Insects comprise an estimated 90% of the planet’s fauna, and – unsurprisingly – those who elect to study them at the professional, amateur, and hobbyist levels are as diverse as the species themselves. Pouring passionately over almost every facet of entomology imaginable, when combined these essential resources paint a vivid, thorough, and exhaustive portrait of the subject. Anyone seeking any type of information or research regarding insects – and, occasionally, their invertebrate brethren, will no doubt find what they seek through one of these excellent blogs.
Bug Girl’s Blog discusses not only entomology, but feminism, skepticism, ecology, gardening, and nerd culture as well – however, as the blog’s title implies, she typically discusses the first two subjects above all else. Hilariously irreverent and endlessly educational, Bug Girl (who does not wish to reveal her true identity to readers) looks at her field from the perspective of a woman practicing a traditionally male-dominated science. The “Ask an Entomologist” feature answers a number of questions regarding the discipline and acts as a wonderful resource for those curious about studying insects professionally. She will not identify insects based on user-submitted photos, though.
Author, photographer, lecturer, and – of course – entomologist Dr. Art Evans keeps a general blog about his beloved discipline. He eloquently muses on professional and personal encounters with insects in Virginia and beyond. Readers can follow along as he traipses through the wilderness on field trips or learn more about Charles Darwin and evolutionary theory in addition to the explicitly entomology-related content. Evans also enjoys the history of the science as well, and is currently participating in the Virginia Beetle Project, which attempts to inventory every species residing within the state.
Veritable Renaissance man Ted C. MacRae leads an interesting life, loaded with travel, insects, research, writing, and hobbies such as ecology, cycling, taxonomy, botany, geology, natural history, photography, and paleontology. His personal insect collection impressively numbers around 75,000 specimens from all over the world, and readers are free to browse the online inventory. Most of his blog content focuses on general entomology thoughts and observations, but he will also delve into other related biological fields as well. In doing so, he places the behaviors and adaptations of his beloved invertebrates into a broader context, showing visitors how every element of nature connects with one another.
Photographer Chris Wirth finds harmony between art and science, posting gorgeous color images of insects and the occasional arthropod. Stunning close-ups reveal biological adaptations and characteristics – even illustrating how to identify male specimens from the females in some cases. Wirth uses his finely-tuned sense of aesthetics as a conduit for educating visitors on insect anatomy and physiology. Even those not interested in the biological aspect of his blog will still find themselves mesmerized by the heavily detailed macro photography and discussions about his equipment.
Myrmecos Blog offers two entirely different, yet still harmonious, attractions. One section provides news, job announcements, specimen requests, specimen availability, and research courses. The other showcases fabulously colorful and detailed photography of all different types of insects. As the blog’s title implies, however, the majority of content revolves around the myriad ant species. Proprietor Alex Wild particularly enjoys sharing the various specimens he personally researches and posts videos every Sunday relating to insects and entomology. Be sure to explore his website as well for more forays into the macro world of insects and exquisitely lovely photography of ants, mantises, beetles, flies, wasps, bees, and many others.
6. Bug Eric
Writer and entomologist Eric R. Eaton hosts a nice, down-to-earth blog where he shares daily encounters and observations with the insect communities. He enjoys posting snapshots from everyday cockroach, aphid, and butterfly encounters as well as summaries of visits to conservatories and other biological institutions. In addition, Eaton is also very eager to answer any questions professionals and amateurs alike may have regarding any aspect of entomology, though he prefers them directed through his Allexperts.com account as opposed to the blog. If he does not know the answer himself, he professionally admits as such before suggesting alternate resources.
Professional, amateur, and hobbyist apiologists alike will find plenty to love about Anna’s Bee World. Anna Howell currently focuses her research on bee populations and how they come to be affected by urbanization and other disruptive factors. While she does discuss much of her findings, she also shares general interest stories related to her favorite fuzzy fliers. Photographs, news stories, and personal accounts of encounters and studies all imbue this blog with well-rounded, well-informed content on anything and everything about bees – their anatomy and physiology, behavior patterns, and the ways in which they react and adapt to the habitats around them.
8. NC State University Insect Museum
The faculty, staff, and students involved with the Insect Museum at North Carolina State University discuss not only the day-to-day happenings at the institution, but explorations of entomology as well. They even host photography contests! Anyone who finds fascination with the beautifully diverse insect will find hours of enjoyment in their lush macro images, talks about current news stories and research in the industry, videos, and behind-the-scene glimpses into museum operations. All posts come accompanied by enlightened, educated commentary that is, while technical, provides links to resources explaining the basics of their science. Because of this, readers of all fluency levels are able to appreciate what they have to offer.
9. The Ant Room
Boston University entomology doctoral candidate Kari T. Ryder Wilkie specializes in the ants inhabiting the Tiputini Biodiversity Station located in the Western Amazonian region of Ecuador. Interested visitors may follow her research, data collections, identification procedures, and analyses both in The Ant Room and on her highly comprehensive website. Along with sharing what she learns while traversing the splendid emerald rainforests, she also talks about entomology and biology books, showcases some photography, and provides links to other blogs and articles of particular interest to fellow myrmecologists. In spite of her academic bent, Wilkie does post some extremely fun content to add a dose of humor to the occasionally dry statistics. Photos of mating insects with cheeky captions and silly quizzes and shout-outs comprise only a small part of the lightheartedness.
This wonderful interdisciplinary blog flaunts the art of science and the science of art with a series of videos and photographs of all sorts of insects and other invertebrates. Photographer and writer Adrian Thysse zooms in on the aesthetic wonders that creep and crawl about the planet with an extensive portfolio of detailed images relating to entomology and other invertebrate zoological disciplines. Most of his subjects hail from Alberta, though many more will swoop in from time to time as well. He discusses his art and his interest in science with equal levels of enthusiasm, and it is not unheard of for posts to talk extensively about issues regarding equipment and art rather than biology. However, Thysse performs a wonderfully impressive balancing act, providing readers with enough content to satisfy a passion for photography and/or a burning scientific curiosity.
11. IB 401
Dr. Larry Hanks is a professor of biology at University of Illinois with particular interest in beetles. He and his teaching assistant act as instructors in the IB 401 course, which introduces all the fundamentals of entomology to aspiring invertebrate biologists. Students, teachers, and guest alike may contribute anything they find particularly interesting for those learning the basics of insect anatomy, physiology, behavior, and ecology. Because of this, the target audience of the blog mainly involves individuals with an amateur’s or hobbyist’s understanding of the subject - making it an ideal read for beginners yearning for information at their level before graduating to more challenging fare.
Debbie Hadley operates About.com’s section on insects, providing readers with numerous resources on everything from their preservation to how to raise butterflies and bees at home. The blog section devotes its articles to anything and everything entomology and appealing to a broad audience. Both professionals and amateurs can seek out content that speaks to them on their level – even those without an academic interest in insects may find information on keeping them and other invertebrates as pets. About.com even provides a forum for enthusiasts to discuss their observations, research, and other entomological findings.
Ants and bees may dominate the entomological blogging scene, making The Dragonfly Woman’s emphasis on aquatic insect life a welcome paradigm shift. She adores dragonflies, obviously, but many of their less celebrated water-dwelling contemporaries as well. Most of the content centers on promoting her admirable passion for the insects she studies, but some posts will deviate and talk about those beyond her area of emphasis as well as invertebrates in general. In addition, she provides an extensive listing of resources for anyone interested in learning all they can about dragonflies, damselflies, and other insects who thrive near water.
14. Bugs for Thugs
Blogger Kelley is an entomologist with a diverse background studying ecology, physiology, and other fields as they directly relate back to insects. The “Ask an Entomologist” section freely invites readers to offer up their questions on her beloved field, and she willingly takes on identification tasks as well. She is also available for lectures, seminars, and other educational events in order to share everything she has learned in both the field and the lab. No trip to Bugs for Thugs is complete without a stop to peruse her nature photography, which includes a wide variety of animals – not just insects!
15. Cicada Mania
This extensive resource on all things involving the celebrated cicada hosts a news feed pulling relevant stories from across the internet, message boards, obligatory Facebook and Myspace pages, an extensive taxonomic archive, a slew of archived articles dating back to 2000, maps, a calculator, and even t-shirts and mugs for sale. Anyone interested in learning more about these curious creatures – especially their utterly bizarre larval life buried underground for 17 years – do not have to venture too far to receive a comprehensive education on the subject. Their photography guide devoted to these insects contains around 98 different galleries and a growing collection of over 950 images. Some of the most absolutely fascinating and engaging pictures of cicadas involve them molting and bursting forth from their old carapaces, which popularly litter gardens. They appear almost as if pulled straight from the frames of a horror film.
Memphis artist Doug Blankenship creates both photographic and sculptural works based entirely entomological data. He creates amazing macro images of a wide variety of insects, then goes on to sculpt painstakingly detailed scale models for museums, schools, and other institutions. Many of his pieces come with explanations of the anatomical structures and their uses as well, making his blog a necessary stop for anyone appreciating the arts and sciences with equal enthusiasm.
The blogger operating under the nom de plume of Vanessa Cardui provides an extensive archive of insect and arthropod photos from the Tustin, California area. With an impressive archive dating back to 2006, readers are treated to detailed, colorful images and descriptions of the animals and actions contained therein. These serve as highly informative and insightful illustrations of insect and arthropod behavior, anatomy and physiology, and even their impact on the surrounding environment. Viewers cannot help but marvel over the staggering biodiversity present in only one small sliver of the United States.
18. What’s That Bug?
What’s That Bug? mainly emphasizes insect taxonomy, allowing readers to send in photographs and stories of the creatures they find in their homes, businesses, and other locations for identification purposes. Along with the initial letters, photographs, and subsequent categorization, they provide intelligent, succinct information on the insects in question as well – sometimes even additional images to prove a match. Anyone curious about an intriguing or otherwise head-scratching species is encouraged to send in pictures and any descriptions of behavior, location, and any other data that will help them come to an informed conclusion. Any readers familiar with insect taxonomy and identification are more than welcome to chime in with their opinions should a solution prove inconclusive.
19. Bug Shutterbug!
Writer, graphic designer, webmaster, photographer, and travel enthusiast Kolby Kirk finds artistic inspiration in the macro elements of the planet. He shares his globetrotting adventures through multiple series of images documenting all the insects and arthropods he discovers along the way. Some involve subjects in their natural environments, others denote scale by crawling about on coinage or fingers. Still more showcase his hobby of raising praying mantises and other insects at home, tracking their progress as they grow. The majority of pictures come packaged with taxonomic classification of the animals involved and brief, interesting facts about their behaviors and/or lifestyles. Occasionally, Kirk will also offer up photographs of other fascinating fauna encountered during hikes.
20. Archetype
Dr. Roberto A. Keller is a myrmecologist particularly enamored of the natural history, taxonomy, morphology, physiology, phylogeny, and sociology of ants. He blends all of these disciplines together with a particular flair for natural philosophy, relating most of his research back to Charles Darwin and Richard Owen. The title of the blog stems from Owen’s discussions of archetypes within species – in many ways applying literary criticism and the concept of Platonic solids to the biological sciences. Archetype is essential reading for any aspirant entomologist or individual curious about insects who enjoys ingesting their hard data with a few shots of philosophy.
21. Myrmecoid
University of Kansas graduate student Taro Eldredge enjoys studying beetles living interdependently with ants and termites. Myrmecoid, his relatively new blog, talks shop from a generally technical and academic perspective. He frequently discusses his field and lab research, presenting many of the beetle specimens he works with on a regular basis. Occasionally Eldredge muses on some of the litter sorters and other equipment he utilizes in the field. Some posts involve general college life, however, making this a resource that many other entomology students will find wholly relatable.
Mike Lush, a myrmecologist and ecologist by trade, hemorrhages an obsession with ants all over the internet. Based in the Welsh town of Brecon, Powys, Lush oftentimes discusses ants in the United Kingdom and Britain, though does not narrow his focus entirely. One of the more intriguing elements of the blog involves listings of ant species from Australia, Gambia, Germany, Switzerland, France, England, Wales, Scotland, and a number of other countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Some of these were collected by Lush himself, others were gifts, and some belong to James Cook University and the Cardiff Museum. These lists serve as extremely useful resources on what ants are native to what regions.
23. Hymenoptera Anatomy Ontology
This highly technical blog merges computers and entomology together into one very useful professional resource. The Hymenoptera Anatomy Ontology project covers an expansive amount of information regarding bees, wasps, sawflies, and ants. In addition to the blog, they also host a wiki, a Twitter, and a glossary to share all their research and progress. Their exhaustive and impressive goal involves the formalizing of hymenoptera ontology with the cooperation of entomologists everywhere using a number of digital, technical, and physical methods and meetings. From there, they hope to integrate their findings into the broader scientific community.
24. antbase
A companion to the antbase website and database, this blog discusses almost anything related to ants. Taxonomy and cybertaxonomy, naming conventions, systematics, phylogeny, and comparative biology comprise the vast majority of the content, making this an indispensable resource for myrmecologists and entomologists alike. In addition to their zoological musings, they also share stories of events within the insect enthusiast community, promote other websites and articles, and muse upon technology as well.
25. The Pickett Lab
University of Vermont’s Pickett Lab predominantly studies wasps, and the blog posts pictures and accounts of their travels across the globe to study these hearty hymenopterans. Blunt, laid-back, and alternately humorous and heartbreaking, these logs offer a first-person perspective on the triumphs and failures of life in the field. Every post comes with a companion image illustrating their findings, collections, and observations. Beyond the blog, the Pickett Lab offers brief profiles of participants, a short overview of taxonomy, a photo gallery, course overviews, lists of presentations and publications, and extensive links to related websites, contributors, and media outlets giving the scientists some attention.
No matter where they travel or what insects they emphasize, all of these blogs provide professional, amateur, and hobbyist readers alike with extremely valuable data and research on entomology. Myriad opinions on science, art, philosophy, and technology abound, offering anyone who visits a broader, heightened perspective on insects and the ways in which they simultaneously influence and come to be influenced by the world around them.
