Author Archives: Charley Eiseman

About Charley Eiseman

I am a freelance naturalist, endlessly fascinated by the interconnections of all the living and nonliving things around me. I am the lead author of Tracks & Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates (Stackpole Books, 2010), and continue to collect photographs and information on this subject. These days I am especially drawn to galls, leaf mines, and other plant-insect interactions.

Hidden Nests

Posted on May 25, 2013

I mentioned in a recent post that I have lately been crawling around in swamps throughout northwestern Massachusetts, conducting surveys for four-toed salamanders (Hemidactylium scutatum).  So I thought I’d take a moment on this cold, rainy day (not a particularly … Continue reading →

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Dogwood Hole Punchers

Posted on May 14, 2013

In anticipation of driving across Iowa last September, I asked John Pearson for some suggestions of places to stop and explore.  Thanks to him, I saw some interesting little prairie relics and a fen that I never would have found … Continue reading →

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Golden Saxifrage

Posted on May 8, 2013

This month I’m conducting surveys for four-toed salamanders throughout northwestern Massachusetts, and after spending some time crawling through swamps I feel inspired to showcase one of my favorite early spring wildflowers.  Golden saxifrage (Saxifragaceae: Chrysosplenium americanum), also known as water … Continue reading →

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Monthly Mystery #6: Manzanita Scrapings

Posted on May 1, 2013

A few weeks ago I was sent the photos below, with these comments: I found it on the bark of manzanita (Arctostaphylos) in Napa County, California on March 31. . . It resembles feeding sign of a rabbit because the … Continue reading →

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Fairyfly

Posted on April 25, 2013

Today I happened to see this article just as I was getting ready to try to photograph a “fairyfly” (Mymaridae) that had emerged from a Bidens alba (romerillo or common beggarticks) leaf I’d collected a few weeks ago.  Lacking a scanning electron … Continue reading →

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Egg on a Leaf-footed Bug

Posted on April 22, 2013

On March 17, the night before embarking on the southeastern road trip from which my car has yet to return, I noticed a tachinid fly egg on the head of a Western Conifer Seed Bug (Coreidae: Leptoglossus occidentalis) in my bathroom. … Continue reading →

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Leaf-footed Bug Egg

Posted on April 19, 2013

One day in south central Florida, Julia and I were walking along a trail through a hardwood hammock when I spotted a beautiful leaf-footed bug (Coreidae) egg.  While I was admiring it, I heard a loud buzz overhead, and I looked … Continue reading →

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Spider Parasitoid

Posted on April 17, 2013

I have much too much going on right now to be writing blog posts, but I’m waiting for an oil change at the moment, so let’s see what I can do… On the first night of our road trip we … Continue reading →

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Adventures in Alabama

Posted on April 13, 2013

(This post turned out to be a bit more long and rambling than I intended.  I won’t be offended if you just skip through and look at the pretty pictures.) It was all going so well until we pulled into … Continue reading →

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Monthly Mystery #5: Foamy Wisps on Twigs

Posted on April 1, 2013

Greetings from the Everglades!  At least, that’s where I am right now if everything has gone according to plan.  I’m actually writing this in early March and scheduling it to be posted on April 1.  This month’s mystery is something … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Unsolved Mysteries | 3 Comments