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Post by Radman on Jun 12, 2011 19:46:01 GMT
Amazing pictures. Can I keep the blue darner picture, Mr Radman, oh, can I? *bounces* Sure, you are welcome to any of these pictures. Glad you liked it. Just send me a nickel if you use it somewhere.  Here are some more "darner" photos:   Darner's eye-view:  Dragonflies actually make great photographic subjects; they are large, colorful, hold still (when perched) and allow you to get close to them without fleeing. Plus, even among insects, they have that amazing "alien" look about them. There are some spectacular black-winged damselflies flitting about in the woods in the back that I hope to get some pix of sometime, so stay tuned! |
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Post by Himmapaan on Jun 12, 2011 22:31:48 GMT
Thank you! As though I would ever use it anywhere. *Aghast at suggestion* ;D
Though, you won't be demanding a nickel if I happen to use it as a drawing/painting reference, will you?...
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Post by gwangi on Jun 12, 2011 23:22:48 GMT
I was worried we wouldn't get bluebirds this year, a bit late but they've finally picked our their box.  |
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Post by Radman on Jun 15, 2011 21:27:31 GMT
I was hoping to be lucky this summer, and the tomato harvest has been good so far, but after not checking my tomato plants for a day or two I found this:  Three of 'em, actually, big as your finger.  |
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Post by Himmapaan on Jun 15, 2011 22:41:28 GMT
Wow...
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Post by Permiantriassic on Jun 16, 2011 1:13:02 GMT
I was hoping to be lucky this summer, and the tomato harvest has been good so far, but after not checking my tomato plants for a day or two I found this: Three of 'em, actually, big as your finger. eat em! |
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Post by totoro on Jun 16, 2011 3:14:56 GMT
Believe it or not, I miss those hornworms. I spent my childhood collecting them and rearing them into the hawkmoths - eventually convincing my dad to plant an extra tomato plant or two for me to transfer the caterpillars. While they are common in the midwest, I never see them on my tomato plants here in Oregon.
The tomato hornworm larva don't make the prettiest hawkmoths, some are really spectacular, but I think they all look amazing with their long, angular wings, and man, they are fliers! Have you seen them when they get assaulted by parasitic wasps and sprout numerous wasp cocoons? Ghastly. That always reminds me of the Aliens monster, rupturing out of the human host's body. No matter how horrible a monster movie is, there is always a more gruesome example in nature, eh?
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Post by deanm on Jun 16, 2011 3:32:10 GMT
I was hoping to be lucky this summer, and the tomato harvest has been good so far, but after not checking my tomato plants for a day or two I found this: Three of 'em, actually, big as your finger. They look nice and juicy.  |
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Post by Permiantriassic on Jun 16, 2011 3:42:48 GMT
would you eat all 3 of them for a battat diplodocus?  |
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Post by deanm on Jun 16, 2011 10:04:22 GMT
would you eat all 3 of them for a battat diplodocus? Yes. I've eaten insects before. Pan fried with a bit of salt, pepper and butter. Let them get nicely toasted and they probably would have a nutty taste. |
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Post by Himmapaan on Jun 16, 2011 14:13:05 GMT
would you eat all 3 of them for a battat diplodocus? Yes. I've eaten insects before. Pan fried with a bit of salt, pepper and butter. Let them get nicely toasted and they probably would have a nutty taste. It does depend on what kind too. I've eaten fried locusts back in Chiang Mai (and a number of other insects and grubs, I forget which now), which were quite nice and nutty, just as you describe. I've never tried caterpillars though. I imagine some might not be very palatable... |
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Post by paleoferroequine on Jun 16, 2011 17:03:44 GMT
Yes. I've eaten insects before. Pan fried with a bit of salt, pepper and butter. Let them get nicely toasted and they probably would have a nutty taste. It does depend on what kind too. I've eaten fried locusts back in Chiang Mai (and a number of other insects and grubs, I forget which now), which were quite nice and nutty, just as you describe. I've never tried caterpillars though. I imagine some might not be very palatable... Mmmmmmm......Fried green tomato...worms, is there anything they can't do? I don't know, since they eat the leaves I presume, tomatoes have alkaloids in them so I imagine they would be quite bitter. I think I'll take a pass.  |
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Post by Himmapaan on Jun 16, 2011 20:02:09 GMT
I'd somehow imagined they're be bitter too. Oh, I said locusts earlier; my mistake: I meant crickets.  |
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Post by stoneage on Jun 16, 2011 23:54:53 GMT
I'd somehow imagined they're be bitter too. Oh, I said locusts earlier; my mistake: I meant crickets. In Thailand they eat a large variety of insects: Bamboo Worms, Spiders, Grasshoppers, Hornet Grubs, Hugh Cockroaches, King Scorpion, Maggots, Locust (The government suggested this after pesticides failed. They actually grow a type of corn so they can harvest the locust.),Silkworms, Water Beetles, and Woodworm. They are high in protein but very low in fat unlike meats. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRM90Ji62po |
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Post by paleoferroequine on Jun 18, 2011 15:54:22 GMT
Hi Tension Vultures. These Turkey vultures were waiting for us to leave so they could continue on their gourmet banquet of freshly prepared white tail deer.  |
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Post by Radman on Jun 18, 2011 20:47:50 GMT
Wow, that's an excellent picture, Paleo! Love how they're spaced out so evenly. This picture is crying out for a Far Side-type caption, but all I can think of (since I assume you took this in Missouri) is: "Chiefs season ticket holders wait for the lockout to end and the season to begin". I'm sure others can do better. |
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Post by paleoferroequine on Jun 18, 2011 21:49:37 GMT
Wow, that's an excellent picture, Paleo! Love how they're spaced out so evenly. This picture is crying out for a Far Side-type caption, but all I can think of (since I assume you took this in Missouri) is: "Chiefs season ticket holders wait for the lockout to end and the season to begin". Thanks. Yeah, I thought it was unique also. Funny, everybody wants to put a caption on it. But around here it better be the Rams instead!  ;D |
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Post by totoro on Jun 18, 2011 21:53:21 GMT
Haha, good one Radman! I was thinking something like "Even vultures find vultures repulsive and try to keep their distance". Great photo!
Paleo, I just noticed you were from Rolla. I spent some years in Columbia during school and went through Rolla many times on my way to canoeing on the Current and neighboring rivers, and heading back and forth to the Texas Coast where I did my research. In Texas, you'd find these mixed with black vultures (grey heads) and caracara near carcasses.
There was something there at Rolla that was good, can't remember exactly. Maybe it was an Imo's Pizza joint? My wife (met her at Mizzou) and I loved that thin crust pizza!
Thanks for sharing.
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Post by Radman on Jul 2, 2011 2:27:05 GMT
This bad boy was buzzing around my patio door just a few minutes ago, so I caught him and took a few pix for inspection:   Beautiful eyes! I have no idea what species this is; probably some kind of wood-boring beetle. A few years, I would have tossed this impressively-antennaed specimen into the freezer for mounting into my bug collection later, but now I'm happy just with a few pix; I let it go immediately after the photo session. See, my dino-collecting hobby is helping the environment!? Anyway, Cookie for whoever identifies it! Probably common, but I don't feel like looking it up and ya never know. |
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Post by paleoferroequine on Jul 2, 2011 3:37:50 GMT
This bad boy was buzzing around my patio door just a few minutes ago, so I caught him and took a few pix for inspection: Beautiful eyes! I have no idea what species this is; probably some kind of wood-boring beetle. A few years, I would have tossed this impressively-antennaed specimen into the freezer for mounting into my bug collection later, but now I'm happy just with a few pix; I let it go immediately after the photo session. See, my dino-collecting hobby is helping the environment!? Anyway, Cookie for whoever identifies it! Probably common, but I don't feel like looking it up and ya never know. Easy peasy!! Tile-horned Prionus Beetle - Prionus imbricornis , 18-20 segments on the antenna identifies this one. Part of the long horn beetle bunch. Of course I could be wrong, but I doubt it. |
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;D