MOBugs

MOBugs is about insects found in Missouri. I expected it to be about more bugs. Silly old woman. MOBugs is written by Shelly Cox. She lives on a farm in Missouri and spends as much time as she can outdoors, exploring her surroundings. She always takes her camera with her so she has pictures to go along with her


posts. Shelly is a naturalist working for the Missouri Department of Conservation. She especially enjoys it when her job has her teaching children about nature and encouraging them to take part in what nature has to offer. She has also written a field guide about Missouri insects geared to children. Add a family of two children and a husband and you are looking at a busy lady.

Shelly began MOBugs as a forum to educate us all about "Missouri's Majority". She wants everyone to know about the world of insects that fascinates her. For instance she found this guy on a blade of grass. She says it is a beetle of some kind and invites anyone who knows his species name to let her know.

Whirligigs are common in Missouri ponds, lakes, and slow moving steams. Their eyes are compound eyes that have a four-eyed appearance allowing them to see both underwater and above at the same time. They have a bubble of air under their abdomens that allows them to stay underwater for long periods of time. Shelly discusses their mating cycle and how they survive the winter. You will also see why they are called whirligigs.

June bugs are such a nuisance in the Midwest. In the spring, they are everywhere clustering around sources of light. June bugs are members of the scarab family of beetles with very sticky legs that they use to hold on to the surface of whatever they are climbing. That is why they seem to grip so tightly in your hair or on your skin. The grubs are a delcacy for moles so if your yard has june bug grubs, you may attract moles.

I really laughed when I read about the drunken yellow jackets. It seems that yellow jackets are drawn to fermenting apples in the fall. They feed on the apples and become drunk! They become more docile and unable to fly so that they can be manipulated slightly to get some good photos.

MOBugs is an enjoyable, educational blog. Shelly's pictures are outstanding and she is thoroughly comfortable with her subjects. If she doesn't know what her insect is and she is unable to find a definitive identification, she is not afraid to ask for someone else to help identify it. By the same token, she invites you to submit your unidentified insect for her to help you. When you go to MOBugs, be sure to look at previous posts. They are all good ones. Then please leave Shelly a nice comment and tell her Emma sent you.

MOBugs

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