The day the blackfly larva left the river to join the Kabuki theater.
Michael Palmer
@cosmopterix.bsky.social
Retired botanist but doing #entomology on a wildfire impacted landscape in Oregon. INaturalist Ambassador. INaturalist handle @cosmopterix
Hey #iNaturalist people! I created a new "traditional project" for invertebrates found in or reared from vertebrate (mostly bird) nests. Please add your observations if relevant! www.inaturalist.org/projects/inv...
Invertebrates from vertebrate nests
Invertebrates reared from or found in nests from vertebrates. Please mention the identity of the nest builder to the finest degree possible (might just be bird or mammal). Nests can be old, abandoned,...
inaturalist.org
Hummingbird gathering anemone fluff in Eugene Oregon today
I notice that a handful of my recent blue sky followers are entomologists or other bug enthusiasts. Yay! If you are interested in the activities of my “lab” you are welcome to join my lab’s discord server. Just reply here or message me and I will send an invitation link.
My first homemade Lindgren funnel, made from used peanut butter tubs. The only purchased items were black spray paint and ethanol. Within 2 hours I caught about a dozen beetles. On a warm winter day.
My pill sorter has the same reaction I did to the Davos speech
www.inaturalist.org/observations... I got a hippopotamus beetle! @coleoptera @bugsky @inaturalist
Hippopotamus Beetles (Genus Salpingus)
Hippopotamus Beetles from Lane County, OR, USA on January 14, 2026 at 05:44 PM by Mike Palmer. gleaned from the side of buildings. 9009
inaturalist.org
This submillimeter beetle is so cute. Clambidae? Oregon USA #beetles #coleoptera #bugsky www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Beetles (Order Coleoptera)
Beetles from Lane County, OR, USA on December 8, 2025 at 09:48 PM by Mike Palmer. Caught in an aquarium sock in rising waters of an intermittent stream. 8847. Clambidae?
inaturalist.org
I put an aquarium sock in a refilling intermittent stream. It is good for collecting arthropods in the .5-2mm range - mostly terrestrial ones, some already dead, that get caught in rising water. Here are some of the beetles (more in comments). IDs are welcome! www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Minute Brown Scavenger Beetles (Family Latridiidae)
Minute Brown Scavenger Beetles from Lane County, OR, USA on December 8, 2025 at 06:11 PM by Mike Palmer. collected in an aquarium sock in refilling intermittent creek. 8842
inaturalist.org
I made a trap out of lees (dead yeast slurry from making wine). I was expecting a lot of Drosophila, but I mostly ended up with Nitidulidae. I think there are at least 3 species here. #coleoptera #beetles
These shiny rovers beetles seem to like permanently saturated muck and mosses. #beetles #coleoptera. www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Paraquedius marginicollis
Paraquedius marginicollis from Lane County, OR, USA on November 17, 2025 at 04:17 PM by Mike Palmer. rinsed off of mixed species of moss on rocky seep. 8807
inaturalist.org
I love these cute tiny lacebugs (Acalypta) associated with ruderal mosses. about 1.7mm. Blue River, Oregon #bugsky #hemiptera
These guys show up whenever dead animals are around. These. ones from an unfortunate window-killed sparrow that I buried 10 cm deep in a makeshift belowground trap. Catops perhaps? #coleoptera #bugsky
I won't be attending the Entomological Society Meeting in Portland, but I might drive up for a day to bring bugs to several people (if the cost of driving is < postage). If any of you can use insects in EtOH from Oregon, and which I might have (see www.inaturalist.org/projects/mck...) let me know!
McKenzie Valley Bug Lab
McKenzie Valley Bug Lab organisms. Please contact me to join the lab's Discord Server! Let me know whether you would like to visit, collect, stay, or search for particular taxa.
inaturalist.org
Blackflies are more colorful than the vernacular name implies. www.inaturalist.org/observations... #bugsky #diptera #insects
Common Blackflies (Genus Simulium)
Common Blackflies from Lane County, OR, USA on October 28, 2025 at 05:04 PM by Mike Palmer. visiting parsley flwoers. 8776
inaturalist.org
The annual home invasion begins! #coleoptera I particularly like the vernacular name “halloween beetle” Because that’s when they start appearing by the thousands
#fermentation One of my favorite and well used kitchen gadgets is this inherited antique cabbage mandolin for sauerkraut
A picture of some dirt. Litter Critter Getters, does anyone have any experience with flotation extraction of soil arthropods that doesn’t use centrifuges or chemicals harsher than epsom salts and soap? I am interested in expanding my limited repertoire of techniques.
For those interested in #fermentation, I found this interesting free book: www.google.co.th/books/editio...
History of Worcestershire Sauce (1837-2012)
google.co.th
#fermentation We had to harvest a lot of underripe grapes due to a bear in the neighborhood. We made as much verjuice as we can handle already, and are steam juicing the remainder. Any suggestions for what to do with it? Can it make decent vinegar?
It is flat, and red, and lives under bark. What can it possibly be? Oh, it is a flat red bark beetle. #inaturalist #bugsky #coleoptera www.inaturalist.org/observations...
Flat bark beetles (Family Cucujidae)
Flat bark beetles from Lane County, OR, USA on October 11, 2025 at 02:08 PM by Mike Palmer. gleaned from side of house. 8734
inaturalist.org
This moth (reared from Salix hookeriana on the Oregon coast) looks ready for a cold snowy winter.
