The Ending of a Third Week
I’m just going to combine the end of this week into one post, because with the passing of time, the days seem to be running together!
I know I’ve said this before, but I just want to emphasize that this internship has been the adventure of a lifetime. I’ve embraced my passions, as weird as they may seem, and discovered aspects of myself I don’t think would have arisen in any other environment.
Wednesday started with a fellow coleoptera intern finding a weevil with some mites living on it, which resembled a “beard.” I thought this was too funny not to share with the world, and consequently realized yet another passion - I love sharing my funny little thoughts that make me love bugs as much as I do with the world. If you haven't seen my instagram, it’s full of examples of these (@allisonfmonroe)
The day continued like any normal day would. I spent the morning identifying on the seventh floor, then moved down to the fifth floor to interview Dr. Gates and transfer some pan trap samples. I’ve talked about that process before, so I won’t include the gory details a second time, but I will include the interview with Dr. Gates at a later date (once I’ve had time to edit the video a bit).
Thursday was another interesting day. I explored some new mediums of sharing my experiences with you guys, like time-lapse videos! I’ve already shared one of these featuring two hours of my work day, and hope to share another of my walk to work soon.
Thursday started with a very “meaty sample”
Look at all those vespoids and ichneumonids!
Here’s how the ID-ing begins:
I select a new whirl-pack of specimen, and make labels for the separate vials I’ll put them into. Then I put them into the sorting tray and get to work. A “meaty” sample like this one can take anywhere from 1-3 hours, but some of the smaller ones can take close to no time at all. I love the specimen I get to see, and find the sorting quite relaxing. It’s a job I can do relatively easily, but that also requires my complete focus.
This beautiful Ichneumonid caught my attention from this sample:
As well as this chalcid with a cute little metasoma:
And then!! Big news!!
I found a megalyroidea! These are incredibly rare specimen, and Dr. Gates has reason to believe this species hasn’t been seen before! The species is known to be black in color, but this one is clearly predominantly red.
megalyroids are known for the “design” on their mesosoma, shown in this picture:
This was incredibly exciting for me, clearly, and really validating. Identifying the seemingly same insects over and over can start to get monotonous, but when something this exciting comes by, you can’t help but be rejuvenated.
After the exciting identification, I decided to treat myself to an IMAX at the museum. One of our perks as interns is a free IMAX showing every week, and I had the pleasure of seeing the National Parks Adventure IMAX movie.
This movie was incredible, and moved me to the point of tears. I’ve always loved nature and all it has to offer, but this time of self discovery and exploration has led me to some more in-depth analysis of this love. It wasn’t until this experience of living in a big city that I realized how deep my love and need for nature runs. At Hendrix, most of my studying occurs outdoors, regardless of the weather. My summers are usually spend predominantly outdoors, with large portions spent on the Buffalo River back in Arkansas. This movie made me realize, more than anything, that my future needs to include some aspect of adventuring into the outdoors. I’ve already mentioned that the days I feel most fulfilled are the ones I spend doing field work, and this longing to be outdoors only solidifies this. I’m not sure what this means in my career search, but nonetheless, I think it’s an important self-realization.
Friday also went well - I didn’t discover any super cool species or go to an IMAX, but it was a fabulous day nonetheless.
At the very beginning of my day, I found this MASSIVE Vespoid:
how would you feel if that came flying at you?
I also found a beautiful sawfly, which are pretty rare as well:
A fluorescent orange vespoid:
And this incredibly beautiful chalcid:
My weekend was spent with my sweet roommates and friends from college. The Maija and I went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, which was open all night for an anniversary, and the National Zoo. Both were incredible opportunities for adventures, shenanigans, and photos.
