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Mosquitoes killed thousands of people. Ohio has many species.
An Asian tiger mosquito taps human blood/Jim McCormacMosquitoes killed thousands of people. Ohio has many species.Columbus DispatchSeptember 20, 2026NATUREJim McCormacThis is a column about the second...
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Fire ants
The distinctive conical mounds of red fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). On a trip to southeastern Texas last January, Shauna and I saw scores of these ant high-rises.This South American insect was...
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Peck's Skipper, an invasion?
A Peck's skipper (Polites peckius) dangles acrobatically from a mistflower plant in my front yard. I have seen up to 15 of the gorgeous little skippers at once in the past month - by far the most that...
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'Living dinosaurs' can be found in Ohio wetlands
A massive, ancient adult snapping turtle/Jim McCormac'Living dinosaurs' can be found in Ohio wetlandsColumbus DispatchNATUREJim McCormacSeptember 6, 2026The snapping turtle, which is common throughout...
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Caterpillars are the unsung heroes of nature
An elm sphinx caterpillar (Ceratomia amyntor) strikes a "defensive" pose/Jim McCormacColumbus DispatchAugust 30, 2026NATUREJim McCormacSomething like one-third of Americans believe in reincarnation....
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A fabulous evening of caterpillaring
As always, click the photo to enlargeAn American Dagger (Acronicta americana) moth caterpillar noshes on the leaf of a Red Maple (Acer rubrum). We saw many of this species on this evening. American...
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Blue-headed Vireo nests
A Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) with a piece of redtop grass (Tridens flavus). He or she - males help with nest construction, but the sexes look very similar - was constructing a nest nearby....
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Upcoming presentation: Natural Ohio: Through the Lens
Sorry for the late notice on this one, but times have been busy and I let it slip. Anyway, this Thursday (August 20) I'll be giving a pictorial lecture about the very best places that remain in the...
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Frosted Whiteface
As always, click the image to enlargeA male Frosted Whiteface (Leucorrhinia frigida) in repose. On a recent July trip to Michigan's northern limits - the Keweenaw (key-wuh-na) Peninsula, Copper Harbor...
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Bristly Sarsaparilla
As always, click the photo to enlargeOn our recent trip to northern Michigan, we visited an amazing site known as Wetmore Pond. It's a spectacular natural area near Marquette, in the Upper Peninsula....
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Mothing, along with a talk! Scioto Gardens, August 15
A male Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus) presents an interesting visage. Big silkmoths such as this are always a hit at the sheets.Chelsea Gottfried and I will be leading a mothing night on...
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Midwest Native Plant Conference
A nymph-stage Snowy Tree Cricket (Oecanthus nivalis) noshes on a disk floret of an Ashy Sunflower (Helianthus mollis). The singing insects (Orthoptera) do not get their fair due for pollination...
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The Eurasian Skylarks of Hawaii
I made this image on November 20, 2024, on the island of Maui, Hawaii. It is hard to beat Hawaiian sunrises, and even this iPhone snap captures this one well.Thanks to my buddy Marty Sedluk, we got to...
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Common Butterwort, a very showy carnivorous plant
These low cliffs along the shore of Lake Superior host lots of interesting plants, but here I'll focus on perhaps the most amazing of their lot, the Common Butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris). This...
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Black Witches in Ohio!
This post dives a bit deeper into this amazing moth than did the last post.A female Black Witch (Ascalapha odorata) perches on the foliage of Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus) deep in Shawnee State...
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Mothapalooza and the Black Witch
Another Mothapalooza is in the books, and it was great. This one was based at Shawnee State Park Lodge in the midst of Shawnee State Forest in Scioto County, Ohio. About 140 people (plus guides,...
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Plains Puccoon, impending storm, and Kirtland's Warbler
As always, click the photo to enlargeA storm rolls into the jack pine plains of Oscoda County, Michigan. This is a magical place, with the most famous denizen being the Kirtland's Warbler. While the...
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The magical Twinflower, Linnaeus's favorite plant
One of the botanical delights of the summertime North Woods is this stunning little wildflower: Twinflower (Linnaea borealis). It is not rare in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where I made these...
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The Mackinac Bridge
As always, click the photo to enlargeThe Mackinac Bridge, as seen the night of July 8, 2026, from the Upper Peninsula. The famous Michigan bridge is a marvel of human engineering. It spans the Straits...
View ArticleNorthern Cardinals feeding their offspring
I've been remiss in posting this video I made of the Northern Cardinals that had a nest less than three feet from my kitchen window. I could peek around the blind and watch activities - and make photos...
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