The moth Lirimiris truncata is a member of the mostly tropical Prominent Moth Family (Notodontidae), and here in the United States, these moths are found only in the southernmost part of Arizona. I observed this colorful Lirimiris truncata caterpillar in Agua Caliente Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains. Lirimiris truncata caterpillars are bright yellow and… Read More →
On warm summer evenings in the southwestern deserts, Lesser Nighthawks (Chordeiles acutipennis) can be seen just after sunset darting about hunting for nocturnal insects and gracefully skimming over swimming pools and other large water sources to scoop up mouthfuls of water and snap up any drowning insects. Lesser Nighthawks excel at capturing insects in flight… Read More →
I discovered that it's easy to create unique, psychedelic desktop pictures using screen capture and the Jelly visualizer in iTunes. Below is one of these desktop pictures. Click on the image to see the full-sized 1680 x 1050 image (my computer's screen size). I was looking for some abstract desktops with a black background because… Read More →
Polynesian Rats (Rattus exulans) are common in a variety of habitats at lower elevations here in Hawaii. These rats are native to Southeast Asia, but they have now spread to the islands of the tropical and subtropical Pacific thanks to humans. Polynesian Rats were originally brought here to Hawaii by the early Polynesians, and these… Read More →
One of the most ubiquitous Hawaiian birds is the Common Myna or Indian Myna (Acridotheres tristis). Common Mynas are native to south Asia, and they were brought here to Hawaii in 1865 to control a large infestation of army worms (plant-damaging moth caterpillars). The clever and adaptable Common Mynas now thrive here in Hawaii and… Read More →