Two recently published studies document 35 new beetle species for the islands of Saba and St. Eustatius. Even with these latest additions, it is still estimated that nearly three quarters of the beetle population is still unknown. Beetles play a vital role in breaking down natural waste and keeping insects in check, both important roles […]
New beetles discovered in the Dutch Caribbean — Repeating Islands
In celebration of World Wildlife Day we take a look back at the 87 species of South African wildlife we featured in detail here at de Wets Wild during the past year. Cinnamon-breasted Bunting A Flying Handkerchief – the male Mocker Swallowtail – seen along the trail in Hilltop Camp Red-throated Wryneck Rain Spider, the […]
World Wildlife Day 2022 — de Wets Wild
BayNature reports On January 25, the Xerces Society reported a final monarch count of 247,237, a more than 100-fold increase over 2020 and the largest number since 2016. Read story at Western Monarchs Are Having a Boom Year – Bay Nature
Western Monarchs Are Having a Boom Year — Natural History Wanderings
This wonderful present came my way while I was taking a walk through Satara Rest Camp on Christmas Day last year when we were visiting the Kruger National Park for our summer holiday. Looking this butterfly up in my guide book i thought “What a beautiful name for a beautiful butterfly!” Common Mother-of-Pearl Butterfly Common […]
Satara Summer 2021 – Common Mother-of-Pearl Butterfly — de Wets Wild
Gulf Fritillary Butterfly, GA Visiting an unfamiliar region yields a plethora of new wildlife species to discover. Here are a dozen insect species we came upon recently while adventuring in the State of Georgia. In many places in the northern hemisphere, the weather in October brings increasingly cold weather and less insects. But in the […]
Georgia Insects — Jet Eliot
The BBC reports Scientists say light pollution may be contributing to “worrying” declines in insects seen in recent decades. In a UK study, artificial street lights were found to disrupt the behaviour of nocturnal moths, reducing caterpillars numbers by half. Modern LED streetlights appeared to have the biggest impact. There is growing evidence that insect […]
Light pollution from street lamps linked to insect loss — Natural History Wanderings
The Washington Post reports Disease-carrying ticks, commonly associated with wooded areas, are also abundant near beaches in Northern California, according to a study. They weren’t found on beaches themselves, but in the brush and vegetation beachgoers may walk through to get to the sand. Rea full article at Ticks carrying Lyme found near beaches in California […]
Ticks carrying Lyme found near beaches in California — Natural History Wanderings
Amauris ochlea The Novice is a foul-tasting butterfly that flies slowly and settles often on flowers and wilting plants. It inhabits forests and dense woodlands and the edges of these. Adults have a wingspan of 7cm and are on the wing throughout the year. In South Africa it is common along the Kwazulu-Natal coast and […]
Novice Butterfly — de Wets Wild
Papilio dardanus Not only is the Mocker Swallowtail one of the biggest and most beautiful butterflies to be found in South Africa, but it can also be one of the most confusing! The males, also known as Flying Handkerchiefs, boast extravagantly shaped wings with striking black and cream-white markings, while the females are excellent at […]
The Flying Handkerchief / Mocker Swallowtail Butterfly — de Wets Wild
Xerces Society News Release During the 24th Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count, nearly 100 volunteers donned their masks and practiced social distancing to carefully survey groves of trees on the California and Northern Baja coast for monarch butterflies. Despite the challenges of conducting field work during a pandemic, volunteers surveyed 246 sites, three more sites than […]
Western Monarch Population Closer to Extinction as the Wait Continues for Monarchs’ Protection Under the Endangered Species Act — Natural History Wanderings
huggers.ca 