Guess, in the photo above, what the dark brown mat is on the water in the ditch after a two inch rain. In case you don't know, it's a floating mat of fire ants. The most common ant on the farm is the Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta). This species is not native to North America but is ... Read More
Invertebrates
Copperhead Hunting a Cicada
The photo shows a copperhead stretching for cicada that is just out of its reach. During July and August each year copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) flock to our yard to harvest emerging cicadas and June bugs. Both of these insects live underground for a year to several years as grubs. When ... Read More
California Bound
I’ll be speaking twice this next week. On Sunday, March 1st I’ll speak at COAST (http://www.coastfishclub.com/ncms/) in Costa Mesa, California at 12:30 pm on fancy livebearers; how we breed and raise them. Then Friday, March 6th, I’ll speak at the San Francisco Aquarium Society ... Read More
Red Cherry Shrimp, Neocaridina denticulata senensis
This pretty little shrimp makes a great nano-tank or plant tank specimen. They are not shy and their bright coloration makes them stand out. While they are considered algae eaters, I’ve found they don’t. They sit on the algae and eat bits of food adhering to the plant, but they do not eat ... Read More