Pardosa sp. “Thin-legged Wolf Spider” Lycosidae, with young

Olympic National Park, WA
June 8, 2013
Robert Niese

Female wolf spiders spin an egg sac and attach it to their spinnerets, carrying around their

precious cargo until the spiderlings hatch and crawl onto her back. There, the babies will stay until they’re old enough to venture out into the world on their own.

Phyllophaga sp. “May Beetle” Scarabaeidae

Missoula, MT
May 18, 2014
Robert Niese

There are more than 400 species of Phyllophaga in the United States and Canada. Their identification requires an intimate investigation of… ahem… reproductive morphology, which is not something I’m dying to do today.