Insect Observations

A stag beetle named for the hills of Assam It was resting low against the surface in the monsoon forest of Medog, dark and compact, …

A click beetle that could launch itself into the air In the wet forest of Medog, this click beetle was crossing a broad leaf, its …

A small butterfly with a metallic secret It was not the biggest butterfly in the forest, but it was the shiniest. Resting on a leaf …

A pale green ghost in the Medog night Medog, Tibet, August 2024. Even in a region famous for spectacular insects, this one stopped me cold: …

A heavyweight stag beetle of the eastern Himalaya Every night in Medog feels like a lottery ticket. On 8 August 2024, this one paid out: …

The raspy cricket with a red abdomen Medog, Tibet, 8 August 2024. Some finds you notice by sound, some by shape. This one I noticed …

A jewel bug polished by the monsoon The forests around Medog were sodden with August rain when I spotted this one, and it looked like …

A five-horned beetle with nowhere to hide Some beetles you photograph out of duty. This one I photographed out of awe. It turned up in …

A giant mantis in its native hills The Chinese mantis is famous worldwide, but most people meet it as an introduced species in North American …

A walking twig that calls Medog home In the rainforests of Medog you learn to look twice at every twig. On 7 August 2024, one …

An axe mantis I know from home I keep mantises at home, so meeting a wild one is always special. This one turned up in …

A dead leaf that turns into a blue butterfly I met this one in Medog, Tibet, in August 2024, and it took me a moment …