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Another, artsier take on some earlier pics of the incomparably weird snakefly. This is a female, as evidenced by her tail-like ovipositor. (Rhaphidioptera, Carbon County, Montana, 2014)

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From top to bottom: Snakefly (Rhaphidioptera), Eyed elater (Coleoptera), and Treehopper (Homoptera).

I moved back home recently, to Montana; the last best place. After four years of blue-ribbon bug-hunting in China, however, I worried the Big-Sky- State's invertebrate offerings wouldn't stack up. Clearly, I have no cause for concern.

In fact, this is the first time I've ever seen a snakefly in the wild. The implausible creature gets its name from its long, slender appearance and sinuous manner of movement. They are avid predators, often preying on the larvae of other insects. Females are characterized by their long, tail-like ovipositor, as in the one pictured.

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This is a caterpillar hunter (genus Carabus) from Zhejiang Province, China. These guys are out in abundance in late spring. The plum rains bring out the snails and slugs, which in turn brings out the hungry beetles. This guy is about two-inches long with well-developed mandibles. In addition to snails and slugs, I believe these beetles hunt millipedes, caterpillars and other insects. They are best picked up with their rear-ends facing away from you as they are equipped with a stinky defensive spray.

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Blister beetle (Family Meloidae); Sanmen, China

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Blister beetle (Meloidae); Sanmen, China

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Spring Spider Mix, Series 1: (from top to bottom) Orb-weaver (Araneidae?), jumping spider (Salticidae) , and a male sheet web spider Lynyphiidae).

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Taiwan and Back Again

Jiannian dragons and cochin-style figurines decorate a temple top near Taipei. Jiannian is a method of mosaic in which colored shards are applied to figurines to give a three-dimensional effect. Fish and dragons on temples often symbolize protection against fire.

I recently returned from my third, and likely last (for a while), trip to Taiwan. For "buggers" like me, the island really is a paradise.

A robber fly (family Asilidae) with small beetle prey

A common wasp moth (family Ctenuchidae, genus Amata), Taroko Gorge National Park

Leaf beetle, I think (family Chrysomelidae), Taroko Gorge National Park

Though small and often ingeniously camouflaged against the verdure, Taiwan's insects and arachnids abound and can be marvelously strange.

An owlfly (family Ascalaphidae), Fuyuan Forest Recreational Area

An ornate orb-weaver (Herennia ornatissima). These spiders are characterized by flat, lobed and speckled abdomens. Their coloring blends them into the tree trunks on which they build their highly effective ladder webs (see below).

Herennia's ladder web lies parallel to the trunk on which it's built. This renders it nearly invisible when viewed dead-on. As a result, insects, such as flies, fail to see the web when landing on the tree and get stuck.

Leaf beetle (family Chrysomelidae), Jiufen, Taiwan. These particular beetles are super common and seemingly pestiferous in Taiwan.

Lynx spider (genus Oxyopes), Taroko Gorge National Park

And then there are Taiwan's lantern-lit tea houses; the vivid, tiled temples; the serene, camphor-scented hot springs; ubiquitous and awesomely-stocked 7-Elevens; and of course the monkeys...monkeys, monkeys everywhere.

In Taroko, we talked with two hill villagers who were on their way down the mountain for supplies with their "pet" monkey "Baccan" in tow.

My husband and I spent much of our time exploring the island's most famous national park: Taroko Gorge, on the eastern side of the island, near the surf-city of Hualien.

The sheer verticality of the place is astounding. Upon entering the gorge, the cliff walls rise so quickly and suddenly around you that you have to crane your neck to the sky. 

Soldier beetle (family Cantharidae), Jiufen, Taiwan

The gorgeous, antique-filled Shuku Tea House in Jiufen, just outside Taipei.

One of the best parts about hiking in Taiwan is that if you go mid-week, as we did, you rarely see other hikers on the trails. One of the few we did run into--twice in fact--was a young Swiss gentleman--Lukas--who has been adventuring around Asia for the last couple of years, lucky devil. A wildlife enthusiast, he showed us how to spot lizards lurking on tree trunks he even caught one for us to hold. Check out his excellent Flickr stream.

One of the many fireflies (family Lampyridae) in the backyard of our Hualien B&B

We spent our last days in Formosa in the whimsical hillside town of Jiufen. I've spoken of Jiufen--the town that inspired the setting for the perfect Studio Ghibli fairy-tale, Spirited Away--before on this blog, so I won't dwell...except to marvel at the aptness of spotting, on this trip and in such a fantastical place, my first Asian fairy moth! These creatures, with their gilded wings, farcically long antennae, and abiding fondness for flowers, could charm warmth into the coldest hearts.

Fairy moth (family Adelidae), Jiufen, Taiwan

Even getting stuck in a Hualien cafe for forty minutes during a Typhoon shelter-drill is pleasant in Taiwan.

Sigh. Formosa, I will miss you.

Net-winged beetles (Family Lycidae) mating, Jiufen

Jiufen, from the Shuku Tea House

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Athropoda, Spring Mix; Series 1.  Three leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) and a jumping spider (Salticidae)