May 31 Beetles and Butterflies of UW student led tour

There is only one species of squirrel on UW campus, the Eastern Gray Squirrel. This species of squirrel is invasive, and highly territorial. It is also well suited for habitats that are influenced by humans. These factors account for the Eastern Gray Squirrels dominance, and for the subsequent decline of the Western Gray Squirrel. The Western Gray Squirrel is larger, and solidly gray, unlike the eastern gray squirrel which has a brown face. The Western Gray Squirrel is now on the threatened species list, and only three known populations exist in Washington State. An interesting piece of research into squirrels behavior found that squirrels are not very territorial when it comes to members of their own species, but do defend against the other variety of squirrel.

Beetles: Colioptera, or sheathed wing, is the order of beetles. Sheathed wing is an appropriate description, because beetles are defined by having two sets of wings, the foremost pair being elytra, or hard wing covers, that protect the more fragile secondary pair commony used for flight in beetles that can fly.
Interesting Beetle families:
Lampridae: Luminescent firefly beeltes (not all fireflies in Lampridae luminesce). Includes California firefly, distinguished by two red stripes along edges of Pronotum, doesnt luminesce, (see may 27 observation)
Brachypterous: Dwarfed wings not capable of flight.
Another

Posted on June 1, 2012 07:01 AM by robertmarsh