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Post by bandrow on Oct 31, 2021 8:41:36 GMT -8
Thank you both very much! I did a google search on "carpet beetle bite" and the rash or allergy reaction on my wife and daughter looks like those photos. Kudos to you! PS: I just started a major vacuuming Glad to help - but sorry to instigate a cleaning project for you on a weekend - especially a holiday weekend!! Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 31, 2021 8:06:09 GMT -8
Hi guidog77,
Adam is exactly right on both specimens. The Dermestidae are common household pests, feeding on a variety of organic debris, and are notorious problems in museums, especially in insect collections. They do not bite humans, but as Adam said, certain people can have a sensitivity to the hairs on them and may have minor local skin irritation. There is plenty of info online as to how to remedy problems with them, but the most effective is removal of their food sources. In the case of a bedroom, vacuum the carpet well, and be sure to pay close attention to where the carpet meets the baseboard, removing any lint along that edge and on the top of the baseboard. The "dust bunnies" in a typical room can be all they need to survive.
The isopods - or woodlice, roly-polies, pillbugs, etc., depending where you live - are also scavengers on organic debris, but rarely are they any issue inside a home. I occasionally find them in my house, even once in an upstairs bathrooom, but all were "wanderers" that came in under a door frame somewhere and couldn't find their way back out. They are harmless as well...
Hope this helps, Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 29, 2021 17:18:01 GMT -8
Although I am unsure if I will be able to attend, I certainly think this is a fantastic idea. The University of Ottawa has something similar. We will hold in Cape Vincent just for you. That’s centrally located, right? Not to put Bob on the spot, who could do Pittsburg in February or March? Cincinnati? Not a problem, but if it turns out a winter event is preferred, it would have to be winter of 2023. Summer 2022 may be doable, but the upcoming winter is going to be hectic for me as I'll be tangled up in several commitments to other projects... Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 28, 2021 17:55:39 GMT -8
I’d do Carnegie. Personally I’d prefer winter, as I’ve got nothing to do for six months. Actually next week would be fine so I can free up drawer space! Chuck That's the catch-22 - a winter gathering would break the doldrums and provide some good mental stimulation during the off-season, but then a summer event would provide collecting opportunities. I'll talk with the rest of our staff and see what they think, and if any of you have any preferences for timing or recommendations one way or the other, let me know... Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 28, 2021 17:46:50 GMT -8
Greetings,
I agree - too blurry to be able to ID anything. The shape and color resemble a bloated tick, but the images are too blurry to make anything more than a guess. Do you have pets that may have brought something in? Try to get a better image and we can try again...
Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 26, 2021 7:32:08 GMT -8
Hi All,
This sounds interesting to me, and I think with some planning, an 'open house' at the Carnegie Museum here in Pittsburgh could be doable. We just hired Kevin Keegan as the Collection Manager of Lepidoptera, so you folks wouldn't have to be assaulted by me and my beetles, unless you so choose! I think a Saturday/Sunday event could happen, but I'd need to check into a number of issues with our Curator and the museum admins. If something like this happens, it may be winter 2023 (or summer 2022?).
One other possible option for the Carnegie idea is our field station, Powdermill Nature Reserve, in the Laurel Highlands about an hour east of Pittsburgh. They have a nice nature lodge where a meeting could be held, and collecting done on site or nearby (mothing at night as well) with some cabins with limited capacity, depending on availability. A carpooled commute could happen to go in and see the museum.
So nothing more than an idea right now, but I'm willing to look into the idea and see what possibilities exist. How many members here might be within shooting distance of Pittsburgh if such an event became reality?
Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 16, 2021 10:01:47 GMT -8
Hi All, I think Chuck covered a lot of the issues concerning the various avenues of publishing, and the pros and cons involved in some, so I won't muddle that part of the conversation. I will say that, personally, InsectNet provides a bit of respite from all the formal research papers I have to read due to my job responsibilities, and research interests. I see it as a bridge between the professional and avocational entomological worlds (I hate the word "amateur" - I see it as elitist, especially considering that many renowned specialists in a wide variety of groups are 'non-professionals'). I like logging in and reading all the posts, and taking a "joy ride" through a variety of topics, which may or may not be up my personal alley. I particularly enjoy the eclectic "vignettes" posted by Trehopr1 - while they are random in nature, it is that randomness that makes them interesting - lots of species that I've either never seen, or that I'd not focused on recently simply because they were so familiar. I would love to have the time to post such stories about the things I collect, but time is at a premium for me, and I can afford to only bounce in here once in a while. I am also a Contributing Editor on BugGuide, and that also consumes time doing identifications and scanning for mis-IDs. I just posted a link to a paper in the 'Coleoptera' forum that I wrote a few years ago, describing a new species of May beetle in the genus Phyllophaga. While it's a focused paper on a single species, I thought it may be interesting for folks here to see an example of some work I've done (and see another example of how 'dry' the research literature can be ). So, I think the variety of interests here on InsectNet are its greatest strength, and hopefully I can find ways to contribute in the future to keep things interesting... Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 16, 2021 7:31:45 GMT -8
Hi All, I published this paper some years ago, and I was inspired by Trehopr1's request for more specialized postings to provide a link here. This was a rather remarkable discovery, as in 2004, Robert Woodruff had published a monograph of the Phyllophaga of Hispaniola, and had not seen the species. Additionally, Medrano-Cabral was working on a separate Hispaniola project, and this species was not included in her unpublished thesis. Phyllophaga delphinicaudaAs a side note, I was honored to have a species named after me by Bob Woodruff - Phyllophaga androw - as a tribute to my preparation skills. I dissected nearly 4,000 specimens of male and female Phyllophaga taken in a CMNH survey between 2003-2006 to have them more easily examined by Bob for inclusion in his monograph. I'm currently working on the description of a new species of Cerambycidae from Guatemala - known so far from a single female collected in the 1960's. When that's published - probably in early 2022, I'll post a link to the paper here as well... Hope this is interesting to some of you... Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 15, 2021 18:33:07 GMT -8
WOW!!! These are spectacular - and the proof is that they are making a coleopterist want to start collecting Saturniidae!! But, I'll try to get over it... Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 6, 2021 16:50:20 GMT -8
Thanks for the tip, Bandrow. Riviera Beach is a 5 or 6 hour drive from where I live, but that species is worth it. October is prime time for those guys. Megasoma vogti also occurs nearby, but their season is coming to an end. Late Aug. to early Oct. is the best time, especially after a rain. Sending you a PM... Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 5, 2021 15:36:19 GMT -8
Hi 58Chevy,
Back around 2009, I collected several Stenaspis verticalis on lantana flowers - mid-October, I believe. This was near Riviera Beach, not sure how far north in Texas you are...
Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 5, 2021 15:27:04 GMT -8
Greetings,
I'm a coleopterist, so this is just a place to start - but your bug is some species of microlepidoptera - meaning it belongs to one of the many families of small to tiny moths. It seems distinct enough that one of our lep people here can give a more refined ID...
Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 4, 2021 18:20:10 GMT -8
Hi Panacanthus, Thanks for all of the names - I have most of these in my collection, but it would have taken some digging to find everything and post names. My exotic scarab collection isn't well-curated at the moment, and you saved me some time. I'll try to help somehow in the future, if I can beat you to it! Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 3, 2021 10:09:33 GMT -8
Beetle people are enthusiasts. Coleopterists are fanatics As always - you are spot on! But in how many other fields can one get paid to be a fanatic? Ummm, well.. sports announcers, movie critics, news reporters... ahh, never mind... Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Oct 3, 2021 9:41:00 GMT -8
Those are some spectacular photos ! The lighting, colors, and details are astounding to me... I'm actually feeling embarrassed by the Android phone photos that I post. Also, your preparation style on these megasomas is enviable and I almost want to go back and rework my own megasomas after looking at your pictures !! Really great stuff. Keep the great pictures coming whenever you feel the urge to show us something else from your spectacular beetle collection. Thank you!! That means a great deal. I really appreciate the comments. I must admit, however, that I’m not using any special equipment. I know very little about photography. I set the insect drawer on my kitchen counter because the lights are pretty bright there and I’m just using my iPhone 11pro to take the photos! Regarding the Dynastes request, I’ll see what I can do! WOW!! I was searching to see what camera setup you are using to get these beautiful images - and it's a cell phone?! I knew the cameras on those were getting really good, but this is amazing. I have an Android that takes images just a bit better than I could draw them myself!! Great photos, great preparation and wonderful displays - all top notch!! Cheers! Bandrow
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