Despite everything that happened this year, I was still able to get out into nature and look for insects and arachnids. It wasn’t always easy; Mount Lemmon Highway and all of the Catalinas were off-limits throughout the duration of the Bighorn Fire and its aftermath. Blistering daytime temperatures, which shattered heat records from previous years, made desert wanderings nearly impossible during the height of summer. COVID-19 restrictions closed parks and visitors centers, and led to the cancellation of this year’s Invertebrates in Education and Conservation Conference.
Looking back at photographs I took at the start of this year is surreal. January and February seem like a lifetime ago, and in the time that’s passed since, I certainly feel older and more tired. Our lives have changed a lot in the last ten months, and when the clock hits midnight on December 31st, things aren’t going to suddenly snap back to what they were. That said, I do have high hopes for 2021, and have a number of goals I hope to accomplish. But first: 2020, in bug photos!
Looking through this year’s bug photos, it’s pretty obvious that I didn’t encounter very many large, flashy species — no silk moths, no big, colorful beetles. A lot of what I photographed was small, cryptic, and hidden, and I’m pretty happy with that. Turning rocks and logs led to all sorts of discoveries, an experience I really did enjoy and a practice I intend to continue.
Assuming we are all able to get back on our feet again in the coming year, I’d like to continue to explore new places. This year, I visited Madera Canyon for the first time — in 2021, I’d like to visit other sky islands, as well. I’d like to do more night exploring, looking for nocturnal bugs. And, I’d like to keep a running count of how many different species of arthropods I encounter. The community at iNaturalist has been a huge help with identification, and it’s an extremely valuable resource to which I will continue to contribute.
As I type, a shadow on the ceiling catches my attention. Is it dust, or something more interesting? There’s a dancing movement — it’s a flower crab spider, and it begins its descent on an invisible line of silk. The spider itself is much tinier than its cast shadow; I scoop it up and relocate it to a safer spot.
I hope 2021 will be a better year. I think it will be.
Bug Talk 