Author Archives: swarm
Sundews and Sun Rings
This is my second post about our trip to Quincy. Frankly, my Darlingtonia… The native California pitcher plants (Darlingtonia californica) are a thing to behold, especially when they’re flowering. The blooms, hanging heavily from high straight poles, have flapping green … Continue reading
The Black Petaltail of Butterfly Valley
I have returned from an epic nature adventure with many friends, combining events celestial and botanical! The timing of the annular eclipse of the Sun coincided with the blooming of native pitcher plants in Butterfly Valley, a place my wife … Continue reading
This Silverfish Will Melt Your Heart
Some insects are an easy sell. Butterflies. Dragonflies. Honeybees. But for me it’s all about promoting the beauty inherent in the lesser-loved creatures on this planet, the ones who get no attention, or worse are vilified for having the temerity … Continue reading
Posted in insect, photography
Tagged Matthias Lenke, mayfly, mealworm, silverfish, water strider
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Chart Art
BibliOdyssey posted recently about a beautiful series of Entomological and Phytopathological Wall Charts up at Wageningen UR’s special collections site. Though BibliOdyssey does a fine curation, I couldn’t help but share some of my favorites as well. I think what … Continue reading
The Bottled Bugs of Colleen Paz
Last week at Oakland’s Art Murmur I got to play with some of these enthralling bug jars made by artist and designer Colleen Paz. A button awakens a frenetically oscillating insect inside each one. I’d love to own one of … Continue reading
The Eagleman Stag
The Endless Swarm has been held hostage to some really horrid server issues, and has been mostly down, or crippled, or slow, for over a week now. It is maddening! I am seizing upon a sudden burst of connectivity … Continue reading
The Insect Art of Kristen Rieke
Now through the end of April, Mission Pie in San Francisco features a beautiful collection of insect paintings and sculptures by local artist Kristen Rieke. I happened to find them by accident while meeting Mrs. Swarm after work one evening … Continue reading
Epic Insectus
Insectus is an amusing set of photographs by Neil Craver, where arthropod body parts fall in and out of frame, a purposeful play on what must be the bane of any live insect photographer. I find myself more attracted to … Continue reading
The Insect Art of Monique Ligons
Using Gustave Doré‘s iconic works as a starting point, Philadelphia artist Monique Ligons created a series of paintings where humans have been replaced by insects and arachnids, entitled the Biblical Insectarium. Bertran de Born, (a baron and poet whom Dante … Continue reading
Endless Seals, Logos, and Emblems
If there’s one thing that entomological, arachnological, and other invertebrate societies have in common, it’s a tendency to put obscure organisms front and center on their official seals. This post will be first in a series of these gloriously earnest … Continue reading
