Marshal Hedin
@mhedin.bsky.social
devoted to the study & understanding of biodiversity, and public sharing of biodiversity knowledge and beauty. a "curator" of biological collections, and of the planet. Dad, Univ Prof
western pygmy blue butterfly from a recent visit to the desert,
with a long straw .... sipping on sweetbush (Bebbia)
with a long straw .... sipping on sweetbush (Bebbia)
November 4, 2025 at 3:10 PM
western pygmy blue butterfly from a recent visit to the desert,
with a long straw .... sipping on sweetbush (Bebbia)
with a long straw .... sipping on sweetbush (Bebbia)
beautiful foggy morning for spider webs, here from my backyard in San Diego.
f 2.8, Eriogonum in bg ..
f 2.8, Eriogonum in bg ..
November 2, 2025 at 6:52 PM
beautiful foggy morning for spider webs, here from my backyard in San Diego.
f 2.8, Eriogonum in bg ..
f 2.8, Eriogonum in bg ..
a particularly furry/fuzzy bee fly
reminds me of a little mammal. cool how you can see the actual dark thorax beneath the layer of thoracic hairs
reminds me of a little mammal. cool how you can see the actual dark thorax beneath the layer of thoracic hairs
October 31, 2025 at 3:06 AM
a particularly furry/fuzzy bee fly
reminds me of a little mammal. cool how you can see the actual dark thorax beneath the layer of thoracic hairs
reminds me of a little mammal. cool how you can see the actual dark thorax beneath the layer of thoracic hairs
I call this "one leg left ..."
the wasp leg is the only item that remains from the wasp meal of this "camel spider" (solifugid, not a spider)
this past weekend in our local Anza Borrego Desert
the wasp leg is the only item that remains from the wasp meal of this "camel spider" (solifugid, not a spider)
this past weekend in our local Anza Borrego Desert
October 30, 2025 at 1:22 AM
I call this "one leg left ..."
the wasp leg is the only item that remains from the wasp meal of this "camel spider" (solifugid, not a spider)
this past weekend in our local Anza Borrego Desert
the wasp leg is the only item that remains from the wasp meal of this "camel spider" (solifugid, not a spider)
this past weekend in our local Anza Borrego Desert
My SDSU Mammalogy students came up with a cool twist on a dichotomous key for CA vesper bats
Forks include the questions, then YN take you down alternative paths. With illustrations! 👏
Forks include the questions, then YN take you down alternative paths. With illustrations! 👏
October 28, 2025 at 1:42 PM
My SDSU Mammalogy students came up with a cool twist on a dichotomous key for CA vesper bats
Forks include the questions, then YN take you down alternative paths. With illustrations! 👏
Forks include the questions, then YN take you down alternative paths. With illustrations! 👏
hmmmm .... not a good evening to be a tiphiid wasp
October 28, 2025 at 2:50 AM
hmmmm .... not a good evening to be a tiphiid wasp
her highness sleeps
Ammophila wasp on brittlebush (Encelia) distal twigs at night
take a close look ... she is SPECTACULAR!
Ammophila wasp on brittlebush (Encelia) distal twigs at night
take a close look ... she is SPECTACULAR!
October 27, 2025 at 3:06 PM
her highness sleeps
Ammophila wasp on brittlebush (Encelia) distal twigs at night
take a close look ... she is SPECTACULAR!
Ammophila wasp on brittlebush (Encelia) distal twigs at night
take a close look ... she is SPECTACULAR!
Queen butterfly on Rush milkweed at first light, Anza Borrego Desert State Park
October 26, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Queen butterfly on Rush milkweed at first light, Anza Borrego Desert State Park
Fun camel spider (solifugid) encounter in the desert tonight
October 26, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Fun camel spider (solifugid) encounter in the desert tonight
Fun visit to the San Diego Natural History Museum yesterday where Scott Tremor hosted my SDSU Mammalogy students 🙏👍
October 22, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Fun visit to the San Diego Natural History Museum yesterday where Scott Tremor hosted my SDSU Mammalogy students 🙏👍
royal tern on the beach in San Diego
October 19, 2025 at 7:41 PM
royal tern on the beach in San Diego
aspen leaves after a passing storm, se UT
October 16, 2025 at 2:28 PM
aspen leaves after a passing storm, se UT
oak trees, dancing in the fog
October 14, 2025 at 2:22 AM
oak trees, dancing in the fog
the final push ...
male land-locked Kokanee moving upstream, Strawberry Res, UT
male land-locked Kokanee moving upstream, Strawberry Res, UT
October 13, 2025 at 12:07 AM
the final push ...
male land-locked Kokanee moving upstream, Strawberry Res, UT
male land-locked Kokanee moving upstream, Strawberry Res, UT
artistic take on a spawning male Kokanee salmon from Strawberry Reservoir UT
nonanadromous (land-locked), closely related to anadromous sockeye salmon
nonanadromous (land-locked), closely related to anadromous sockeye salmon
October 11, 2025 at 5:51 PM
artistic take on a spawning male Kokanee salmon from Strawberry Reservoir UT
nonanadromous (land-locked), closely related to anadromous sockeye salmon
nonanadromous (land-locked), closely related to anadromous sockeye salmon
Ancient juniper, near Dark Canyon Wilderness, se Utah
October 10, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Ancient juniper, near Dark Canyon Wilderness, se Utah
an amazing Habronattus jumping spider known only from a single spring in the bottom of an impossibly isolated and lonely desert valley
October 1, 2025 at 2:40 PM
an amazing Habronattus jumping spider known only from a single spring in the bottom of an impossibly isolated and lonely desert valley
once her burrow looked exactly like the rest of the desert wash floor, imperceptible, without any evidence of her entombed baby food, then she was satisfied and moved off
i thanked her, as she certainly made MY day
curious how if we just go out there and wander around, we see cool shit
i thanked her, as she certainly made MY day
curious how if we just go out there and wander around, we see cool shit
September 23, 2025 at 1:25 AM
once her burrow looked exactly like the rest of the desert wash floor, imperceptible, without any evidence of her entombed baby food, then she was satisfied and moved off
i thanked her, as she certainly made MY day
curious how if we just go out there and wander around, we see cool shit
i thanked her, as she certainly made MY day
curious how if we just go out there and wander around, we see cool shit
nearing the end, she found a little stone? with a hole in it. this seemed to be the final cap. she continued to pile sand upon this, then occasionally would just latch on with her mandibles and tug really hard!
she seemed to be testing the structural integrity of the whole thing
she seemed to be testing the structural integrity of the whole thing
September 23, 2025 at 1:25 AM
nearing the end, she found a little stone? with a hole in it. this seemed to be the final cap. she continued to pile sand upon this, then occasionally would just latch on with her mandibles and tug really hard!
she seemed to be testing the structural integrity of the whole thing
she seemed to be testing the structural integrity of the whole thing
of course, she was also posing for me. here she is looking like a complete and total badass that she was!!
you can also see the rakes on her forelegs (at the tips) ... she used these to rake sand INTO the burrow, reversing her first move.
higher on the first leg are the sand carrying hairs
you can also see the rakes on her forelegs (at the tips) ... she used these to rake sand INTO the burrow, reversing her first move.
higher on the first leg are the sand carrying hairs
September 23, 2025 at 1:25 AM
of course, she was also posing for me. here she is looking like a complete and total badass that she was!!
you can also see the rakes on her forelegs (at the tips) ... she used these to rake sand INTO the burrow, reversing her first move.
higher on the first leg are the sand carrying hairs
you can also see the rakes on her forelegs (at the tips) ... she used these to rake sand INTO the burrow, reversing her first move.
higher on the first leg are the sand carrying hairs
and then she spent a lot of time looking for the perfect size little rocks. moving away, finding the little stone, then testing its size. pushing these down into the burrow
repeating, with 5-10 little pebbles, until the burrow was almost full up
repeating, with 5-10 little pebbles, until the burrow was almost full up
September 23, 2025 at 1:25 AM
and then she spent a lot of time looking for the perfect size little rocks. moving away, finding the little stone, then testing its size. pushing these down into the burrow
repeating, with 5-10 little pebbles, until the burrow was almost full up
repeating, with 5-10 little pebbles, until the burrow was almost full up
but she was just getting started. she first found what looks to me like the original burrow entrance sand plug? I could be wrong about this, but, hmmm ...
September 23, 2025 at 1:25 AM
but she was just getting started. she first found what looks to me like the original burrow entrance sand plug? I could be wrong about this, but, hmmm ...
ziiiipppp, she pulled the paralyzed caterpillar down ... and I missed that action shot! 100% epic fail ..
September 23, 2025 at 1:25 AM
ziiiipppp, she pulled the paralyzed caterpillar down ... and I missed that action shot! 100% epic fail ..
she wasted no time in getting the caterpillar back to her burrow, not flying, but dragging the entire way. VERY quickly
here she is right at the entrance to the burrow (just below the head of the caterpillar).
cool how the caterpillar is almost exactly the same diameter as the burrow itself.
here she is right at the entrance to the burrow (just below the head of the caterpillar).
cool how the caterpillar is almost exactly the same diameter as the burrow itself.
September 23, 2025 at 1:25 AM
she wasted no time in getting the caterpillar back to her burrow, not flying, but dragging the entire way. VERY quickly
here she is right at the entrance to the burrow (just below the head of the caterpillar).
cool how the caterpillar is almost exactly the same diameter as the burrow itself.
here she is right at the entrance to the burrow (just below the head of the caterpillar).
cool how the caterpillar is almost exactly the same diameter as the burrow itself.
then she moved off, and I kinda freaked out, as I thought I had lost her
but she was just looking for her stashed "booty", a caterpillar that she had stung previously, and left in a nearby mesquite shrub. perhaps 3 meters away.
here she is wrestling with her prize
but she was just looking for her stashed "booty", a caterpillar that she had stung previously, and left in a nearby mesquite shrub. perhaps 3 meters away.
here she is wrestling with her prize
September 23, 2025 at 1:25 AM
then she moved off, and I kinda freaked out, as I thought I had lost her
but she was just looking for her stashed "booty", a caterpillar that she had stung previously, and left in a nearby mesquite shrub. perhaps 3 meters away.
here she is wrestling with her prize
but she was just looking for her stashed "booty", a caterpillar that she had stung previously, and left in a nearby mesquite shrub. perhaps 3 meters away.
here she is wrestling with her prize