a shrub or tree.

Wasps cluster on the nest or scavenge in the garden and approximately buildings.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Ichneumon

The Ichneumon are a family of wasps (Ichneumonidae) distribution some physical and behavioral traits.

Physically, many are long, thin-waisted wasps, frequently with a red and black or yellow and black color mixture on the throax and abdomen.

Unlike other wasp species, the abdomen tends to be on the long and thin side. Females are further classified as having a comprehensive ovipositor, whose utility is resultant from the wasp's parasitic reproductive strategy.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Grass--carrying Wasps

Grass-carrying wasps of the type Isodontia are named because of their live out of structure cocoons shaped nests of grass for their young. Like other predator wasps such as the cricket hunter, they paralyzed prey (primarily small crickets), satisfying the nest with food for the rising larvae.

The relationship of grass with many residential areas of the United States income the species can be ordinary around homes.

Many species are a solid black color, though, a couple of species contain red and black color patterns on the thorax or abdomen.

As with most solitary wasp species, they are not recognized to be aggressive around humans.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Digger Wasps (Sphex)

Wasp species that tingle and paralyze their prey, then transport it back to their nest as food for their young, are frequently referred to as parasitic wasps.

Members of the Sphex genus, whose species are usually called digger wasps, fit into that category.

Digger wasps obtain their name based on their nest building method, which involves digging holes in the ground. Digger wasps come in a diversity of colors in addition to the approximately consistent steel blue to black color of the cricket hunter.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Black and Yellow Mud Dauber

One appear at the mud dauber in the picture easily explains the name.

They encompass a very skinny and long waist with black and yellow markings on the thorax and abdomen.

Mud daubers are an extremely small group of Sphecidae wasps. As the name implies, they construct mud nests. They are lonely wasps, so their nests do not consist of a colony of workers.

They nourish on spiders and usually are not considered aggressive towards humans. However, at times they can be considered a nusiance because of their liking to build nests residential areas beneath a porch or doorway.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Ammophila

Ammophila wasps are a type of thread-waisted wasps, often referred to as sand wasps because of their nest building habits around sandy soil land.

They are also known as hunting wasps, classically hunting caterpillars by grabbing them with their influential jaws and paralyzing them with stings. Like cricket hunters, they dray their prey back to the nest as food for the young.

Ammophila do not exist in their nests. Rather, they can frequently be found resting with the jaws firmly gripping a twig. Most species contain variations of red and black color markings on the thorax and abdomen.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Baldfaced hornet

The Baldfaced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) is sometimes called the white-faced hornet, other than is actually a yellow jacket. It's simple to spot since it's our only black and white yellowjacket. Its nest is a gray "paper" cover with several layers of combs inside. A mature nest is bigger than a basketball, but pear-shaped, with the better end at the top and an entry hole near the bottom.

A solitary, over wintering queen begins building the nest in the spring. She lays eggs and tends the first batch of larvae that expand into workers. These workers be inclined new larvae and expand the nest throughout the summer. A mature colony can contain several hundred workers by the end of the summer. In fall, workers expire and next year's queens find over wintering sites.

Baldfaced hornets are helpful, capturing insects (often including other yellowjackets) to feed to their larvae. Though larger than other yellowjackets, Baldfaced hornets are normally more docile. But they can become violent and will sting when their nest is troubled or threatened.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Speckled Wood

The Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) is a butterfly establish in and on the borders of woodland throughout a great deal of Europe. The speckled wood too occurs in North Africa and on the Atlantic island of Madeira. Molecular studies (Weingarter, Wahlberg & Nylin, 2006) propose that the African and Madeiran populations are closely connected and distinct from European populations of together subspecies, suggesting that Madeira was occupied from Africa and that the African population has an extended history of isolation from European populations.

Females contain brighter and more separate markings than males. The wingspan of both males and females is 4 - 4.5 cm, though males tend to be slightly smaller than females. Males are highly territorial and will protect their territory against intruding males. Some males will energetically defend a perch and the immediate surroundings, to come for females to pass by. Others will patrol a larger country.

Males have also 3 or 4 upper hind wing eyespots. The fourth spot shows only in flight. It appears that the 4-spotted morph tends towards patrolling behavior to finds mates. This agrees with the likely function of the eyespots to entice predators like birds to aspire for the wing margin (which may be damaged without much affecting the butterfly) father than the body. On the other hand, habitat is it seems that a major factor influencing mate-finding strategy: perching behavior is more ordinary in males of conifer woodland, whereas males of meadows tend towards patrolling actions.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Box elder bug

This bug is concerning 1/2 inch long and 1/3 as wide. It is black with three red lines on the thorax, a red line along each side, and a red line on each division. The wings lie flat on the back when at relax. The young nymphs are red and gray. The population of bugs may number into the thousands.These coreid bugs feed more often than not on box-elder trees. They pass the winter in groups in a number of dry spot, such as under a porch or inside a house. They can be prohibited by spraying.

Box elder bugs usually feed on the leaves, flowers, and seed pods of the box elder tree or silver maple. Large numbers of box elder bugs are typically on the female, or pod-bearing, tree. These insects feed on male box elder trees and other trees and plants, other than they usually do not build up to such large numbers. The adults look for a place to over winter which brings them into houses anywhere they conceal in small cracks and crevices in walls, door and window casings, attics, and around the foundation. Throughout warm days in winter and early spring they come out and disperse through the house. They are mainly a nuisance as they crawl or fly about in the rooms.