insects

Reel Bugs: The Swarm

My loyal readers know that from time to time I review insect-themed horror films on this blog. It’s one way to understand the relationship between humans and insects. Today’s review: The Swarm (Warner Brothers, 1978). The Swarm is about a… Read More

Sting-a-long

According to the “pain scale” rating of researcher J.O. Schmidt, the sting of a southern paper wasp feels like “spilling a beaker of hydrochloric acid on a paper cut.”… Read More

Vampire Moths

  Poor moths. They tend to be seen as poor cousins to butterflies. And when most people think of moths, they conjure up nuisance creatures that chew holes in their sweaters or that don’t have sense enough not to bash… Read More

Bugsicle

The Arctic beetle can survive in temperatures below -76 degrees Fahrenheit.… Read More

Love Bugs

The Spanishfly (known as Lytta vesicatoria to entomologists) has been thought to be an aphrodisiac for hundreds of years. In fact, it can be highly toxic, even deadly. The beetle—it’s not really a fly— emits a poisonous defensive secretion known… Read More

Scratch That!

About This Blog I’m still learning my way around the art of blogging, but now that my new site has been up for a couple of weeks, I’m starting to get the hang of this. My goal is to blog… Read More

Reel Bugs: There’s a Fly in My Movie!

A lot of people are freaked out by bugs. You may be one of these people. Hollywood has made a lot of movies that capitalize on people’s fears. I’m working on a book about insects and their effect on human… Read More