Joseph Lee Spencer

President Trump's new hair color reminds me of someone...

This is male #Polyphemus #moth, #Antheraea polyphemus (Family #Saturniidae). The feathery "plumose" #antennae are adapted to detect female sex #pheromone at low concentrations. If detected, males engage in upwind flight following the concentration gradient to the waiting female.

“Girl with kaleidoscope eyes” #Coelioxys sp. #Cuckoo #leafcutter #bees parasitize the nests of leafcutter bees by invading & laying their eggs inside that will kill the leafcutter larvae & then eat their store of nectar & pollen. This female was chilling on an aster in my garden.

“Who’s in charge now?” If asked, I’d affirm the wheel #bug, #Arilus cristatus, as the top predator in my yard. A recent encounter w/ one of many cross #orbweavers, #Neoscona crucifera, in my yard reminded me that the tables can, and do, turn. #Arachtober #spider #arachnid

#Spider #mating or a midnight snack? There's both a male & a female orbweaver (perhaps #Neoscona crucifera) in there. I think it's more #marriage than mealtime mayhem as they were suspended from a single silken strand.

These boy #bees are catching ZZZs! #Melissodes bimaculata is in the same family as the honeybee, #Apidae. The males roost together overnight on vegetation, while females stay in their individual nest holes in the ground.

Three’s a crowd. Old fields surround #Illinois woods have been alive w/ the amorous blinking of #fireflies for weeks! I’m giving firefly #3 an “A” for enthusiasm, but there is inevitable disappointment in his future! #Lampyridae #macrophotography

When you walk through a dark #Illinois woods at night, expect to find killers, the dead, and/or the infected! #Insect #Spider #Fly #Fungus #macrophotography

Western #corn #rootworm adults & pupa from #Illinois #CropSciences #Entomology research plots. #Beetles have been out for ca. 2 weeks. #WCR larval pressure looks very good at present. Great conditions to evaluate products. #Diabrotica #virgifera #Chrysomelidae #Coleoptera

I had the good fortune to stumble upon a wheel #bug nymph that was stalking an #earwig, with predictable results! #Predation #Reduviidae #Dermaptera

#Lucky Shot! I've chased #fireflies in my yard for days. W/ the camera held in front, I ran behind an airborne #firefly, & clicked the shutter whenit seemed they were in focus. After many failures (kudos to zero depth perception), I got one that is close to being in good focus!

They’re back! An assistant caught the 1st western #corn #rootworm of the season today on a Univ. of Illinois’ farm in Urbana, IL. Also saw 1st Japanese beetle. We were exploring an efficacy trial planted on a 2024 trap crop to enhance rootworm pressure. An early start? #WCR #UI

Now just another link in the food chain. The black #swallowtail #caterpillar, #Papilio #polyxenes, feeding for >1 wk on my golden alexanders, #Zizia aurea, met its demise in the clutches of a crab #spider this evening. Caterpillars are “kibble” for many #predators.

#Ant vs. jumping #spider. #Tutelina elegans won this #wrestling match staged on the leaf of a #coneflower. This diminutive jumper species w/ iridescent scales is common in fields & prairies. They put on a cool "leg-waving" courtship display. #salticidae

“Doing the twist.” A 2nd instar black #swallowtail #caterpillar, #Papilio #polyxenes, dining on a golden alexanders, #Zizia aurea, #flower. The coming instars will give up their resemblance to bird droppings and become more green & harder to find in dense vegetation.

In Michigan, they'd rightly call this a "20-point buck". #Cyriopalus wallacei is a species of #longhorn #beetle, named in honor of Alfred Russell #Wallace. This individual came to lights at #TrusMadi while I was staying at Jungle Girl Entomology Camp #Sabah #Borneo #Malaysia.

Baby Mama #Beetle. #Trilobite beetles are #Lycenidae (net-winged beetles). Females are odd: they never #metamorphose to adults, retaining larval form, but are sexually mature; males are typical lycenids. The orange #Platerodrilus sp. is only on Mt. #Kinabalu in #Sabah, #Malaysia.

HBO’s #thelastofus tells a tale of #Cordyceps that take over humanity. The #fungi are real, but only afflict & kill #arthropods. Victims go to die where spores will spread far. Best #Sabah #Borneo examples were on #cicada nymphs & adults, but also common on #flies, #wasps, etc.