Adventures at a Snail's Pace

Amblycorypha oblongifolia: the oblong-winged katydid

The star of this month's Bug Box has a colorful history. This large insect is normally a bright green, helping it blend in with foliage. On rare occasions, however, it can be found in shades of pin...

April's Bug Box: the Carolina Mantis

This little mantis is an expert in stealth. As soon as they emerge from their ootheca (egg cases), nymphs are hungry and ready to ambush prey. These young mantids can blend effortlessly into many d...

March’s Bug Box: the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee

This once-common rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) is an eusocial insect with an annual life cycle. In the early spring (April, for most of its range), a lone queen bee emerges from hibern...

February's Bug Box: the Spotted Lanternfly

Our newest box is a departure from the usual form for us: the Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive insect spreading across eastern North America. But despite the warnings posted across the mid-Atlantic ...

Brewing Something New with the Coffee Club

This Friday, March 18, we're soft-launching the Coffee Club. It's a new adventure about a month in the making, with the mission to make your breakfasts just as bright as they were when you were dig...

The stars of summer 2021: the Periodical Cicadas

Recently, we had to reorder our most popular insect pin - the Periodical Cicada. This was a little surprising - we thought the monarch would be the first to sell out, and lots of people think thes...

That’s some spider!

I’m always astonished by nature’s resilience, but I simply can’t believe this cross-orb weaver (Araneus diadematus) is still alive and kicking outside our door in frigid Massachusetts. I have neve...

Winter's Flowers: the Graffitied Ruins of Belcher Cove

One of our favorite hidden rail trail surprises can be found right alongside Belcher Cove and the pumping station, across from Brown Street. You won't see it in the late spring, summer, or early fa...

I Scream, You Scream: where summer turns to fall.

We're still in the dog days of summer, and the leaves haven't started to turn, but we know that spooky season is just around the corner. Some of us want to hang on to beach days and scorching sun, ...

SOUNDS OF SUMMER: SIDE B

FRIDAY @ 5 PM EDT: Dog Day Cicada pins. Full-color, soft enamel, LE 150, $15. Blackout version available by chance for the rest of the month, for Gold subscribers. Periodical Cicada stamps.  O...