Happy New Year from NJ-07! 🎉 2026 can be a year of real change—for our families, our communities, and our democracy. I’m running for Congress to turn hope into lasting progress on the ground. Join us and let’s make it happen together.
Has been a long time since I’ve had one of these land on me in the middle of a corn field. Pic of Ostrinia nubilalis on my shirt that is covered in Puccinia polysora spores.
Ooh. Their fear is very validating!
Some of you might know Megan as a talented ecologist and some of you may know her from interacting with her through NIFA. She’s running for Congress!! Consider supporting her effort. I did and I live a LONG way from her district… I’m taking a longer view…
One Thanksgiving when I was a youngster and living with my parents, I walked downstairs from my room for dinner and Billy Corgan was sitting at and playing my piano in the living room.
Thank you! I was so fortunate to get to study them. I did observe kleptoparasitism. However, I would often find them on abandoned spider webbing. Would also occasionally find the first instars taking small midges trapped in the dew on the hairy stems of alumroot.
Used to find these tiny Reduviidae doing the same thing.
Looking forward to getting into my new book by @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social that @ktbcollage.bsky.social bought for me! Also, John, sorry you hurt your wrist with all of those signatures.
As predicted, women in New Hampshire had a hard time voting yesterday because of the new proof of citizenship law:
“It doesn’t have my married name on it,” she said. Town voting officials then sent her away a second time, to get her marriage certificate.
www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2025...
Probably not a singular reason. But in regard to editor pools, indirectly…maybe.
…or it could be related to departmental consolidations?
“Know Thyself”
…also wish @bsky.app could one-up the old Twitter and give us a post edit function. I have big, clumsy thumbs. Lol
It’s coukd get down to -20 F tonight in this area. So here a photo of Papilio polyxenes, black swallowtail, in remembrance of warmer times.
Had the opportunity to visit @montereyaq.bsky.social a couple weeks back and I’m still in awe of their exhibits. Highly recommend!
Frosty mugshot. Also evidence that I shouldn’t do sculpture. lol
Had a great uncle whom everyone called “Duffy” and who’s real first name I think was Charles. I also once knew someone with the first name of ZB and those were not initials.
Sure!
I spied several warbler nests while trekking around Spring Creek Wildlife Refuge in Lincoln, NE. Maybe American yellow warbler nests? Either that or American redstarts. Or I suppose it could be both…
New #bioinvasions faculty job just dropped: Assistant Professor/Extension Specialist with Auburn University in Invasive Plant Management! Come work in the southeastern U.S. - we've got PLENTY of invasive plants for you to choose from...
www.auemployment.com/postings/50457
Oye! Not! Do not handle them without due safety measures!! They be little, but their bite hurts. Not bullet-ant hurt, but definitely not pleasant. At least based on my experience.
PSA—And if you dare to pick them up by their ‘wheel’, note that their stylets extend well beyond the length of their beak. Probably best to handle them without due safety measures!
Jeff, Dave, and Jody enjoying some local brews.
Dave and Andy Little.
Dave standing under the University of Nebraska logo. That N stands for knowledge!
It's a new hat!
Massive thanks to @truebug.bsky.social for having me out last week at @unlincoln.bsky.social. I got to visit with Doctor of Plant Health (dph.unl.edu) students and catch up with old friends. Jody Green and I have been in Extension circles for YEARS, and Andy Little and I were at UGA together.
Finally published a project with several other wonderful people. In summary: maintaining a miniature wasp colony for deployment toward the biological control of western bean cutworm in western Nebraska was difficult. academic.oup.com/ee/advance-a...
Not so much of a journey as a project to convert a non-productive lawn into something more useful. The beds were filled with compost from a local supplier. The beds are about 18 inches tall to accommodate the slope and to improve overwintering of future perennials.
Slowly building out my yard into a garden.
