This week’s crawly is one fly you do not want to shoo away. Meet the marsh fly (Family Sciomyzidae – pictured is Genus Limnia). While flies are cool in general, this one is extra cool – and not just because of those fly shades (see what I did there?)What makes[Read More…]

Asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi) This week’s crawly is a pretty critter you’ll most likely never see, but nothing is impossible. Meet the asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi).As the name implies, these beetles dine on asparagus when they are larvae. However, despite California and Washington being two of the four states that[Read More…]

As winter hops slowly into spring, it seems appropriate to meet a crawly this week that changes along with the seasons. Meet the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus).If you’ve never seen a snowshoe hare, it’s only in part due to their wicked good camouflage skills. They aren’t common in Oregon. They[Read More…]

This week we’ll meet a crawly who is having a problem with identity theft. Meet the western leaf-footed bug. The real western leaf-footed bug (Leptoglossus clypealis).Their problem is that their pesty cousin Leptoglossus zonatus has co-opted their common name and they are running around damaging citrus crops telling everyone, “I’m[Read More…]

Fruit fly Procecidochares anthracina Buckle up! This week’s crawly once again reminds us that nature never runs out of “amazing!” Meet the Procecidochares anthracina fruit fly (we’ll call them “anthra” for short).Now, don’t panic! This isn’t the type of fruit fly that will go after your bowl of grapes or[Read More…]

Pollen wasp (Genus Pseudomasaris) This week marks the 10-year anniversary of Crawlies! Let’s celebrate with an ab fab standout wasp!Don’t panic! This week’s crawly is the vegan of the wasp world. Meet the pollen wasp (Genus Pseudomasaris). Because pollen wasps are solitary, shy, chill and rarely sting, they’ve evolved to[Read More…]

Big-headed fly (Family Pipunculidae) This week we’ll meet a crawly you might never see, but he’ll sure see you coming! He’s all eyes. Meet the big-headed fly (Family Pipunculidae [Pip·un·CULE·i dae]).At just one-eighth of an inch in length, the only thing big about this big-headed fly is his head. Most[Read More…]

Western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus) Even though Squirrel Appreciation Day is over for 2023, we can still take some time to appreciate a beautiful, beneficial, local squirrel. Meet the western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus).As their name implies, western grays live only on the West Coast. Their range runs from Lake[Read More…]

California sister butterfly (Adelpha californica) This week we’ll meet another pretty flitter who only lives close to home. Meet the California sister butterfly (Adelpha californica).Their limited range starts in Baja, Mexico and goes up to Portland, Ore. Rarely one is found in western Nevada, but those are considered “strays.”In Oregon,[Read More…]

Pacific clubtail dragonfly (Phanogomphus kurilis) This week we’ll meet a crawly with quite an accurate common name. Meet the Pacific clubtail dragonfly (Phanogomphus kurilis).Pacific clubtails can only be found close to the Pacific Ocean. The largest populations can be found in Central California, and right here in southwestern Oregon. There[Read More…]