along side northside
unidentified flying insect spotted at night along ohio river valley
it was summer 2008, during my cycling adventure over the sierra and rocky mountains, i met two cyclist enthusiast slash scientists slash wonderful human beings named Dave and Belinda Miltz. Belinda assisted in identifying the beetle pictured above. thank you and here is what she shared with me.
Dear John,
That beetle is a Staghorn beetle (Family Lucanidae, Order Coleoptera-Beetles). They are a a fascinating beetle family that feed on sap flows from trees. There are many magnificent individuals from different continents; they are worldwide in distribution. Beetles are one of the most diverse insect families (and maybe animal families on earth); they are in every possible niche on earth including the driest deserts, the wettest swamps and everywhere else except Antarctica (which has no insect fauna).
log helpers along the trails at Withrow Nature Preserve
while searching for the EASTERN BOX TURTLE
Terra pene carolina carolina
The high-domed carapace of the box turtle may carry a wide variety of markings. Usually it is dark brown or black, accented with some combination of yellow streaks or blotches. The box turtle gets its name from its centrally hinged plastron (lower shell), which enables both front and rear portions of the plastron to be drawn up tightly against the carapace (uppershell). This “boxes in” the turtle for protection. Found in woodlands throughout Ohio, the box turtle is our most terrestrial turtle. During the heat of summer, this extremely gentle animal spends the day hidden beneath rotting logs, decaying eaves, and other plant debris, venturing out only during early morning or evening. A sudden shower after a dry spell usually will bring out box turtles in large numbers.
The greatest threat to Ohio’s box turtles is the thoughtless driver who makes no attempt to avoid running over them as they lumber across the highway.
Chief Dan George
If you talk to the animals, they will talk to you, and you will know eachother. If you do not talk to them you will not know them, and what you do not know you will fear. What one fears, one destroys.
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