Short-nosed Scorpionfly (Genus Brachypanorpa) This week we’ll meet—what IS that thing? First, don’t panic! As crazy as this week’s crawly looks, he’s totally harmless! Meet the Short-nosed Scorpionfly (Genus Brachypanorpa). Despite its common name, the scorpion fly is neither a scorpion nor a fly. It’s a Mecoptera a very small[Read More…]

Rock wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) If you discuss this week’s crawly, you’ll find their name is a bit of a tongue twister. Meet the rock wren (Salpinctes obsoletus).The rock wren comes by both their scientific and common names honestly. Their Genus name Salpinctes comes from the Greek for “trumpeter” and boy[Read More…]

Steel-blue cricket-hunter wasp (Chlorion aerarium) All other arthropods can just give up their common names, because this week’s crawly got the absolute best one ever.Meet the steel-blue cricket-hunter wasp (Chlorion aerarium). I mean that’s like a name worthy of being given to a new top-secret Navy fighter jet or something.If[Read More…]

Telamonanthe pulchella treehopper This week’s crawly is a beautiful little critter, literally. Meet the Telamonanthe pulchella treehopper. “Pulchella” is Latin for “beautiful little.”Luckily, I happened to find this bitty pretty back in 2015 because it’s unlikely you or I will have a chance to see another one in real life.There[Read More…]

Bobcat (Lynx rufus) Me-ow! This week Crawlies is getting catty! Meet the bobcat (Lynx rufus).What’s in a name? First, the “rufus” in the bobcat’s binomial name is for their reddish summer coat. Bobcats are also known as barred bobcat, cat o’ the mountain and red lynx.While bobcats are in the[Read More…]

Psychoglypha bella snow sedge This week’s crawly is one you can see year-round in our neck of the woods! Meet a beautiful caddisfly with a beautiful name – literally – the Psychoglypha bella snow sedge.What’s in a name? Well, the “bella” confirms their beauty and the “snow” tells you they[Read More…]

Great tiger moth (Arctia caja) This week’s crawly is g-r-r-reat! Meet the great tiger moth (Arctia caja). They are also known as the garden tiger moth, but we’ll stick with “great” because they are.Why no one called it the “moo cow moth” is a discussion for another day.Great tiger moths[Read More…]

Back burying beetle (Nicrophorus nigrita) Spooky season may be over, but this week’s crawly deserves honorable mention as a gothic gravedigger. Meet the black burying beetle (Nicrophorus nigrita).Here I do want to issue a content warning of sorts: I highly recommend you don’t sit down with a snack to read[Read More…]

Cyanide millipede (Harpaphe haydeniana) This week we’ll close out Spooky Season with a wicked shredder and a crawly who is always sporting Halloween colors! Meet the cyanide millipede (Harpaphe haydeniana) AKA the almond-scented millipede or the yellow-spotted millipede.What’s in a name? Cyanide you say? Yup. Cyanide millipedes sport their vibrant[Read More…]

Gray wolf (Canis lupis) This week we’ll celebrate Howloween by meeting one of the season’s most famous representatives, the gray wolf (Canis lupis).First fun fact: If you own a dog – you own a wolf. Literally. All domestic dogs are a single subspecies of the gray wolf. Domestic dogs are[Read More…]