Bug Events and Ecotourism

Not in the US but

This is an event that I would love to see: Migration of insects and birds through a Pyrenean pass. There is a narrow pass in the Pyrenees between Spain and France and it is used by numerous birds, Lepidoptera and dragonflies at some times of the year.
If somebody goes there, please, let us know what you see. I would like to know more about this.

… Beatriz Moisset, 28 March, 2010 - 12:31pm

Wildflower destinations

Not bug events but they should be. Where flowers are abundant so are the pollinators. There are a number of wildflower events. Some info here and here.
Then you could explain to curious onlookers: "I take pictures of bugs, if a flower happens to be behind the bug, I take a picture of it too". That is what a fellow bugguider said to somebody at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve : )

… Beatriz Moisset, 28 December, 2009 - 7:58am

Lampyridae

My best firefly experience was in New Hampshire; fireflies would be most worthwhile. You could probably find some good firefly information somewhere.

I've seen some impressive dragonfly migration and moth surges but like most "bug events" these seem to come and go and are not reliable on an annual basis.

… David Moll, 27 December, 2009 - 9:56pm

ladybug wintering aggregations

also very large nest sites of cicada killers, Colletes inaequalis bees, etc.

… John S. Ascher, 20 December, 2009 - 5:21pm

Really?! Where would I find this?

Any particular and specific places that are best to see this? I have only found one cicada killer wasp and even saw it killing. If you want to see pics they are here.

… squidpillow, 21 December, 2009 - 8:18pm

Hill-topping

Not exactly an event; but a few years ago when in Maine, I went to the top of Cadillac Mountain (Acadia National Park) and was amazed by the large number and variety of insects visiting flowers despite the very windy conditions.
Later on I found out that entomologists have known this phenomenon for a long time and have a name for it, hill-topping.
So, next summer, go to the top of the nearest hill and look for bugs.

… Beatriz Moisset, 20 December, 2009 - 4:25pm

Amazing! An excellent additio

Amazing! An excellent addition to the list. Thank you.

… squidpillow, 21 December, 2009 - 8:19pm

Ballooning spiders

An annual event, though I suspect some years are bigger than others when weather conditions are favorable: mild, warm, moderately breezy dates in autumn. This year seemed like a good one in the Midwest, or maybe I was just more aware of it this time; see some stories here. Chances are that we will never again see thousands of bison thundering across the plains, but we do have the opportunity to witness the annual migration of millions of spiders ballooning across the landscape if you are sensitized to a different scale.

And I agree with the comments about monarch butterflies. Right here in Iowa, I have been fortunate in some Septembers to encounter evening roosts with thousands of migratory butterflies...spellbinding!

… John Pearson, 19 December, 2009 - 4:20pm

Great suggestion. I would be

Great suggestion. I would be delighted to see and experience this. Do you know of any specific places where viewing is known to be best?

… squidpillow, 21 December, 2009 - 8:21pm

Lakes

Lakes are good places because there are no trees or buildings to intercept ballooning spiders or to block your view of them as they float through the air. My personal experiences here in Iowa have been while kayaking on Lake Red Rock (a 20,000-acre reservoir with an abundance of open space), but taking any boat out into the center of even a small lake should provide a good viewing platform. Ballooning is very weather-dependent (needing warm fall days with a slight wind for uplift and transport), so good days can alternate with poor days. This makes it impossible to pick a specific date in advance, but I have seen large events on favorable days in October, November, and even early December. I suspect ballooning events are fairly common across much of the country, my point being that you could probably go to any nearby lake to watch, regardless of where you live.

… John Pearson, 28 December, 2009 - 8:33am

Monarch Butterflies

In the winter, they form aggregations on trees along the coast in California and especially huge ones in certain places in the mountains in Mexico.

Here's a link

… Chuck Entz, 18 December, 2009 - 5:57pm

Monarchs in NJ

And if you can't make it to Mexico, go to Cape May in October, where monarchs gather in large numbers during their migration (depending on the weather and other circumstances). You can attend lectures and get to see researchers tagging butterflies.

… Beatriz Moisset, 18 December, 2009 - 8:10pm

Monarchs

I keep meaning to go there for this, but haven't made it yet. This is the year, I can feel it...haha!

… Dan Leeder, 21 December, 2009 - 8:15pm

Thanks. I found some great re

Thanks. I found some great resources online for making an actual visit. This type of information such as a state park website showing the time to visit and what to look for will go in the final list.

Cape May NJ also happens to be much closer to me than California, which I appreciate but alas proximity to myself is not the intention of this list! Personally though I am hoping to discover more insect related events in my area as it will amaze me to think I never knew such thing occurred having lived there my entire life.

… squidpillow, 18 December, 2009 - 8:52pm

Not an event, but...

definitely a destination:

The National Butterfly Center in Texas

One could also include numerous insect zoos and places where they raise exotic butterflies for tourists to "encounter", but the butterfly center is geared toward wild- not reared or manipulated- insects. Not that artificial is evil, just that you seem to be more interested in natural phenomena.

… Chuck Entz, 18 December, 2009 - 10:16pm

How about...

this!!! Lots of similar stories about this area. Google: lacrosse mayfly.

… Jeff Gruber, 18 December, 2009 - 5:01pm

Wow very interesting! So this

Wow very interesting! So this would be an annual occurrence?

… squidpillow, 18 December, 2009 - 5:08pm