DISQUS

Henry W. Robison · 9 months ago

Wow! This narrative and accompanying photos made me feel like I was right there with you! Your writing style is wonderfully informative Kolby! Keep up your great work. I think it is especially important for all of us to realize we each have nearby regions like these where wildlife lives and we often do not avail ourselves of them.
Rob

Kolby · 9 months ago

Thanks, Rob! I agree with what you said. But I hope that those who explore nearby regions such as this can have enough respect for it to keep it clean. I'm not sure what is going through someone's head who takes a can of spray paint to a rock or tree.

Beetles in the Bush · 9 months ago

Hi Kolby - this was an awesome writeup. I agree with bark gnawing beetle, though I believe Ostomidae is now the preferred family name. The "fiber optical bug" appears to be the nymph of a species of planthopper in the family Issidae - yours is almost identical the the one on this page (except your photo has better clarity).

I have fond memories of the Angeles National Forest - I went there on a few trips collecting beetles - didn't get the one I really wanted, but found some dead wood that I brought back and ended up rearing another species that was known previously only from the Sierra Nevada - made a nice little contribution to a paper.

regards--ted

p.s. yes, those are ants.

p.p.s people suck!

Kolby · 9 months ago

Ted, it looks like you correctly identified my "fiber optical bug." I had a feeling it was a nymph of something.

Any idea on what kind of weevil I found? I've never seen a beetle so tiny!

Beetles in the Bush · 9 months ago

Sorry, got no idea for the weevil (somehow I've successfully managed to remain completely ignorant Coleoptera's two most hyperdiverse groups - the weevils and the staphylinids).