19 June 2012

Teaching and Specimen Collecting

I apologize for the delay in posting.  The month long hiatus is due to poor internet availability, poor timing and a generally exhausted researcher.  For the last two and a half weeks, I have been in Ogallala, NE teaching a course on Field Animal Behavior.  Conveniently enough, the area I have been teaching in is also one that is rife with species of salticid that I have yet to find around Lincoln.  So far I have not been able to put too much effort into collecting.  However, in the brief time that I have spent collecting, I've managed to find at least seven species not found in my previous collection attempts.  Unfortunately, I have not had time to identify them to species yet, nor even to photograph the majority of them.  However, the picture below is a nice preview of some of the amazing new species that will now make an appearance in the book.

One of several iridescent salticids found while sweep netting.

I have one more week of teaching to go, and then the posts should resume their "normal" weekly schedule.  Also, be on the look out for more book photos in the near future!