Racksy McCactus Buck Before we delve too deeply into “The Tale of Racksy McCactus” and how his rack has been formed we want to clarify two things:

This week’s crawly is a big, boldly colored bumble. Meet the black-tailed bumblebee (Bombus melanopygus)!Looking at our pictured black-tailed, “black-tailed” is surely not the first mark that catches your eye and would lead you to give this fuzzy buzzer that common name.Black-tailed do also have the less common common name[Read More…]

Merriam’s ground squirrel (Urocitellus canus) This week’s crawly may win the coveted title of “Cutest Crawly Ever!” Meet Merriam’s ground squirrel (Urocitellus canus).Unfortunately, your chance to see one this summer has probably just passed because these cuties go into hibernation in early August.Next year though, you can catch them out[Read More…]

Tipula lanei crane fly. This week’s crawly reminds us that there are a lot of species of crane flies. A lot. And some of them are positively goth. Meet the Tipula lanei crane fly.Little is known about lanei, which you’d expect when it comes to such a mysterious-looking fly. There[Read More…]

Red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) If you happen upon this week’s crawly, give them a quick salute; it’s only proper. Meet the red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta).Unlike Lorquin’s admiral, who we’ve previously met, the red admiral is an officer amongst ladies.Lorquin’s are in the Subfamily Limenitidinae along with other admirals.Reds[Read More…]

Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) in Eastern Oregon. Top: male; bottom: two females in “confuse them with camo” stance. “Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo bison roam! And the deer and the antelope pronghorn play!”We’ll circle back to bison one day. For now, let’s meet the pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), who[Read More…]

American beaver (Castor canadensis) This week’s crawly is long overdue for an introduction. Meet the American beaver (Castor canadensis), our very own state animal and the largest rodent in North America.Fun fact: While Oregon got the nickname “The Beaver State” around 1849 and the American beaver was on the state[Read More…]

Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) Fun fact: Oregon is home to nine species of corvid (crows, ravens, jays). We’ve met several species so far, and this week’s crawly is a jay you may not have heard of. Meet the pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus).Pinyon jays may be one of Oregon’s best kept[Read More…]

This week we once again learn that nature never runs out of amazing surprises! This week we’ll meet gynandromorphs.The pictured longhorn Amazon ant (Polyergus longicornis) is one example, and no, you aren’t seeing things! This particular ant is extra special because they are a bilateral gynandromorph!Whew! That’s a lot of[Read More…]

“My, what big antennae you have!”“The better to sniff out small carpenter bees!”Meet the Grotea californica wasp. Grotea are small (one-half inch), elegant parasitoid wasps in the Ichneumoid wasp family. Oh, and yes, they really do use those antennae to sniff out small bees.We’ve met several ichneumoids before, which makes[Read More…]