# Today in nature I saw **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854 "2020-07-20T18:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 220
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4384 "2026-10-03T17:12:03Z")
I’m quite familiar with that sound! Kind of scary. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4385 "2026-10-06T15:49:56Z")
Last night I was able to watch both the occultation of Jupiter by the moon and the re-emergence of the planet about an hour later. The occultation happened on the sunny side of the waxing crescent, so even with binoculars it was a little tricky to tell when Jupiter had completely disappeared. But the reappearance was on the dark side, and was spectacular. I was watching with the binocs for a few minutes before the expected time and I saw what looked like a very faint hair at a certain spot above the dark limb of the moon. At that point I didn’t know exactly where Jupiter would appear, but a few seconds later the planet popped out at that precise spot. So I’m pretty sure that what I saw was one or more of Jupiter’s moons just before the planet emerged! It took several seconds for Jupiter to reach full brightness after its initial appearance. (By contrast, stars just pop off and on when being occulted.) I don’t think I’ve ever seen an occultation of a major planet like that before. I had no idea it was going to happen, I just happened to be awake, looked out the window and saw how close they were, and knew it was coming soon. After the disappearance (at about 4:25 am) I tried to go back to sleep, and would have missed the reappearance, but I was still awake an hour or so later, so I went back out to see it. And it was definitely the most beautiful part of the event. Especially seeing the moons. Unfortunately, at 71 years old, my cataracts prevent me from seeing a really sharp and crisp image; bright things like that are doubled. So far, my eye doctors have said the cataracts aren’t bad enough for surgery yet. But I’m seeing her again today, and will bring it up once more. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4386 "2026-10-07T14:03:18Z")
When I was walking the dogs in the dark of yesterday morning, I noticed what I suspected was a planet close to the moon. Then this morning, it was a lot farther away. Now I have an explanation! So cool! ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4387 "2026-10-07T16:42:55Z")
It was, of course, the moon moving, not the planet. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4388 "2026-10-07T17:17:40Z")
Well, the planet moves as well, just more slowly (angular velocity) Brian ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4389 "2026-10-07T20:42:21Z")
On the Fall Creek Trail this morning in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Very nice, peaceful and MUCH cooler than most of the area. [![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczP851Hw89o7oaUpIwBUVcNpwJNHnSWZ3woPN3ViElu7gXOPpHMpTXJzG2mQSHil3XsBCCzFdEn5WW4zXHk2_B6RaNiHnqKgrJ-4IAuhih94E-sg76gnRVrFOyYWzchQX00WLfLECu6Al62ee8V30AuTMw=w1920-h652-s-no?authuser=0) ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczP851Hw89o7oaUpIwBUVcNpwJNHnSWZ3woPN3ViElu7gXOPpHMpTXJzG2mQSHil3XsBCCzFdEn5WW4zXHk2_B6RaNiHnqKgrJ-4IAuhih94E-sg76gnRVrFOyYWzchQX00WLfLECu6Al62ee8V30AuTMw=w1920-h652-s-no?authuser=0) ---
**Author:** ![LavenderMagnolia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@LavenderMagnolia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderMagnolia)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4390 "2026-10-07T23:52:39Z")
Beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4391 "2026-10-12T14:16:54Z")
Saturday I saw a little gator crossing the road! Maybe two feet long? We used to see them frequently, but now I can’t remember when the last time was. Maybe we’ve had enough rainfall lately to get things perking again. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55585190030_89fb0954b8_b.jpg "small gator") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/45215582@N06/55585190030/) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4392 "2026-10-12T14:41:53Z")
“Dung beetles are tasty, yum, yum!” ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4393 "2026-10-12T14:51:24Z")
I’m in NE MN. This time of year we have loads of pirate bugs. They’re teeny tiny (1/12 of an inch long) and have a very sharp, painful bite. I can’t believe something that small can bite that hard. They don’t feed on human blood or inject venom. They are just looking for their natural prey (spider mites, insect eggs) that disappears in the fall. We had temps in the 80s this past weekend. I had to wear a long-sleeved shirt because they were biting like crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4394 "2026-10-12T15:10:30Z")
Nobody believes that! 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4395 "2026-10-12T17:07:49Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > They are just looking for their natural prey (spider mites, insect eggs) that disappears in the fall Like ladybugs they’re produced by the truckload (well, maybe case-load) for use in commercial green houses, primarily for thrip control. Orius insidiosus (NA native) and Orius laevigatus (European native) are the popular ones for their respective continents. Here’s a [less than one minute video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oCBiXBmgcQ) that shows how mobile they are - they’re like flying fleas 😀. If you live near a commercial greenhouse, they just might be contributing to your discomfort. But they really are mostly beneficial otherwise. A bit like tolerating potentially stinging honeybees. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4396 "2026-10-12T17:12:39Z")
Because this is the dope; ‘thrips’ is both the singular and plural, there is no such thing as a thrip. One thrips, two thrips, dead thrips, new thrips. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4397 "2026-10-12T17:25:40Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > One thrips, two thrips, dead thrips, new thrips. Bah! Anyone who doesn’t refer to them as Thysanoptera is a poser! Aye, I should have remembered that…err…that is to say I obviously just mistyped and didn’t catch it. Hey, give me a break - I think I took General Entomology in college literally forty years ago now 😄. Literally. I think it was the Fall semester of 1986, my first upper-division biology class. Kind of amazing to think about, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4398 "2026-10-12T19:35:33Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > _Orius insidiosus_ (NA native) and _Orius laevigatus_ (European native) Any beast called _insidiosus_ must be a real nuisance. Speaking of posers: _**[laevigatus](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/levigatus#Latin)**_, OTOH, is a bit surprising by comparison. Smooth? Light? Polished? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4399 "2026-10-12T19:56:08Z")
Sounds like you’re casting spells outta the Harry Potter handbook. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4400 "2026-10-12T19:58:47Z")
Expelliarmus! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4401 "2026-10-12T19:59:49Z")
Hey! My arm’s gone! 😂 ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4402 "2026-10-12T20:01:23Z")
Excuse me, I must work on my aim. I was actually… huh, never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/4403 "2026-10-12T20:41:25Z")
Dark-eyed junkos have returned to the Chicago area and I saw a handful of them on Friday. Right now, it’s 89 degrees outside, so I think they may have come a little too soon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=219) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=221)