next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects
--Boundary_(ID_qruVVIFSDkrHte6O53a4zQ) Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT NOV. 2, 2009 - I found a western conifer seed bug on our front screen door at home in Wolfville. Locally these bugs try to get into homes in autumn in order to overwinter, sometimes in numbers (but usually singles in my experience). This is a large insect with noticeable diamond-shaped enlargements on each hind leg. It was featured on a past Quirks & Quarks show for its special infra-red sense organ on its underside? for finding conifer cones by the fact that they are a bit warmer in temperature than their trees. NOV. 3, 2009 - In east Wolfville, in the garden of Brenda & Bill Thexton, Bob Thexton noticed a small swarm of flies that was moving up and down in a dancing movement, just a metre or so above the ground. This is probably a swarm of male flies, perhaps winter crane flies?, that is dancing and buzzing to attract females of the same species. I don't recall reports of these over the past couple of winters, but Jean Timpa in Wolfville used to report these often in late autumn or spring, and I think Andrew Hebda? eventually identified to that family a fly that was captured by someone and submitted. But I think we still need someone to have an insect net at the right time and place to capture some of the dancing flies and get them identified for sure. The flies in question are small, and are difficult to observe as they fly; they are smallish and Bob said these had long legs (like real crane flies). Speaking of flies, did some of you hear Quirks and Quarks last Saturday, Oct. 31, and the item on a "unicorn fly" being found in amber? Check it out by Googling "quirks" and clicking on the most recent show. Also note that the Q&Q Web site has many years of past shows all archived for all of us. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville Jim (James W.) Wolford 91 Wickwire Ave. Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada B4P 1W3 phone 902-542-9204 e-mail <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> "In wildness is the preservation of the world" -- Henry David Thoreau --Boundary_(ID_qruVVIFSDkrHte6O53a4zQ) Content-type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>NOV. = 2, 2009</b> - I found a <b>western conifer seed bug</b> on our front = screen door at home in Wolfville. Locally these bugs try to get = into homes in autumn in order to overwinter, sometimes in numbers (but = usually singles in my experience). This is a large insect with = noticeable diamond-shaped enlargements on each hind leg. It was = featured on a past <b>Quirks & Quarks</b> show for its special = infra-red sense organ on its underside? for finding conifer cones by the = fact that they are a bit warmer in temperature than their = trees.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal = 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica"><b>NOV. 3, 2009</b> - In east Wolfville, in the garden = of Brenda & Bill Thexton, Bob Thexton noticed a small swarm of flies = that was moving up and down in a dancing movement, just a metre or so = above the ground. This is probably a swarm of male flies, perhaps = <b>winter crane flies?</b>, that is dancing and buzzing to attract = females of the same species. I don't recall reports of these over = the past couple of winters, but Jean Timpa in Wolfville used to report = these often in late autumn or spring, and I think Andrew Hebda? = eventually identified to that family a fly that was captured by someone = and submitted. But I think we still need someone to have an insect = net at the right time and place to capture some of the dancing flies and = get them identified for sure. The flies in question are small, and = are difficult to observe as they fly; they are smallish and Bob said = these had long legs (like real crane flies).</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Speaking = of flies, did some of you hear <b>Quirks and Quarks</b> last Saturday, = Oct. 31, and the item on a <b>"unicorn fly" </b>being found in = amber? Check it out by Googling "quirks" and clicking on the most = recent show. Also note that the Q&Q Web site has many years of = past shows all archived for all of us.</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">Cheers from Jim in Wolfville</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Jim = (James W.) Wolford</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">91 = Wickwire Ave.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Wolfville, Nova Scotia, = Canada</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">B4P 1W3</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px;