Caterpillars of the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta), as the name suggests, specialize on eating nicotine containing plants. Normally, nicotine is an effective plant defense against herbivores as it poisons various animals by interrupting neural mechanisms associated with muscle movement. Tobacco hornworms, however, can handle doses of nicotine that are lethal to herbivores that do not…
Category: Sunday Sketches
Sunday Sketch: Spider Emojis
The Hawaiian happy face spider (Theridion grallator) is endemic to the Hawaiian archipelago. Small (< 5 mm) and fairly inconspicuous despite their unique coloration, happy face spiders live on the underside of leaves on the islands of Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. The spiders are polymorphic, showing individual variation in the pattern and color of…
Sunday Sketch: Under the Weather
If I were a sick bee, a thoughtful bee I would be!
Sunday Sketch: Silent but deadly
Read about predatory flatulence in this week’s Sunday Sketch.
Sunday Sketch: Dog democracy is nothing to sneeze at
Read about the wonderfully interesting world of dog democracy!
Sunday Sketch: Speedy Beetles
Watch out! Tiger beetles run so fast that they temporarily go blind. To avoid tripping hazards (and find prey!) they run in short bursts, taking breaks to orient.
Sunday Sketch: Bee Kind to Native Pollinators
Native Californians like to do more than drink kombucha and go surfing together. Native poppies like these depend on pollinators like the long-horned bee (Eucera frater albopilosa). Bee Mixed-Media contributed by Amelia Munson Flowers Grown & Pressed by Ryane Logsdon (@itendswithe on Instagram) Source: Frankie, G. W., Thorp, R. W., Pawelek, J. C., Hernandez, J.,…
Sunday Sketch: Rockin’ Cockatoos
Humans aren’t the only accomplished drummers in the world! Palm cockatoos have been observed using tools to drum on trees. In many cases, males will drum in the presence of females. Visual and vocal displays often accompany these rhythmic beats. That’s right-these cockatoos know how to rock! Sketch contributed by Victoria Farrar and fact contributed by Lindsey Broadus…
Sunday Sketch: Ultimate marine predator vs. the panda of the ocean
Duhdum. Duhdum. Duhdumduhdumduh-move over Jaws soundtrack, the long (wrongly) vilified white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is now being replaced with a top predator that you may not expect: killer whales (Orcinus orca)! White sharks and transient (i.e. marine mammal eating) killer whales have similarly preferred food sources, and in the northeastern Pacific, there is regional overlap…
Sunday Sketch: Convict Cichlid
Did you know that the convict cichlid (Amatitlania siquia), a monogamous fish species that forms long-lasting pairs, can exhibit pessimism? In a recent study, female fish selected male partners and were then paired with preferred or non-preferred partners. The fish that were paired with non-preferred partners did not spawn as quickly as the others. Furthermore,…
