Priyantha Wijesinghe
@elaphrornis
A naturalist on the prowl. (New here, same handle on Twitter/X)
The female Steatoda triangulosa which laid eggs is still alive. Tried to interest her in a small Drosophila like fly. Definitely piqued her curiosity, she made several ineffective attempts to capture the fly, but seemed so inept. Easier for us to relate to a jumping spider than to a web builder.
You could mind your own business but there are those that make you their business.
A student vacationing in Europe sent me this video clip, seemingly 2 different kinds of flowers on one plant. An illusion, of course, due to the close proximity of the Yarrow & what seems to be Rose Campion. (More challenging when plants are close relatives, e.g. Stellaria media & S. apetala.)
Had to empty & move a couple of bookcases to repair a wall & now there’s a jumble of stuff on the floor, perhaps an opportunity to get rid of some junk, like this UMI print-on-demand copy of the 2nd volume of Simon’s Histoire naturelle des araignées. No need for it now 👉 archive.org/details/hist...
When I first began paying attention to the spontaneous urban flora (“weeds”) around me I couldn’t find a book to identify them [didn’t know about Uva et al.] & got this spiral bound volume (2003) based on Crockett (1977). I realize now that it didn’t do justice to Joanne Bradley’s botanical art.
Popped the Steatoda triangulosa female into a container for temporary storage. When I checked 2 hrs later it had constructed an egg sac, attached to the underside of the “lid” (a piece of curtain material). It had looked quite gravid when I found it, but I didn’t realize it would lay so soon.
Steatoda triangulosa. Possibly the most common house spider in New York. It is the spider I come across most frequently in my home. www.gbif.org/taxon/4ZMS7
Rohan Pethiyagoda’s new book The Curious Naturalist. Book launch Thursday, 30 July 2026, 5:00-6:30 PM, BMICH Jasmine Hall, Colombo. RSVP required, see poster.
Binoculars available for borrowing at the Salt Marsh Nature Center, Marine Park, Brooklyn #MarinePark @nycparks.bsky.social
Walked a bit in Central Park yesterday. White Vervain flowers are small, so a Cabbage White butterfly visiting them caught my attention. Are all the turtles in the Lake Pond Sliders? One of the best places to watch them from is the Western Shore Boat Landing. Also Eastern Amberwing dragonflies.
SLNHS Public Lecture #5 | 2026 | Insects: The Almost Forgotten Biodiversity of Sri Lanka and Its Importance Dr. Nirmalie Pallewatta Thursday, 9th July 2026 6:00 PM 🇱🇰 In person (see flyer) & via Zoom: Zoom: Meeting ID: 867 2878 4891 Passcode: 413197 Link: us02web.zoom.us/j/8672878489...
This plant bug (Miridae) just bit me! A quick check with @inaturalist.bsky.social gives me Campyloneura virgula, which seems possible. Apparently an European species introduced in North America.
Crematogaster “acrobat” ants tending aphids on groundsel tree.
“Diversity & Conservation of Fireflies in Sri Lanka” Dr. Dammika Wijekoon Zoom meeting. June 27, 2026 07:00 PM (🇱🇰 Time) Register in advance for this meeting: learn.zoom.us/meeting/regi... (After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.)
The other day I came across a ladybird beetle that I didn’t recognize immediately. iNaturalist tells me it is the Ursine Spurleg Lady Beetle aka Orange-spotted Lady Beetle (Brachiacantha ursina). A native North American species. Even in places we think we know well there are surprises!
Two important matters: feeding and reproduction. Sometimes they can be done at the same time. Ophraella notulata on Iva frutescens. Marine Park Salt Marsh, Brooklyn.
I’ve wondered if one of the green beetles on Pomme’s (Claire Pommet’s) face in the album cover of “À peu près” (2017) was a Cetonia (on Claire’s right cheek). The other one looks like something else. #beetles jack.canalplus.com/articles/lir...
Minutes after I posted about H. E. Jaques’ How to Know nature guides (see previous post) someone seated opposite me in the subway car pointed out that there was a “bug” on my pants (trousers). Should I consult How to Know the Insects or How to Know the Beetles? 🐞😃
American naturalists of an older generation will be familiar with the Pictured Key Nature Series edited by H. E. Jaques. The titles of most of the volumes began with “How to Know…” Jaques authored a good number of the books, while others were by specialists. www.librarything.com/nseries/2169...
Gary Nelson with Lars Brundin. (Photographed by Chris Humphries. Stockholm, 1988) Mattox, G. M. T. (2011). Gareth Nelson: os desafios atuais e o futuro da biogeografia. [Gareth Nelson: current challenges and the future of biogeography]. Revista da Biologia 7:49-55. revistas.usp.br/revbiologia/...
Saw some non-wasp critters during the wasp walk at Green-Wood Cemetery yesterday. #NatureNYC
A fascinating talk about wasps this morning by Matthew Wills at Green-Wood Cemetery, followed by a walk (matthewwills.com/2026/06/05/w...). The books he mentioned at the end of his talk as useful resources included those by @waspwoman.bsky.social @bugeric.bsky.social & @humanbyweight.bsky.social .