A backswimmer, one of Arizona's many aquatic insects.

I haven’t had time to finish my respiration post for this week (it’s just been one of those weeks), but I wanted to give everyone a head’s up about an event I’ll be doing at Biosphere II this weekend.  One of the requirements of being a Biosphere II Science and Society fellow is that we give two presentations at the Biosphere during our year as fellows.  Last semester I gave a talk on giant water bugs on Halloween.  This semester, I’ll be running a booth inside the main visitor’s center.  Anyone who happens to be in Tucson is welcome to stop by between 11am and 2pm this Saturday, February 20, to learn about Arizona’s fabulous aquatic insects!  I’ll have several live insects to observe and interact with, including the giant water bugs that are my specialty.  I’ll also have a mini behavioral project available for visitors to complete while they’re at my tables.  And I’ll of course be there to answer any questions that Biosphere visitors have about aquatic insects.

If you’ve ever had any interest in aquatic insects in general, the species we have in our desert, want to get up close and personal with an aquatic insect, or simply want to check “talk to an entomologist” off your life’s to-do list, I encourage you to stop by.  There should be lots to see, do, and learn.  Hope to see you there!

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