58/150: Using flying snakes to combat agricultural pests? –The family Raphidiidae

Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Raphidioptera: Raphidiidae: Agulla: Agulla adnixa (Hagen, 1861)

Fear not, these little arthropods have the potential to keep our crops healthy! The family Raphidiidae, snake flies, are closely related to the “nerve winged” insects (Neuroptera) including lacewings and antlions. Continue reading “58/150: Using flying snakes to combat agricultural pests? –The family Raphidiidae”

It’s a snake, it’s a fly, it’s a snakefly!

Hello again readers! After my Point Pelee adventures, I have now returned to the quieter lab life, processing and sorting insects from private parks and conservation areas around Canada.  So far, I have been processing a lot of different insects from ecological reserves and conservation areas in British Columbia. BC has different climates and habitats than Ontario, and there are some insects that you can find in BC, but you wouldn’t be able to find here. One example of this is the snakefly (Order Raphidioptera), which can be found in places like Alberta and BC.   Continue reading “It’s a snake, it’s a fly, it’s a snakefly!”

Awesome Arthropods and Alpine Adventures

Hello faithful readers, and welcome to my third blog post. We arrived in E.C. Manning Provincial Park, and boy is it a nice place. The friendly park staff set us up right by the Manning Park Lodge, so we have access to the necessities as well as swimming facilities and a game area. We’re being spoiled! Continue reading “Awesome Arthropods and Alpine Adventures”