Laugh and Learn
Comics by Bernie and Nature!
Vermont single-panel comics. Captions by Bernie, images by nature. Sponsored by the Insect Alliance, Solidarity for All Life, and our highly valued Local Pollinators with special thanks to iNaturalist and all the volunteers who help with the ID of postings.
Let's recognize our bond with all living species in nature.See #54, #53, and #52 Special Children's editions further below.
Nature Comic #69 Mar 25, 2023
I shiver to think how much longer winter will last.
Bumblebees can shiver using their flight muscles, heating up to over 35 degrees C above air temperature. As on other hot-blooded insects, heat is generated in the thorax prior to flight by contracting the up- and down-stroke muscles against each other to produce a tetanus. Bumblebees require a flight muscle temperature of at least 30 degrees C in order to fly. But flight is slow and clumsy at such relatively low muscle temperatures, and fast-flying bees heat up those muscles to at least 35-37 degrees C - nearly the same as our own body temperature.
This and other more specialized adaptations and life strategies allow Arctic Bumblebees to live in the arctic, albeit a whole colony's life cycle within one single brief summer season.
- A Naturalist At Large, by Bernd Heinrich
Nature Comic #68 Mar 18, 2023
Forget the Leprechaun, just drop an Irish pint onto my pincers and I'll show you the gold ye be looking for. The first of the Scudderia katydids to sing during the summer, the Northern Bush Katydid prefers the tops of small trees or shrubs in open habitats or open woods. Song: The most accomplished singer of the bush katydids. The very high-pitched song, given only at night, is a series of soft ticks followed by about 5–10 lispy buzzes that are given in quick succession and are usually followed by a series of very loud ticks. The dominant frequency of the buzzes is about 12–15 kHz. - Songs of Insects
Nature Comic #67 Mar 11, 2023
Got no wings or skis but I can do 1.30 m per minuteon snow.
When the snow flies...Watch for Snow Flies - Genus Chionea
Snow Flies Genus Chionea
Observed in Jericho, Vermont on March 2, 2023
Adults seem to actively seek out the coldest place they can find and drink water by pressing their proboscis against the snow (Marchand, 1917). Adults are not known to feed. Adults have a significantly longer lifespan than other crane flies, living as long as two months.
Chionea are highly active in cold environments that are lethal to most insect species. Adults are often found in motion as they move across the surface of the snow, walking at speeds near their peak velocity. They have been observed walking at speeds at up to 0.8 metres (2.6 ft) per minute in sub-zero conditions, and males have been observed to leap when alarmed.
The diet of larvae likely consists of decomposing organic debris, such as decaying leaves, grass stems, and rodent feces found in burrows.
Nature Comic #66 Mar 4, 2023
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| Snow Flies Genus Chionea Observed in Jericho, Vermont on March 2, 2023
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I won't grow up.
If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity
to climb a tree
I'll never grow up, never grow up - not me!
Stripe-legged Robberfly Dioctria hyalipennis
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages thereof being egg, larva, pupa, and imago. - Wikipedia
Nature Comic #65 Feb 25, 2023Keep an ear out for spring.
Make all the funny or stern faces you want - You still won't get a peep out of me until it's a darn bit warmer.Due to their presence in northern regions, the spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) is able to endure below-freezing temperatures. They are so-called because of their chirping call that marks the beginning of spring. Crucifer is derived from the Latin root meaning "cross-bearing." This could be a reference to the cross-like pattern on the spring peeper's dorsal side.
These chirping calls are significant for communication in mating as females choose their mates based on the frequency and volume associated with them. Satellite males who do not make any calls also strategically place themselves near those that make louder calls in an attempt to intercept females.
Temperature plays a large role in when the spring peeper begins breeding as well as the duration of mating calls. Therefore, climate change has the ability to significantly impact this species in the near future. - Wikipedia
Nature Comic #64 Feb 18, 2023Vanishing Bees
The Golden Northern Bumble Bee is a 'shrinking violet'. If she wasn't she would be asking:Is there room for biodiversity in the charge of habitat inclusion?Natural habitat loss and fragmentation, as a result of development projects, are major causes of biodiversity erosion.
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages thereof being egg, larva, pupa, and imago. - Wikipedia
Due to their presence in northern regions, the spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) is able to endure below-freezing temperatures. They are so-called because of their chirping call that marks the beginning of spring. Crucifer is derived from the Latin root meaning "cross-bearing." This could be a reference to the cross-like pattern on the spring peeper's dorsal side.
These chirping calls are significant for communication in mating as females choose their mates based on the frequency and volume associated with them. Satellite males who do not make any calls also strategically place themselves near those that make louder calls in an attempt to intercept females.
Temperature plays a large role in when the spring peeper begins breeding as well as the duration of mating calls. Therefore, climate change has the ability to significantly impact this species in the near future. - Wikipedia
"NORWICH, VT — A new study examining 100 years of bumble bee records reveals that almost half of Vermont’s species, which are vital pollinators, have either vanished or are in serious decline."
Study Reveals Striking Decline of Vermont’s Bumble Bees - Vt Ctr for Eco studies
Nature Comic #63 Feb 11, 2023
BelovedtoEndangeredWho needs that kind of love?
Mother Nature is a bit down.
Show her you care
Send Valentine's wishes to her - see details @
https://jerichovermont.blogspot.com/2023/01/nature-love-project-valentines-day-2023.html
"... evidence that some Nearctic hover flies migrate thousands of kilometers south during autumn. Several E. americanus sampled during this study probably eclosed as adults during late summer in the midwestern United States or Canada and traveled to the southeastern United States.
Recent radar data estimated up to 4 billion hover flies migrating above southern Britain, a number that dwarfs similar estimates for moths and butterflies (Wotton et al. 2019). Here, for the first time, we report evidence that some Nearctic hover flies migrate thousands of kilometers south during autumn. Several E. americanus sampled during this study probably eclosed as adults during late summer in the midwestern United States or Canada and traveled to the southeastern United States."
Source: Insights into natal origins of migratory Nearctic hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae): new evidence from stable isotope (ฮด2H) assignment analyses. C. Scott Clem, Keith A. Hobson, Alexandra N. Harmon-Threatt
Nature Comic #59 Jan 14, 2023
Land degradation is intimately linked to all of the other environmental and social crises facing humanity today.
Biology. Nests in borings in wood, hollow twigs, and other suitable cavities like old Polistes cells, corrugated cardboard, etc. Uses mud or firmly agglutinated sand for cell partitions and closing plugs. Prey are caterpillars of Oecophoridae, Tortricidae, Gelechiidae, Pyralidae, Crambidae (Pyraustinae), and Thyrididae (Krombein 1967, 1979). - Canadian Journal of Arthropod IDNest StructureEuodynerus foraminatus are solitary nesters, with each female building her own nest. They nest in borings in wood, hollow twigs, old Polistes wasp cells, and even corrugated cardboard, using mud or firmly agglutinated sand for walls and plugs. The plugs frequently have a smooth outer surface, in contrast to the bee Osmia lignaria which also uses mud, but tends to have chunkier, rougher-looking nest plugs. Euodynerus foraminatus stock their nests with paralyzed caterpillars. (Buck et al 2008) - Univ. of Minn. Extension
Nature Comic #58 Jan 07, 2023
I am so tired of cleaning up after humans.
It’s about time they clean up their own messes!
Diet
Naiads feed on a wide variety of aquatic insects, such as mosquito larvae, other aquatic fly larvae, mayfly larvae, and freshwater shrimp. They will also eat very small fish and tadpoles.
Adults. The dragonfly will eat almost any soft-bodied flying insect including mosquitoes, flies, small moths, mayflies, and flying ants or termites.
The Latin name for this genus, Sympetrum, means "with rock" and refers to their habit of basking on rocks to absorb heat early in the day.
Habitat
Autumn Meadowhawks select habitats that are permanent, but occasionally temporary, well-vegetated ponds, pools, lakes, marshes and bogs, as well as slow streams usually associated with forests (Dunkle 2000, Nikula et al. 2002, Paulson 2009).
Reproductive Characteristics
Male Autumn Meadowhawks are not territorial at the water as most pairings are made away from breeding sites, Tandem pairs oviposit in flight by dropping to the substrate where females alternate tapping of their abdomen between the water and the shoreline mud or mossy logs. Autumn Meadowhawk pairs perform false ovipositions prior to and likely to stimulate copulation (Dunkle 2000, Nikula et al. 2002, Paulson 2009). - Montana Field Guide
Read more at Animal Diversity Web and MN Seasons
Nature Comic #57 Dec 31, 2022Our group photo keeps getting smaller every year :( Fewer species, less of us :(
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023
From All of your invertebrates
and vertebrates
neighbors in nature.
(9 vertebrates in the photo above. Can you find them?)
Nature Comic #56 Dec 24, 2022
I am so tired of cleaning up after humans.
It’s about time they clean up their own messes!
Diet
Naiads feed on a wide variety of aquatic insects, such as mosquito larvae, other aquatic fly larvae, mayfly larvae, and freshwater shrimp. They will also eat very small fish and tadpoles.
Adults. The dragonfly will eat almost any soft-bodied flying insect including mosquitoes, flies, small moths, mayflies, and flying ants or termites.
The Latin name for this genus, Sympetrum, means "with rock" and refers to their habit of basking on rocks to absorb heat early in the day.
Habitat
Autumn Meadowhawks select habitats that are permanent, but occasionally temporary, well-vegetated ponds, pools, lakes, marshes and bogs, as well as slow streams usually associated with forests (Dunkle 2000, Nikula et al. 2002, Paulson 2009).
Reproductive Characteristics
Male Autumn Meadowhawks are not territorial at the water as most pairings are made away from breeding sites, Tandem pairs oviposit in flight by dropping to the substrate where females alternate tapping of their abdomen between the water and the shoreline mud or mossy logs. Autumn Meadowhawk pairs perform false ovipositions prior to and likely to stimulate copulation (Dunkle 2000, Nikula et al. 2002, Paulson 2009). - Montana Field Guide
Read more at Animal Diversity Web and MN Seasons
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023
From All of your invertebrates
and vertebrates
neighbors in nature.
(9 vertebrates in the photo above. Can you find them?)
Nature Comic #56 Dec 24, 2022
We had just settled our antennae for a long winter's hibernation, when out on the wild brushy habitat there arose such a clatter, I peeked out from my bed to see what was the matter.
We had just settled our antennae for a long winter's hibernation, when out on the wild brushy habitat there arose such a clatter, I peeked out from my bed to see what was the matter.
Subgenus Melandrena (a member of Mining Bees Genus Andrena)
This subgenus is widespread and relatively conspicuous from early spring through early summer. As a group, they are relatively distinctive though only a couple species are regularly identifiable from photographs. - VT Ctr for EcoStudies
Melandrena is a subgenus of the family mining bees. They visit flowers of plum, Amygdaloideae, Garlic Mustard, and chokecherry. - Encyclopedia of LifeA Visit from St. Insectolas
BY Bernie Paquette
A naturalized remake of Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore.
'Twas the night before Hibernation, when all through the yard
Not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse or two, or three, or… more - a standard feature in Jericho Center.
The expired flower petals and stalks were standing in the garden thanks to a kind gardener who aspired to bring joy
In hopes that St. Insectolas soon would be there; the underground lone bees nestled in separate underground burrows all snug in their cocoons;
While visions of metamorphosing into pupae danced in their heads;
And I all wrapped in my leaf litter, and papa long-gone and pushing up daisies,
Had just settled our antennae for a long winter's hibernation,
When out on the wild brushy habitat there arose such a clatter,
I peeked out from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the edge, I crawled like a centipede in cold thick molasses,
Tore opened the last leaf shutter and nearly froze my lady bee mustache.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a luster of warmth yet the temperature was still surely twenty below,
When what to my frosty eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight very large crickets,
With a little ole driver who, since he had no backbone, was nearly windswept,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Insect.
More rapid than Dragonflies his coursers they came,
And he buzzed, and rubbed his body parts against another in stridulation, and called them by name:
"Now, Jiminy! now, Mole Cricket! now Pygmy Sand Cricket on Tree Cricket, on Robust Ground Crickets!”To the top of the leaf pile! To the top of the brush pile!
Now use your large hind legs to jump (50x your body lengths) and all of your legs to run, away one and away all!”
As leaves that before the leaf blower - fly,
when they meet with a lawnmower, mount to the sky; So over to the flower stalks the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of pollen, nectar, and St. Insectolas too—
And then, in a flashing of bright firefly light, I heard above the plant stalk
The prancing and pawing of an overhead accipiter hawk as big as a Christmas hen.
As I drew in my head just to be safe and was turning around,
Down the chimney stalk, St. Insectolas came, down to the ground.
She was dressed in a Chasing Fireflies dress, from her head to her foot,
And her clothes were all tarnished with flower seeds underfoot;
A bundle of sweets and proteins she had flung on her hind tibula,
And she looked like a Southern Monarch Butterfly, (Danaus erippus), preparing to migrate to Bolivia.
Her eyes—how they twinkled! her dimples, how merry!
Her cheeks were like roses, her nose like a red raspberry blossom about to berry!
She was slim, not the least bit plump, a right jolly young elf,
And I, Proud Mary mamma laughed when I saw her, despite myself;
A wink of her eye and a twist of her head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work,
And filled all the burrows; then turned with a jerk,
And laying her finger aside of her antennae,
And giving a nod, up the flower stalk she climbed aplenty;
She sprang to her sleigh, to her team gave a whiffle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard her exclaim, ere she drove out of sight—
“Happy Winter Hibernation to all, and to all a good night!”
Comments:Thank you for your "night before hibernation..."It was both clever & ridiculous and made me smile on a rather grim day.Sincerely,D.S., Underhill
A Visit from St. Insectolas
BY Bernie Paquette
A naturalized remake of Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore.
'Twas the night before Hibernation, when all through the yard
Not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse or two, or three, or… more - a standard feature in Jericho Center.
The expired flower petals and stalks were standing in the garden thanks to a kind gardener who aspired to bring joy
In hopes that St. Insectolas soon would be there; the underground lone bees nestled in separate underground burrows all snug in their cocoons;
While visions of metamorphosing into pupae danced in their heads;
And I all wrapped in my leaf litter, and papa long-gone and pushing up daisies,
Had just settled our antennae for a long winter's hibernation,
When out on the wild brushy habitat there arose such a clatter,
I peeked out from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the edge, I crawled like a centipede in cold thick molasses,
Tore opened the last leaf shutter and nearly froze my lady bee mustache.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a luster of warmth yet the temperature was still surely twenty below,
When what to my frosty eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight very large crickets,
With a little ole driver who, since he had no backbone, was nearly windswept,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Insect.
More rapid than Dragonflies his coursers they came,
And he buzzed, and rubbed his body parts against another in stridulation, and called them by name:
To the top of the leaf pile! To the top of the brush pile!
Now use your large hind legs to jump (50x your body lengths) and all of your legs to run, away one and away all!”
As leaves that before the leaf blower - fly,
when they meet with a lawnmower, mount to the sky; So over to the flower stalks the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of pollen, nectar, and St. Insectolas too—
And then, in a flashing of bright firefly light, I heard above the plant stalk
The prancing and pawing of an overhead accipiter hawk as big as a Christmas hen.
As I drew in my head just to be safe and was turning around,
Down the chimney stalk, St. Insectolas came, down to the ground.
She was dressed in a Chasing Fireflies dress, from her head to her foot,
And her clothes were all tarnished with flower seeds underfoot;
A bundle of sweets and proteins she had flung on her hind tibula,
And she looked like a Southern Monarch Butterfly, (Danaus erippus), preparing to migrate to Bolivia.
Her eyes—how they twinkled! her dimples, how merry!
Her cheeks were like roses, her nose like a red raspberry blossom about to berry!
She was slim, not the least bit plump, a right jolly young elf,
And I, Proud Mary mamma laughed when I saw her, despite myself;
A wink of her eye and a twist of her head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work,
And filled all the burrows; then turned with a jerk,
And laying her finger aside of her antennae,
And giving a nod, up the flower stalk she climbed aplenty;
She sprang to her sleigh, to her team gave a whiffle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard her exclaim, ere she drove out of sight—
“Happy Winter Hibernation to all, and to all a good night!”
Nature Comic #55 Dec 17, 2022
This week's nature-inspired comics introduce the term "Inverting" which means invertebrate (especially insects) watching as birding is to bird watching. I am an 'inverter' & bird watcher!
The Christmas bird count leaves me dreaming of Inverting. 
Dreaming of Spring Inverting
Birders are lucky, they have the Christmas Bird Count, the nation's longest-running community science bird project. From December 14 through January 5 each year tens of thousands of volunteers throughout America brave snow, wind, or rain, and take part in the effort.
Meanwhile, we Inverters or insect-watchers, citizen scientists, and other observers of nature must mostly wait it out. We dream of when we will again be inverting from around Memorial Day through fall. Technically speaking, our invertebrate census can occur all year, however, most of the action is during spring through fall.
Like birders, we will brave any kind of weather to find our six-legged friends. Moreover, we will lift rocks, move aside fallen leaves, peer into pencil lead-sized holes in trees and fallen logs, search the cracks of stone walls, and go knee-deep into the water, mud, and muck. All that before spring blooms - then, hands-down, flowers draw in like magnets, our pollinating, beneficial, and incredibly diverse insect species for easy inspection.
Similar to birding if not more so, one can fill your invertebrate quota and more by observing in your own backyard. Your backyard is an ecosystem, what better place to do a scavenger hunt.
"While the first Bird Census or bird count began in 1900, insect collection if not observation began much earlier. ”Cuneiform texts found in Mesopotamia dating to earlier than 669–626 b.c. contain systematically arranged names of insects. Aristotle (384–322 b.c.) studied insects and taught entomology. In a.d. 77 Pliny produced an encyclopedia that included entries on insects.”
"As the number of curiosity cabinets continued to grow in the 16th and 17th centuries, a means to organize their contents became necessary. John Ray (1628–1705) attempted a classification of insects in 1705, which was published posthumously in 1710. Carolus Linnaeus (Carl von Linnรฉ) (1707–1778) published the first edition of his Systema Naturae in 1735, and the 10th edition, published in 1758, became the basis for modern insect classification.” Gordon M. Nishida, in Encyclopedia of Insects (Second Edition), 2009.
Being an inverter has its advantages. While birders are somewhat limited to about 260 bird species in VT, around 800 in the U.S., and about 11,000 in the world, Invertebrates surely rule the numbers game. According to the VT F&W website, “While precisely how many kinds of invertebrates are in Vermont is unknown, it has been estimated at approximately 21,400 species.” An estimate for the number of insect species in the US: is 91,000, and in the world 900,000 with between 2 and 30 million more yet to be discovered and named.
As in birding, it is inevitable that there will be inverters that are listers (looking for specific insects and keeping a list of every insect they have ever seen) and those that consider themselves insect watchers (and listeners) - looking at whatever insects are at the viewing location.
Both listers and watchers may record their observations to such data collection sites as iNaturalist, Seek, GBIF, eButterfly, and many more. These databases bring insect enthusiasts and scientists together in a sense. They help you identify the insects around you. “What’s more, by recording and sharing your observations, you’ll create research quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature.” -iNaturalist
What’s more natural than being a naturalist? Competition. What is more challenging than bird watching but just as rewarding? Insect-watching or Inverting! Competitive? Just check out the VT city and town Nature Challenge leaderboard at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/vermont-biodiversity-by-city-or-town to see where your Vermont city or town ranks for a number of species, observations, and observers. As of this writing, Jericho is in 4th place for observations, 11th in species (2,008), and 9th in observers. Montpelier had 3.665 and Calais had 3,102 species.
“In the equally global City Nature Challenge, meanwhile, cities compete for how many sightings residents can log. The idea is to see which city can make the most observations of nature (of any sort, not just insects), find the most species, and engage the most people.” - AP
Sharpen your pencil for Christmas Bird Count. Then store up lots of pencils and a good sharpener (and perhaps a calculator) for spring inverting!
๐Bee an inverter observer!
Need some help in the dreaming department? Check out more of my inverting photos below. Read more at Animal life in your backyard.
Comments: Ha! That’s fun, Bernie! My lean towards the literal would posit that perhaps we could also call you an ‘insecter! L.G.
Cute! Should it be "inverter or invertebrater"?"Hmm... Or, more limiting (removing mollusks, annelids, coelenterates, etc) "insecter"? Oh so confusing! P.M.
Beatlemania's frenzy followed the Beatle's music.
Why not mine?
My superpower is ….
The Red Milkweed Beetle is recognized for being able to make a high-pitched, shrill sound during many different situations. The shrill was observed when the beetles were being held by researchers, while exploring their surroundings such as the cage that they were being held in, while trapped inside a milkweed plant, fighting with another beetle, or when placed upside down.
The milkweed beetle was also recognized to make a shrill or purring noise in two different situations when being held in a closed hand, and when two beetles touch each other's antennas.
This could be proof of survival or mating adaptation due to the fact that both males and females are able to make this noise. An adaptation such as this is clear proof that organisms adapt to their environment in order to better their own survival.
If they are able to make a loud shrill noise, it is likely that either a predator may be warned to release the beetle, in turn, using this as a defense mechanism, or the shrill could warn other beetles near to stay away due to the presence of predators. From: http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2014/christop_mega/adaptation.htm
Hear the sound at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeoTIFiRUzk
When evildoers attack this Superhero cover your ears!
Sound Production: The noise made in this situation is a rather noticeable, shrill squeaking, produced by rubbing together stridulatory [friction-producing] structures on the back of the pronutum and the front of the mesonotum [the upper surfaces of the first and second segments of the thorax]. From: https://uwm.edu/field-station/red-milkweed-beetle/
Primary School News: Cats go on strike; crickets cross the picket line. "C" is for...
School outdoors has a special appeal. Letters of the alphabet come ALIVE. Some letters require you to crawl about looking under rocks, sticks, and grass, while other letters require you to watch and wait for flying critters to land.
ABC INSECTS because school is out for the whole year! Observing insects and other critters to help learn the alphabet.
A B C
DRAGONFLY EARWIG FLY
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