Notes From Nature Talk

object collections?

  • cerabilia by cerabilia scientist

    Is anyone using the "collect" function to build a collection of bugs on NfN? What sort of things are you collecting and how is it oging?

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  • SandersClan by SandersClan

    When I remember, I collect objects collected on holidays, bright yellow butterflies (have to say I don't collect those identical-looking flies!), and objects found on volcanoes (well, one, anyway.). I also think I collected one from before the civil rights era, where the info included 'behind colored quarters of hotel'.

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  • cerabilia by cerabilia scientist

    That's great. I would not have thought of a "Holiday collection". Yes, the "identical-looking flies" are humble and in the form you see them on NfN only an entomologists can love them. But, you might get a better appreciation if you see more about their life history and some beautiful images of them. You can search for cukoo wasps or look at sites like http://baynature.org/articles/the-cuckoo-wasp-a-gorgeous-parasite/ We are going to learn a lot from the records of these wasps. Thanks for your efforts.

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  • SandersClan by SandersClan

    I take back my 'flies' comment. They're beautiful when alive, aren't they? Thanks for the reference; I'm going to bookmark it. Now that I know they're something more interesting than a fly I'll take a little time to appreciate them!

    Maybe the bright blue color is a 'Look at me, not at what I'm doing' ploy to fool all those hard-working nest-makers. Just my uneducated guess!

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  • VaNella by VaNella

    I am the only one I know who just loves the most common insects, including all those identical flies.I always wonder why they are so common. They must have some wisdom to impart to a one-off like me.

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  • geckzilla by geckzilla

    I'm actually amazed at just how many of the identical looking flies (ILF's?) are so very vividly blue. I wish I could go back and look through the specimens I've transcribed because there was this one fly in particular that was the smallest fly I had ever seen but didn't think to make a note of it because I thought surely I just hadn't seen enough of them to make that sort of judgement.

    As far as collections go I saved one because it was from my home town as a kid and a couple of others which I thought where remarkably high quality--simultaneously in complete focus and good physical condition. I'm still looking to add more to that one but there aren't many which qualify.

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