Large Color Children’s Books
September 25, 2010 3:59 pm
Hi,
In July 2007  Sunset Magazine there is a photo of Lisa Anne and Daniel with what looks like a large color picture book of bugs, perhaps it is for young pre-reading children?  I was wondering what it is Title and Author, or your recommendation for a good bug book for children.
Thank you.
Signature: Susie Claxton

Sunset Magazine July 2007

Hi Susie,
The book in the photograph is Living Jewels by Poul Beckmann.  It is not a book for children, but rather a coffee table book of incredible photographs of beetles with almost no text.  Years ago, the Golden Guide to Insects by Herbert S. Zim, Ph.D. & Clarence Cottam, Ph.D. with Illustrations by James Gordon Irving was a popular book.  It seems is it out of print, but we did locate  the Golden Book of Insects and Spiders by Saurence P. Pringle and illustrated by James Spence which may be the newest version of this excellent book for youngsters.

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Just a quick thank you
September 23, 2010 1:09 am
I know you probably get this all the time, but I couldn’t pass up a chance to thank you for your wonderful open minded opinion of nature. Ever since I was a kid I’ve been rescuing little spiders from the sink or carrying a crane fly outside, because they’re harmless, and I’m so sick of people accusing them of biting.
I’ve tried very vigilantly to convince people that there’s no life without purpose, and every creature has it’s place big or small, that each one should be treated with respect. The amount of ignorance laced through the society we humans created is distressing. It’s just so awesome to find another person able to see past that. Thanks for all your hard work getting the message across!
Signature: Desiree Hill

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I’m scary stalker obsessed with your site
August 14, 2010 4:18 pm
Realy, I can’t stop.  I work outdoors at a zoo in Texas, and I see bugs- LOTS of bugs- every day.  And I admit, I am now a reformed Destroyer of Creepy Crawlies.  Ever since stumbling on this site, I now study the bug instead of squashing it.  It’s good for the bug, good for the environment, and honestly that Cheeto’s crunch always gave me the willies.  Any time a bug would get near me, which happens daily, I would flail and run and bat at it- trying to get away. Then it would feel my angry shoe wrath-  But now I want to get closer to see if I recognize it from your site.  Thank Goodness I now know the Robber fly.  Those little boogers were scary until I found out more about them.  I’m also learning the differences between all the wasps out here, and the wasp look-a-likes.  A giant cicada-killer is who led me to this site originally.  Well, it didn’t phsycially lead me here- that would be weird, but after I saw that fatty flying around I was convinced in B-movie mutated giant
wasps trying to take over the world and HAD to find out what was going on.  Now I’m learning all about the insects and spiders.  A real testament to your site is when I DIDN’T freak out after walking head first into a spider’s web.  I thought I got most of the sticky stuff off me, but a guest at the zoo was walking towards me, pointing and screaming.  I’m thinking “Crud! There’s a lion behind me, isn’t there?”  Nope.  Giant mammoth spider stuck in my hair.  I’ll admit I did a little squealing and dancing, and he was yo-yo’ed a bit from my hand with his sticky string.  But I didn’t squash him.  I looked him up.  He was a big ol’ grey garden orb weaver.  I admit, I’d like him a lot better if he wasn’t in my hair, but I’m loving finding these bugs and looking them up on your site, and recognizing the bugs out here.  There’s one gigantic flying white and black spotty beetle out here, that one day I will get a picture of to send you. I’m dying to find out what that bohemoth is.
Anyway, my point is, thanks so much for the site.  I’m having so mu
ch fun with it, and it’s been so useful.  Your site realy does convert avid smooshers into “live and let bee” people.  (bee… get it?)  Also, it’s the one site I can look up at work and not have to hover the mouse over the “x” button in case the boss walks up!  (I’m not a pervert or anything. I just really like sites where idiots hurt themselves).  Keep up the good work!
Reformed Bug Squisher

Dear Reformed Bug Squisher,
Your letter is awesome.  It is one of the best fanmail letters we have ever received.  We want to stop posting for the evening just so your letter will stay at the top of our homepage for a spell.  Try looking up Cottonwood Borer to see if that is your black and white beetle.

Thanks so much!  I’m glad you liked my letter because now I tell people I’m a published author.  And then I try to start discussions where I can name drop the ovispositer, just because it’s a new big word and I sound super smart when I talk about it.  As soon as I find my camera charger I am going to document my decent into the dangerous world of venom.  We have daddy longlegs (of the harvestman variety, now I know, thanks to your site) ALL over the zoo, and the myth prevails here that they are indeed the “most venomous spider known to man, but thier teeth are too small to penetrate human skin”.  Now, you and I know this is not true.  And the harvestman isn’t even a spider, although it is an arachnid. (See?  I look like I know what I’m talking about.  This is awesome).  So I’m on a photo safari to royally tick off a daddy longlegs, have him bite me, and then NOT die, just so I can show my stubborn and WRONG co-workers that I am right, and they are wrong.  So take THAT in the ovipositer!

Update
Forgot to tell you in my reply that the big scary white and black beetle that facinates me so is indeed a cottonwood borer, I think.  From what I’ve read, they get to be up to 1 1/2 inches, and the one that follows me around seems bigger.  Maybe I found the biggest one in the world and should get a prize or something.  Or maybe the mutant freaks really ARE taking over… just as I suspected.
And I also realized it’s a bit ironic to try to impress people with my new giant brain knowledge, using big words like OVIPOSITOR, when I misspell that dang thing all over the place.  Me smart. Give cookie.
Gwen

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What is this?
Location:  Hunt, Texas
August 10, 2010 9:51 pm
Howdy – My sister-in-law took this picture at their property in Hunt, Texas. Your site is my favorite for identifying fun things, but we have never seen anything like this. Hope you can help.
Joyce from Cypress, Tx

Green Thing

Hi Joyce,
Our eyes cannot see the tiny file and it has very poor resolution when it is blown up. Can you resend with larger image and indicate “resend” in the subject line with all previous information?

Ed. Note: Might this be a Red Eyed Devil?

Sure – I will get the full-size image from my sister-in-law.
Thanks – Joyce

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