According to this page, there are two general groups of cicadas in Alabama—the periodicals and the annuals. These are remnants of annuals. The next periodicals in northern Alabama will emerge in 2011. They’re on a 13-year cycle. (I thought there were only 17-year cycles, but there are 13-year ones too.) I learned something else interesting … Read more
On my way into the office this morning, I saw a spider web in the bushes. It caught my eye because it was the smallest web I’d ever seen with stabilimenta. I searched a bit for its owner with no luck, and just before I went inside I noticed I was being watched: Aren’t praying … Read more
A tiger bee fly (Xenox tigrinus) came to visit me just outside my office on Tuesday (thanks to the fantastic resource What’s That Bug? for the identification). She was definitely striking, but a little imposing-looking, and though I couldn’t see any fly-typical bladelike mouth parts, I kept my distance until I knew what she was. … Read more