User talk:Dyanega

For anyone wondering, I'm the collection manager of a major US insect collection, and an actively publishing insect systematist. I work with several different insect orders, but focus on the Hymenoptera in particular. I am also intimately involved with efforts to create a standardized "Official" registry of zoological scientific names, and expect I may ultimately get involved in formal collaboration with Wikipedia.

Photos of unidentified species

I have a lot of photos of insects that I've never uploaded because my identification was uncertain. Would you be willing to help with these? Pollinator 17:25, 17 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I have established a location at User:Pollinator/unidentified species, and will be adding images there, as time permits. Pollinator 02:42, 28 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Glad you could use those. I added a larval squash borer and more info on that page. I'll be putting up more photos as I have time. I took the day off from work today and did some photography, including some bank bees, a ladybird larva eating wooly apple aphids, and a honeybee buzz pollinating (there goes that myth!). I have years of photos that are not catalogued, with many unidentified species, so I'll be putting more up on that page, as time allows. Right now my "digital darkroom" computer is down, so I can't process photos. Pollinator 04:34, 1 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You might want to review a whole bunch more photos I've put up on my page, as well as some at squash borer and squash bug. Thanks. Pollinator 17:56, 10 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This image has been up awhile, but I've always wondered if the red objects are parasites?

Pollinator 03:01, 14 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for your latest IDs, I guess I need to change some filenames. I can't believe I was so far off on the cuckoo wasp! The sharpshooter thing bugged the daylights out of me. It looked strangely familiar but I had a mental block. When you said "sharpshooter," it was an "aha" experience, as I recalled the grape growers problems with it. I watched the critter for quite awhile in the first sunlight, and it seemed to have a strobe on it. Eventually I realized that it was the sun on droplets of liquid. Then I got at a different angle, and could see the droplets shoot off under pressure, and drop. Amazing!

Can you tell if this is the glassy wing one giving California such fits? I've done some reading, but can't find any reference to it being a pest on apples, although the glassy wing one seems to be native here. I am experimenting with growing apples that don't require a lot of chilling (the Gulf Stream plus the downslope effect of the Appalachians moderates the majority of the cold air that occasionally pushes in during winter; the upshot is that we rarely have much cold). I haven't been forced to spray the apples yet this year, as the only significant problem so far has been aphids and the ladybugs have pretty much taken them out. Will a couple sharpshooters on the apple trees give any problem?

I'll have another batch of photos, as soon as I have time to process them. Thanks again. Pollinator 13:31, 19 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Help to id a colour-changing beetle

Dear Doug,

Something really interesting I came across yesterday - a white and black beetle which changed colour over two minutes to black with very litle white. Please see talk on WikiProject Arthropods. AshLin 08:39, 14 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the data regarding the beetle, Doug. I'm going to catch a few specimens if possible and send them for id. Can you suggest a decent Coloeopterist in India who is into taxonomy and can also describe species novium. Just in case (rare chance) it is a new species do I have any rights to the naming? I'd like that it should be named after the locality, Pokharan, where I have spent two wonderful years.

Thanks for telling me about the Arctiidae. Believe it or not, we in India do not know these things. I'm 44 and have been into this domain since I was 19. Yet, I have just started understanding moths, thanks to IronChris egging us onto WP Lep! That's because we have no libraries in India (outside schools and colleges or institutions). And that is why Shyamal, Viren and self consider this a personal mission to provide info to our countrymen. Thanks for the updates on your work. Please keep them up. They are not only helpful in coordinating but also learning for me.

I have done some cross-linking of venom related articles, see my contribs. Hope that helps with Lonomia. Regards, AshLin 02:29, 16 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nice addition & please set up WP Insecta for us

Dear Doug,

I really liked your new addition about poisonous caterpillars. Thank God, we dont have those in India! Your comment lead me to two suggestions.

Firstly, please list aspects about Lepidoptera that you consider should have articles of their own. Some of us will make the stubs and add what little we have and you can bring in your expertise too.

Secondly, I think the time is right for WikiProject Insecta. You seem to be the ideal person to champion it. You will have our (three musketeers, Viren, Shyamal, self) support and helping hand. I think I can speak for IronChris that he would guide you like he guided us.

Regards, AshLin 16:58, 14 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hi there. If I may give my opinion, I don't think there is a need for WP Insecta. Insects represent the bulk of the activity on WP Arthropods, and taking that away would just about make it an inactive project (I have yet to see many spider or crustacean people). Secondly, the problems relating to insects are much the same as they are for other arthropods, and can easily be dealt with under the same project. And lastly, having multiple wikiprojects will make it more difficult to get all the information and tasks together, as they will be spread out all over the place. Already we have to refer to WP Tree of Life sometimes, imagine having WP Insecta having to refer to WP Arthropods in addition... It could get quite messy.

I appreciate the necessity for WP Lepidoptera since there was already an embryonic group that just lacked the official name and there are rather specific issues concerning Lepidopterae (is that the correct plural?), but I think insects is another matter. Take care and keep up the great work, IronC hris | (talk) 12:39, 20 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Genera lists

Hi, thanks for your very constructive comments. I wish there was some way to split up Aprostocetus though - with all the information I'm adding, its turning into a monster and there are some other big genera to come. I sometimes wonder if its worth the effort - I find parasitic Hymenoptera fascinating but do you think anyone apart from me and you will ever use this or similar pages?! Richard Barlow 08:43, 16 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I am sure at least I will also be interested. Seriously there are lots of applied entomology folks esp. in agriculture who will potentially find such information of use. Shyamal 09:09, 16 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for that, just in one of my existential moods this morning :) Richard Barlow 09:42, 16 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I'm forever coming across families which really should have a page but don't. I've put a list of some on my user page. Hopefully all that red will help me focus! Richard Barlow 07:01, 20 June 2006 (UTC) And you've already knocked a couple of the Diptera off, thanks!! Richard Barlow 07:03, 20 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Gasterophilidae

Does that family exist or is it part of Oestridae perhaps ? I was looking for one of those flies that grow in the stomachs of elephants and thinking of putting a link into the Asian Elephant article but couldnt find any info... Shyamal 10:07, 16 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. On the weekend I met a former advisor (C A Viraktamath, who specializes in Oriental Cicadellidae) and from him I found what I wanted - Cobboldia elephantis and I find here [1] listed under a separate subfamily Cobboldiinae. Does that also go under Oestridae ? Shyamal 03:53, 19 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh and your talk page needs archiving soon, you need to move the page to something like User:Dyanega/archive 1 and reedit User_talk:Dyanega, remove the redirect and add a link to your archive Shyamal 04:21, 19 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I initially presumed you meant Muscoidea when you wrote Oestroidea but after looking at Calyptratae i need to relearn Shyamal 06:22, 19 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Doug. I find that [2] Species2000 lists C. loxodontis as only an African species. Is the Asiatic one the same ? Shyamal 03:19, 20 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I sent out a mail to Chris Thomson and cc-ed to you. Take a look. If there is someone interested I could get some of the folks into Elephant ecology in India to get in touch. Shyamal 03:07, 21 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Also wrote a mail to Thomas Pape requesting info. Shyamal 03:53, 21 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Diptera

Move of Obsolete names. Long overdue. Not just cluttered but very technical.I was also able to link to it from [3] ..You may wish to join Diptera.info. Quite a few Hymenoptera appear on the threads as (sometimes) excellent photos. Robert in rainy BelfastNotafly 15:42, 20 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Beetle

This beetle is from the Western Ghats. Cantharidae, I was thinking ?

Shyamal 07:16, 22 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, that's a Lycid. The strong costae on the elytra don't occur in cantharids. Peace, Dyanega 17:07, 22 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Bengalia

To the list of genera based on place names that you have on your home page, you might like to add Bengalia after Bengal. Of which one common species is a kleptoparasite picking food, pupae and larvae away from ants, and is usually seen standing near ant trails. I am not sure if all of them are in the genus are similar in habit. [4][5] Shyamal 08:43, 22 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Bug identification

Hey,

I shot some decent pictures a moth (I think) that catched my eye in my garden today, but I don't know the species, could you help me out, so I can place it in the right article?

I posted a section on the Science reference desk, you can find my pictures there. -Obli (Talk)^? 19:38, 6 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

More insects to identify

Hi D,

I've been having some fun with my new camera. Now I have to think about identifying all these creatures! I would be very grateful if you found the time to look over my photos: [6]. Even the ones I think I've identified, if you could check, that would be great. Especially this one and this one. Thanks, IronC hris | (talk) 11:57, 8 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cornell

I have just started WikiProject Cornell University, an attempt to thoroughly cover topics related to Cornell. If you would like to participate, you can visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks. Thanks! —mercuryboard^talk 05:21, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Firefly genus

Hi. Hope you are still around. Wonder if you could put a genus on this common firefly found in India ? thanks. Shyamal 13:40, 25 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm around sporadically - other matters have taken precedence recently - but, at any rate, I'm afraid that I'm no good with fireflies. Sorry. Dyanega 17:27, 25 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Some new stuff

I've added some stubs by putting up a photo, that you might be interested in adding to. I've also created a pest insect category. I'm disappointed that the Plants and Pollinators category has been nominated for deletion here]. You might want to take a look. Pollinator 05:48, 27 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Apis nigrocincta

I just finished translating this article from Spanish into English, and thought it would benefit from your review. I have very little technical entomological knowledge, and there was a paragraph in the spanish that was particularly obscure, dealing, I think, with the structure of the honeycomb cell. I gave a translation which seemed mildly reasonable, but I'm not at all confident about it. Your corrections would be appreciated :) --Erudy 16:26, 1 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Schizodactylidae

Are Dune crickets known to eat frogs ? Shyamal 10:28, 8 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That sounds pretty unlikely, but it's definitely beyond my familiarity or expertise, so I guess it would go under the category of "rumoured to..." unless you can find someting definitive. Sort of like solpugid venom; every solpugid ever examined has lacked venom glands, except for a pair of researchers in India who reported finding venom in one species, and that the venom paralyzed lizards - yet no one has ever confirmed or refuted the claim. Hard to know what to say in such cases. Dyanega 16:08, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Welcome, and photos

Hi, just now noticed we have an actual insect curator joining the fun, excellent! (and a Mac user too, good choice! :-) ) So, uh, since you're "right there" so to speak, any chance of some photos of the specimens so people can see what all these taxa actually look like? I'm close enough (LV) to drive down to UCR and make a nuisance of myself, although I don't think I have quite the right camera setup for the smaller types. Stan 17:35, 16 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The right camera setup is precisely the issue, first and foremost. I don't have something like that handy (and scanning copyrighted stuff is not allowed). The other thing is that a photo of a dead bug on a pin is a poor substitute for one of a living insect. But show me a photo, and I'll tell you what it is...Dyanega 23:12, 17 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

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