Entomology

Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is on the rise. Tick-borne diseases have been booming in the U.S., with major increases in Lyme in the last two decades. Tick abundance could spike this summer. A large acorn crop in 2021 helped small rodents boom. They are a key host for ticks, which spend a year in their larval stage before molting into nymphs, their most perilous stage. So this could be a big year for ticks.

Article doesn't mention which species are involved. I'm assuming Anopheles quadrimaculatus, but I'm curious how well other vector species (e.g. Aedes) transmit the disease. Anyone have any data? Article image clearly isn't Anopheles quadrimaculatus.

I even pet the little fella and it didn't fly off

Of all the critters I've found in the yard, this one has stuck with me the most. Huge! Crazy antennae! Cutest lil beetle feet. And then...the base of the antennae are laid in/around the compound eyes, like they were cut around it. Insects blow my mammal mind every single day.

Northeastern Pine Sawyer Beetle (Monochamus notatus)