Joseph Lee Spencer

WE CAME FOR 2. SEE YOU SATURDAY.

THE FIGHTING ILLINI TAKE OVER IN H-TOWN 😤 Illinois knocks off Houston to keep dancin' to the Elite Eight 🪩

Go Illini! Let's win a few more!

@singaporemacro Superb image! It checks all the boxes - it's sharp, resolved, perfectly illuminated, and a compelling subject. You're doing it well!

Here are 3 incredibly beautiful mantids that I saw last month. Toxodera fimbriata Paratoxodera meggitti Hymenopus coronatus

@singaporemacro Is that an egg of a parasite attached to the right side of the abdomen?

Been looking for a fresh specimen of Leucauge sarawakensis for a long time! Each time we found one, someone walked into its web. Hence, the ex situ shots.

“Girl with kaleidoscope eyes” #Coelioxys sp. #Cuckoo #leafcutter #bees parasitize the nests of leafcutter bees by invading & laying their eggs inside that will kill the leafcutter larvae & then eat their store of nectar & pollen. This female was chilling on an aster in my garden.

“Who’s in charge now?” If asked, I’d affirm the wheel #bug, #Arilus cristatus, as the top predator in my yard. A recent encounter w/ one of many cross #orbweavers, #Neoscona crucifera, in my yard reminded me that the tables can, and do, turn. #Arachtober #spider #arachnid

As our conversation comes to a close, Dr. Joseph Spencer reflects on the future of managing corn rootworm pressure. Now it’s your turn to reflect on the best approach for your fields. Take our quiz to see which Bayer trait fits your needs next season. bit.ly/48haswH A big thank-you to @talkingrootworm and the University of Illinois for inviting us out and sharing such great insight into the world of corn rootworm.

#Spider #mating or a midnight snack? There's both a male & a female orbweaver (perhaps #Neoscona crucifera) in there. I think it's more #marriage than mealtime mayhem as they were suspended from a single silken strand.

These boy #bees are catching ZZZs! #Melissodes bimaculata is in the same family as the honeybee, #Apidae. The males roost together overnight on vegetation, while females stay in their individual nest holes in the ground.

Join us for a weekly series of conversations with Dr. Joseph L. Spencer @talkingrootworm, Principal Insect Behaviorist with the Illinois Natural History Survey and part of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois. Each episode delves into corn rootworm and the pressure patterns they bring, shaping cornfields this season and beyond. 👉 New episodes drop every week till September. Episode 1 drops tomorrow — don’t miss your chance to “Know Before You Grow.” 🔍 Follow along for insights that help you stay ahead in the field. #RootwormWatch

Western #corn #rootworm adults & pupa from #Illinois #CropSciences #Entomology research plots. #Beetles have been out for ca. 2 weeks. #WCR larval pressure looks very good at present. Great conditions to evaluate products. #Diabrotica #virgifera #Chrysomelidae #Coleoptera

When you walk through a dark #Illinois woods at night, expect to find killers, the dead, and/or the infected! #Insect #Spider #Fly #Fungus #macrophotography

Three’s a crowd. Old fields surround #Illinois woods have been alive w/ the amorous blinking of #fireflies for weeks! I’m giving firefly #3 an “A” for enthusiasm, but there is inevitable disappointment in his future! #Lampyridae #macrophotography

I had the good fortune to stumble upon a wheel #bug nymph that was stalking an #earwig, with predictable results! #Predation #Reduviidae #Dermaptera