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Leif Cash

@leifcollectsbugs

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Insect Insider 🐜 | Arthropod Advocate | Hidden gems of nature | Bugging Out Daily!
#insects #entomology #photography #bugs
Microscope link below! 👇
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First time shooting with the Apexel 100mm macro lens! 🤳 HUGE success!! The large lens is much better than other lenses on the market if you're interested in catching the full spectrum of the specimen in the shoot. This is because the vingette and radial blur are both reduced as more subject can fit in the frame. If you want to try it, link in bio!! Save 10 percent on the same lens I'm using with Code LEIFCOLLECTS12! #bugs #macrophotography #education by @leifcollectsbugs
Paranthrene simulans, (Grote, 1881) Paranthrene simulans, also known as the Red Oak Clearwing Borer is a moth belonging to the family Sesiidae, which are clearwing moths. These moths are known for their mimicry of wasps or other insects, which helps them avoid predation. * Appearance: The Red Oak Clearwing Borer has a slender body with clear wings, often having a wingspan of about 2.5 cm. The body is typically dark with yellow bands, enhancing its resemblance to a wasp. * Habitat: It is commonly found in North America, particularly in regions where its host plants, such as dogwood, are prevalent. * Life Cycle: The female moth lays eggs on the bark of host trees. Once the larvae hatch, they bore into the tree, feeding on the phloem and cambium layers. This boring activity can cause significant damage to the tree. Paranthrene simulans, the Red Oak Clearwing Borer, exhibits Batesian mimicry, where it imitates the appearance of a wasp to deter predators. This mimicry involves: * Coloration: The moth has yellow bands on a dark body, resembling the typical warning colors of wasps. * Body Shape: Its slender body and clear wings enhance the wasp-like appearance. * Behavior: While not as pronounced, the moth's flight patterns can also mimic the quick, darting movements of wasps. This mimicry helps protect the moth from predators that avoid wasps due to their sting. Batesian mimicry is a type of mimicry where a harmless species evolves to resemble a dangerous or toxic species to avoid predation. The mimic benefits because predators that recognize the warning signals of the dangerous species avoid the mimic as well, even though the mimic lacks any real defense! Absolutely Wild!! #education #entomology #mimicry #batesianmimicry #moth #lepidoptera #nature #nativewildlife #bugs #texas #insects by @leifcollectsbugs
Meet the Beaverlabs M2 portable digital microscope! I'm a bug guy, and I've always had a lasting curiosity to view my specimens up close. I've been blessed with the opportunity to check out firsthand the beaverlabs M2, an affordable reliable microscope that is rechargable, and even compatible with your cell phone or laptop, giving you the ability to obtain pictures and videos the microscope takes directly from the source! The M2 comes with the handheld portable scope, but getting the M2A package, you get plenty of gear, books and instructions, guides, and plenty of everyday microscope gear like droppers, tweezers, specimen containers, and more! Features include lights from the top and bottom which are adjustable in intensity, you can move the scope up and down, as well as focus the lens! Check it out if your interested on beaverlabtech.com and if you do want to shoot your shot, use my personal creator code, MICRO10 for 10 percent off! Link in bio! Follow Beaverlabs for info and videos @beaverlab.tech And follow me for more videos to this series! It's gonna be fun!! #beaverlabmicroscope #education #bugs #science #entomology #insects #bees #wasps #hymenoptera by @leifcollectsbugs
Focusing solely on European honey bees cannot solve America's ecological or agricultural challenges because they are non-native livestock rather than endangered wildlife, and their over-reliance harms the thousands of native bee species actually facing extinction. Introduced by European settlers in the 1600s, European honey bees function similarly to agricultural animals like dairy cows or chickens rather than a threatened native species. Global and U.S. honey bee colonies are not endangered and have actually increased significantly over recent decades. The United States is home to over 4,000 species of native bees (such as bumble bees, mason bees, and leafcutter bees). Roughly 24% to 52% of native bee species with sufficient data are declining or imperiled, with some native bumble bees facing severe risk! A single commercial honey bee hive can strip massive amounts of nectar and pollen from an area, outcompeting local native bees that rely on specific floral resources to survive. Also, Dense managed honey bee colonies can spread pathogens and viruses to wild native bee populations. So what do we do instead???? To effectively support pollinators, the most impactful step is to plant a diverse variety of native flowers that bloom across different seasons, ensuring a continuous food supply of nectar and pollen. Beyond food, native insects urgently need habitat; since most native bees are solitary, you can easily provide nesting sites by leaving patches of bare soil, undisturbed brush piles, and dried plant stems intact. It is also crucial to eliminate chemical pesticides—especially neonicotinoids—which directly poison local populations. Finally, supporting sustainable agriculture and protecting natural wild corridors helps combat the widespread habitat loss caused by urban development and monocure farming, and that's just a few things you can do!!! #meme #ecology #bugs #bees by @leifcollectsbugs
HAPPY WEEVIL WEDNESDAY. Oh joyous weevil day! Smicronyx fulvus, commonly known as the red sunflower seed weevil, is a small, reddish-brown snout beetle native to North America that acts as a major agricultural pest of cultivated sunflowers. (Of course, thriving off wandering native common sunflowers and being native as well). Measuring 2.5 to 4.0 mm in length, the insect completes one generation per year, with adults emerging from the soil in mid-summer to feed on pollen before females deposit eggs directly into developing seeds. The resulting cream-colored, legless larvae feed internally on the seed kernels, destroying roughly one-third of the tissue per seed and significantly reducing overall crop yield, seed weight, and oil content. In the case of their wild existence, totally cool little fellas to come across. I've seen many, but none in such a cinematic sense. I saw this photo in my mind before I even lined the camera with the specimen. And just like that, I caught one of the more artistic shots of my career Shot on my Google Pixel 7a and Apexel 100mm macro lens! You can save 10 percent on that phone lens with the link in my bio, earning a deal, and the power to take macro on your phone! #teampixel #apexel #weevil #weevilwednesday #beetles by @leifcollectsbugs
The genus Trochosa comprises medium-to-large wolf spiders that are widely distributed across the globe. Characterized by their sturdy build, reddish-brown coloration, and relatively short legs, these ground-dwelling arachnids can be distinguished by a pale central stripe on their carapace containing two distinct, dark parallel lines near the front. As nocturnal, cursorial hunters, they eschew traditional web-building in favor of actively stalking or ambushing prey amidst leaf litter, logs, and stones. Their reproductive habits are equally distinct; females attach their egg sacs to their spinnerets and subsequently carry their hatched spiderlings on their backs. While they primarily inhabit fields, woodlands, and lawns, they occasionally wander into residential spaces as they search for food or shelter. This female was found wandering on the sidewalk of a public walkway. Shot on my Google Pixel 7a and my Apexel 100mm attachment macro lens, as well as the included light the macro kit comes with, I was able to take this photo around 12am on my phone! #wolfspider #lycosidae #spiders #teampixel #apexel by @leifcollectsbugs
Hoplitis fulgida, commonly known as the Bright Green Summer Mason Bee, is a striking, solitary bee native to North America. Unlike most species in its genus that have dark or black color patterns, Hoplitis fulgida is renowned for its brilliant, shimmering metallic coloration, with females exhibiting a vibrant metallic blue-green hue and males leaning toward a brilliant metallic green. They are elongated bees, generally measuring between 3/8 to 1/2 inch in length, and are divided into two recognized subspecies: the widespread Hoplitis fulgida fulgida and the Pacific variation, Hoplitis fulgida platyura. The species is primarily distributed across western and northern North America, ranging from Alaska and the Yukon Territory south through British Columbia, California, and into the mountainous regions of Colorado and New Mexico, where they adapt easily to elevations from sea level up to 10,000 feet. As members of the family Megachilidae, these bees do not dig holes; instead, they utilize pre-existing tunnels, such as hollow plant stems or old beetle larval burrows in dead wood. Every female works independently to construct her own nest, utilizing a mixture of chewed-up leaf pulp, plant resins, and sometimes small pebbles to partition her reproductive cells. Their peak flight season spans from May through September, making them vital summer pollinators for a wide variety of native wildflowers. The specimen I found could be male? Not sure. But there are many body segments and the specimen is especially long! (Harder to see in this photo). Anyhow, amazing and stunning specimen! Shot on my Google Pixel 7a and the Apexel 12-20x macro lens! Link in bio to save 10 percent on the same lens I use for my photos!! Anyone can take these shots on their phones, believe it or not! #teampixel #bugs #bees #hymenoptera #apexel by @leifcollectsbugs
Nebria is a large, highly diverse genus of ground beetles within the family Carabidae, commonly known as gazelle beetles. This genus comprises more than 500 described species widely distributed across North America, Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. And if this is in fact Nebria as @inaturalistorg users suggested, it's one in 3 in the state of Utah! And definitely the best photo set so far of the Utah group. They are primarily specialized for life in temperate, alpine, and subarctic regions, displaying a high degree of evolutionary adaptation to cold and damp environments. Funny enough, mine was spotted in a colder Utah canyon, pretty high up! These beetles typically measure between 9 and 14 millimeters in length, presenting an elongated and relatively flattened body shape built for agility. Their coloration is predominantly a glossy black or dark brown, which is frequently contrasted by striking reddish-brown or bright orange legs, antennae, and mouthparts. Structurally, they are characterized by a broad, distinct pronotum that narrows significantly toward the base, along with deeply striated wing covers (elytra). Members of this genus are strongly associated with moist, cool microclimates and are routinely found beneath rocks, logs, and leaf litter, matching the conditions mine was found! As nocturnal predators, these beetles hide under cover during daylight hours and emerge at night to hunt a variety of small, soft-bodied invertebrates. Their diet primarily consists of mites, springtails, small flies, aphids, and earthworms, making them highly beneficial natural pest controllers within their ecosystems. Because they rely heavily on swift running to capture prey, many Nebria species possess reduced or completely non-functional wings, rendering them flightless but exceptionally fast on the ground. Shot on my Google Pixel 7a and my Apexel 12-20x macro lens! Link in bio to save and cheers to mobile macro photography! #teampixel #beetles #coleoptera #carabidae #animals by @leifcollectsbugs
A beautiful bee captured on a plant leaf, cinematically so. I believe maybe some Andrenidae... The genus Andrena comprises over 1,500 species of solitary, ground-nesting mining bees. These small to medium insects typically measure between 0.3 to 0.7 inches in length. They are predominantly dull black or brown, though some species feature pale hair bands or metallic hues. Females are uniquely distinguished by velvety facial depressions called foveae located between their eyes and antennae. As vital pollinators, these bees emerge early in the spring to forage. Females utilize specialized hair brushes on their hind legs and thorax to collect pollen from spring blooms and fruit trees. While strictly solitary, multiple females often dig individual nesting tunnels close together in bare or sandy soil. They are highly docile, rarely sting, and play a crucial role in both agricultural and wild ecosystems. Shot on my @apexel_official 100mm macro lens. If you want the same lens for fun portraits like these, use my link in bio to save 10 percent and or code LEIFCOLLECTS12 in checkout. I think it only works on that lens. If you want a bunch of products, my code won't work for a whole basket. Keep in mind, and dm with questions! Always happy to help! #bees #photographer #teampixel #education #entomology by @leifcollectsbugs
The western paper wasp (Mischocyttarus flavitarsis) is an absolute marvel of the insect world, rocking a stunning, high-contrast look of deep black and bright yellow with gorgeous rust-colored accents and beautifully tinted, golden-brown wings! You can spot these sleek, long-waisted beauties gracefully patrolling the skies all across western North America, from the dense forests of British Columbia down through the western United States. They are meticulous architects, crafting delicate, open-faced paper nests under rocks, tree branches, and even the cozy eaves of human homes. What makes them truly fascinating is their incredibly smart hunting behavior; they don't just wander around looking for food; they actually sniff out the chemical distress signals of plants being eaten by caterpillars to pinpoint their next meal! When autumn rolls around, the males put on a spectacular show, gathering in specialized zones to scent-mark territories and show off for potential mates before the queens tuck themselves away for a long winter nap. They are dynamic, clever, and an incredibly vital part of our backyard ecosystems! This above, female, made me very happy to find, as I don't see many native Polistinae in my Utah area. Lots of fun! Shot on my Google Pixel 7a and @apexel_official 100mm macro lens! Code: LEIFCOLLECTS12 and or link in bio to save 10 percent on this lens for phones!! #teampixel #wasps #apexel #hymenoptera #education by @leifcollectsbugs
Say hello to my new little girl, unnamed Heteropoda spp Heteropoda pingtungensis, commonly known as the Pingtung huntsman or Taiwan orange huntsman spider, is a fast-moving, brownish-orange arachnid native to Taiwan and parts of China. Captive specimen, of course. (Rare for my page, I know), but not wild caught or found. Also, my first ever stacked mobile phone photo! 14 total images, all added together at the most focused point. Shot on my Google Pixel 7a 📱 Combined with the @apexel_official 12-20x macro lens. 🤳 #arachnids #spider #sparassidae #teampixel #apexel by @leifcollectsbugs
The Northern Desert Nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola), an elusive subspecies of the desert nightsnake, is a small and slender reptile native to the arid expanses of western North America. Typically measuring between 12 to 26 inches (30 to 66 cm) in total length, these snakes feature a highly distinct appearance marked by a flattened, triangular head, smooth scales, and vertically elliptical pupils. Their base coloration is highly adaptive, varying from light gray and beige to tan to match their surrounding geological substrates. Overlaid across this backdrop is a series of dark gray-brown blotches along the back, capped by three prominent, elongated dark blotches located directly on the neck just behind the head. Because of their head shape and mottled patterning, they are frequently mistaken for juvenile rattlesnakes; however, they lack a rattle entirely and can be easily distinguished by a tail that tapers smoothly to a clean point. True to their name, these reptiles are strictly nocturnal and highly secretive, rarely venturing out during daylight hours. Instead, they spend their days sheltering under surface objects like rocks, in deep talus, or inside abandoned rodent burrows to escape the intense heat of their environments. Their expansive geographic footprint ranges from southern British Columbia down through Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, and Nevada. Within this range, they function as habitat generalists, thriving everywhere from rocky desertscrub and canyon floors to arid shrubsteppe vegetation and even higher-elevation ponderosa pine forests up to 8,700 feet As specialized ambush predators, they primarily hunt small lizards, amphibians, and reptile eggs under the cover of darkness. To subdue their prey, they rely on an opisthoglyphous mechanism—meaning they possess enlarged, grooved teeth situated at the very back of their upper jaw, (like rear fangs). Shot on my Google Pixel 7a, and @apexel_official 100mm macro lens, at night! If you want the same lens I have, code LEIFCOLLECTS12 in bio! 🤳 🐍 🌙 #reptile #snake #macro #teampixel #wildlife by @leifcollectsbugs

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