Zoologist, Entomologist, Author, Presenter
Here’s one final excerpt from my NEW BOOK. This time, Microdon hoverflies, the curious larvae of which live within ant nests, tucking into the brood. Again, superbly illustrated by Carim Nahaboo. The book is published by Laurence King Publishers, part of the Orion Group. “As adults hoverflies are delicate animals … The post New Book Excerpts #7: Ant nest hoverflies appeared first on Dr. Ross Piper…
The remarkable adaptation of the Scorpion Beetle, Onychocerus albitarsis, the only known stinging beetle that does so with modified antennae. The post New Book Excerpts #6: Scorpion Beetle appeared first on Dr. Ross Piper .
I realise I’ve been banging on about this, but when you have a NEW BOOK out, you have to, so here’s Another soupçon from it. This time, the small-headed flies, the comical appearance of which belies a dark secret. Incidentally, I’ve got copies of the BOOK FOR SALE, signed by … The post New Book Excerpts #5: Small-headed Flies appeared first on Dr. Ross Piper .
Today’s choice titbit from my NEW BOOK is a homage to the Bison Wasps; tiny, tropical and downright outrageous characters that exploit ant nests. To me, they’re the epitome of the mesmerising diversity in forms we see among the insects. Again, there’s another stunning illustration by Carim Nahaboo. “Even by … The post New Book Excerpts #4: Bison Wasps appeared first on Dr. Ross Piper .
Today’s morsel from my NEW BOOK is this beauty – the Bone Skipper Fly – a true Lazarus species that was thought to be extinct for 150 years. The illustration by Carim Nahaboo is another one of my favourites from the entire book. “This is one distinctive fly, what with … The post New Book Excerpts #3: Bone Skipper Fly appeared first on Dr. Ross Piper .
Today’s excerpt from my NEW BOOK is the Alder Moth, specifically the caterpillars of this species. This is one of my favourite illustrations by Carim Nahaboo. The odds of any one caterpillar reaching adulthood and fluttering off as a moth or butterfly are vanishingly small. If the parasitoid wasps or … The post New Book Excerpts #2: Alder Moth appeared first on Dr. Ross Piper .
My NEW BOOK is now out in the wild. Secure a copy, or, even better, get someone to buy it for you. Use it as place-mat. Use it as a doorstop. Use it to apprehend a miscreant. Use a number of them to reach a high shelf. You could even … The post New Book Excerpts #1: Spoon-winged Lacewings appeared first on Dr. Ross Piper .
The Nematomorpha, those long, thread-like parasites of arthropods are found all over the world and can be relatively common in some places. Peru is something of a blackhole for them though, and until recently no species were known from this hotbed of biodiversity. This is just down to a lack … The post New Horsehair Worm from Peru appeared first on Dr. Ross Piper .
Beetles, beetles, beetles. I love beetles and one of the best places to look for these animals is in and around deadwood. This often overlooked habitat positively bristles with a splendid variety of these insects. In the UK, where insect diversity is relatively meagre, 650 beetle species representing 53 families … The post Saproxylic beetles appeared first on Dr. Ross Piper .
The brush-heads are yet another group of recently described and enigmatic marine animals. Even the giants among them are minute animals that spend their life in amongst the sediment grains of the sea bed. They were first seen in 1974 and formally described by the zoologist, Reinhardt Kristensen, in 1983. … The post Brush-head reproduction appeared first on Dr. Ross Piper .