Big Bunny Is Watching

Other Beesness: From the land of B^4 and N__B, a new bee!

"They use humans as a salt lick," said entomologist John Ascher, who netted the first known specimen of the species in 2010 while strolling in Brooklyn's Prospect Park near his home. "They land on your arm and lap up the sweat."
...
These bees prefer sweaty people—over most animals—because the human diet usually is so salty that their perspiration is saturated with the essential nutrient, experts said.
...
In the end, only DNA testing by sweat bee specialist Jason Gibbs at Cornell University could identify its niche. Last November, they announced the discovery of Lasioglossum gotham, in a peer-reviewed journal called Zootaxa. The newbie joined the growing catalog of easily overlooked wild native bees.

(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
~

Downtown

And here's a picture for Carmi's Thematic Photographic 193 - Faith:



Last but not least, Friday's Theme Song:


~

Won't Get Food Again

As long as the speakers are still turned up to eleventy eleven, here's another.



POSSIBLY RELATED CONTENT:

Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs has a derivative exposure of $44.192 Trillion dollars. The $1 Trillion pillars towers are double-stacked @ 930 feet (248 m). The White House is standing next to the Statue of Liberty.

Goldman Sachs has advantage(s) over other banks because it has awesome connections in US Government. A lot of former Goldman employees hold high-level US Government positions (chart).

Mitt Romney's top donor is Goldman Sachs, and one of Obama's best donors.

This Post Sponsored By



And By Shunstance McShunitas (IF that is his real name)
~

James Page, Potential Biologist

Sadly, the world was denied the benefits this potential feesh might have brought us, as Mr. Page swam down a different stream.



Meanwhile, Jennifer is Saying Yes to going way back...back into time. Back when a drum solo was a drum solo.



Perhaps I will have more to say about these topics.



UPDATE: Per reader request. These were taken in Schiller Park on April 15.






~

Sunday Butterflies

Butterfly pictures taken Sunday and posted on Monday, that is.

Eastern Comma, Polygonia comma











Note that the above could possibly be Question Marks, Polygonia interrogationis. The advice on differentiating the two is less helpful than it appears.

Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta









ZRM has some pics of more exotic butterflies from warmer places.

(Mouse over pics for captions, and open them in another window for larger versions. In fact, you might even be able to see the expressions on their faces.)

UPDATE: Just for the halibut, here's a couple more.




~

Neighborcats and Orbs

Along with the spring flowers (and birdies), the neighborcats have been out and about.















UPDATE: I'd meant to include this link to a sleeping kitty, but I forgot. And here's another relevant youtuber.


~

Friday the 13th Pics

Yes, it's still spring, and I've got all kinds of pictures lying around. So many that the neighbor kitties and orbs will have to wait for another post.





















Carmi's blog featured Thematic Photographic 191 - Single people this week. Here's someone downtown amid the government buildings.


~

A Tree Story

Part One: Figure 1 (Inspired by the upsidedownies). A little more from this post, now with Figure 1 labeling!











Part Two: On the White Trail

This section of the trail used to be fairly dark even on a sunny day, thanks to all the trees. These have all come down in the last couple years.





Part 3: The Emerald Ash Borer

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, is a green beetle native to Asia.

Since its accidental introduction into the United States and Canada in the 1990s, and its subsequent detection in 2002, it has spread to 14 states and adjacent parts of Canada. It has killed at least 50 to 100 million ash trees so far and threatens to kill most of the 7.5 billion ash trees throughout North America.

The insect threatens the entire North American Fraxinus genus, unlike past invasive tree pests, which have only threatened a single species within a genus. The green ash and the black ash trees are preferred. White ash is also killed rapidly, but usually only after green and black ash trees are eliminated. Blue ash displays some resistance to the emerald ash borer by forming callous tissue around EAB galleries; however, they are usually killed eventually as well.

Some of the trees around the house are oak trees. But it looks like we're going to have get some more ashes cut down, before they fall down.
~