H. Zirlin's Insect Blog - All About The World Of Beetles, Moths, Butterflies And Other Insects

From time to time, with no fixed schedule, and depending upon my mood and other things (like work), I will be writing about the life forms I never get tired of looking at, looking for, reading about and writing about. That means insects primarily, but if i ever feel like writing about spiders or scorpions, I guess no one will complain too much.

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Favorite Butterfly Spots II : New Jersey Pine Barrens

by Harry Zirlin

Despite New Jersey's reputation as an Industrial wasteland, some of the best butterflying in the USA lies within its boundaries for those who know when and where to look.

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Favorite Butterfly Spots - - Big Pine Key, Florida

by Harry Zirlin

Big Pine Key, in Florida's Lower Keys, boasts an unusual number of butterflies found only in South Florida and the Keys. But a number of them are disappearing for unknown reasons.

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Westchester County, NY - Budget Cuts Threaten Conservation Efforts

by Harry Zirlin

Westchester County in New York is one of the wealthiest counties in the nation but is constantly skimping on efforts to protect its natural heritage. The latest proposed budget cuts threaten important conservation programs, eliminates jobs, and will ultimately lead to a degraded environment..

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Butterflies and Climate Change: Post-Superstorm Reflections

Melissa Arctic atop Mount Washington, NH

by Harry Zirlin

In the aftermath of the recent superstorm that slammed the east coast of North America, studies on butterflies and other life forms shifting their ranges in response to climate change have taken on a new urgency.

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A Meadow in the Bronx

by Harry Zirlin

WildMetro, a conservation group dedicated to preserving and enhancing natural areas in urban environments, is battling invasive plants, saplings that want to be shade trees and vandals in an effort to maintain a beautiful meadow in the Bronx.

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Much Ado About Mothing: Moths Finally Getting Attention

by Harry Zirlin

Moths are the new butterflies! More diverse, more exciting and, in many cases, more colorful, the nocturnal branch of the Lepidoptera is finally getting its due.

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American Wasps Sniff Out Foreign Beetles

by Harry Zirlin

A species of wasp is being enlisted by forestry agents and conservationists in the eastern USA and Canada to detect and monitor the spread of a destructive invasive beetle known as the Emerald Ash Borer.

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Planet's Coolest Critters -- Tiger Beetles

by Harry Zirlin

Tiger Beetles are not your typical bumbling, beetle-browed bugs. They are agile, charismatic, predators that rule their grassroot jungles. Beetle enthusiasts have long sung their praises, but now, with advances in digital photography and close-focusing binoculars, more and more people are being turned on to these fascinating animals.

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