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i’m back. i’m tired. i’m going to bed… my inbox scares me…

Neotropics here I come!

Another look at Ecitoxenidia alabamae. The crenulations are much more apparent in a lateral view.

A lateral view of Ecitoxenidia alabamae.

On a different note, sort of what we’re all talking about in entomology. I’ve never seen a more aggressive sarcasm and film editing.

I leave for Costa Rica on Sunday. The last two weeks have been a lot of running around buying stuff for the trip, really didn’t lend itself to research.

One such recently purchased item is the Petzl DUO LED 14 headlamp. My previous headlamp purchase was a little over four years ago when the Petzl TIKKA XP came out. At the time the TIKKA XP paved the way by using a single single watt LED bulb, making it small, light and economical. Let me say, the original TIKKA XP has been awesome (I have no idea about the newer versions). From southwestern deserts and winter camp outs in New York, to downpours in coastal Oregon, the TIKKA XP has been everywhere, but now I feel that it just isn’t bright enough. The new headlamp is to better see your emmigration column my dear.

Wrinkly staph

A specimen of Ecitoxenidia alabamae Seevers 1959, collected in Branford, Florida in 1939; 20 years prior to its description. Very few specimens have been collected of this species. Most known specimens are probably from lights. A good series will probably require directly sample from Neivamyrmex colonies.

I have to emphasize, the crenulation on this species is absolutely magnificent.

A 1939 specimen of Ecitoxenidia alabamae from Branford, Florida

side note

New to my blogroll, forensic entomologist Eric Denemark. Aparently “cabinetofcuriosity.blogsp…” was taken, but beware, Eric is prepared to settle for “kabinetofcuriosities” with a K.

Eric and I are fellow Cornell graduates of entomology and avid Attenborough fans. Check out his blog for Attenborough madness. Also, Eric and I are big fans of evolutionary theorizing, stretching and challenging our understanding of biodiversity. Keep up with Eric’s blog for the latest on hopefull monsters and behavioral craziness, like dung beetles that can’t wait for their hosts to “produce”.

Another side note. Kudos to Dan for showing me this; Jimi Hendrix’s new album is available with commentaries on NPR.

I swear I’m still alive

It’s been a while. I think I’ve been keeping myself busy. Actually, it’s been so long that I’ve been to California and back, going to Costa Rica next week and went herping today (went to check out an Ambystoma texanum migration – although it was more like a few early birds sitting on the trail, Monday with its rains will probably bring out most of them that night).

I’m in the middle of some dissections and a beverage so I’m off! But I’ll try and slowly catch up on some semester-of-spring-2010-craziness.

For make-up starters here’s a photo from my 2010 California trip. This was a small pit stop off in Texas. The habitat was an amazing pine and oak forest with great drier slopes for ants. Unfortunately it was unseasonally cold (barely 40’s during the day and 20’s at night) and I was only able to recover three staphylinid species: Homeotarsus sp., Sepedophilus opicus and Lordithon angularis. Like I said, there were great drier slopes with rocks and moist logs for ants: Formica sp., Campanotus sp., Odontomachus sp., Solenopsis sp. and Pheidole sp.

Near Austin Texas in Janurary