Recently Asked
Learn what the community is asking about this season, with answers by Museum experts.
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- Recently Asked
“Hello,
I recently came upon this cotton-like mass engulfing a green caterpillar. Looking closer the cotton-like mass contained perhaps hundreds of wiggling white larvae. I've been unable...”
Scott, El Paso, Texas - September 26, 2021
“I went to sniff a flower in my yard and it was chowing down on a bee!”
Ann Fox, Santa Barbara County - September 23, 2021
“Hello I am a social studies teacher and will be showing this to my class, I believe it might be an artifact of significance. Found in rocks below cliffs at a known location of Tongva villag...”
Nicole, Palos Verdes Estates - September 19, 2021
“Is anyone concerned about invasive foxes? I have had animal cameras running continuously for about 5 years and watched a few generations of grey foxes grow up on our bit of wilderness on our pro...”
Joel, Ojai - September 17, 2021
“I have read about the notably dark sedimentary layer within the Beechers Bay Formation at Arlington Springs Canyon at Santa Rosa Island. According to Kennett et al., the nanodiamonds found in th...”
Susie, Santa Barbara - September 15, 2021
“I saw this bee in Oxnard licking a plumeria leaf, roughly about 1/4” in size. The hind end area has a longish black part sort of like a stinger. The body is greenish and the eyes are defin...”
Amy, Oxnard - September 1, 2021
“On the north side of Santa Cruz Island I haves seen a couple small caves high up on ridgelines that appeared to have soot staining on the wall and roof. The caves are open to the sea to the nort...”
Don, boat in Channel Islands harbor - August 26, 2021
“Hello, Hoping your experts there can help identify this very large brown moth that was in my house. My photo is not very good. The moth was about five inches across.”
Lisa, Ventura County - August 26, 2021
“Hi there,
Is early July very early to be seeing tarantulas walking around? This one (ebony?) was spotted July 3 in the Carpinteria foothills at about 9:30 PM. Coincidentally, we...”
Claire, Santa Barbara County - August 13, 2021
“I took this photo last weekend at the SB Botanic Garden. I couldn't find an example of one in the online beetle ID sources I looked at.
Thank you!”
Kevin, Santa Barbara - August 5, 2021
