Ok, not a bug…but a baby kangaroo:

The kangaroo is one of the most bizarre looking mammals and its reproductive process appears equally peculiar. Its tiny fetus compelled to make an unaided march from womb to pouch after only weeks of existence. Here, a 2 week old red kangaroo joey in the pouch. (Photo credit © Hannah James / Pioneer Productions)

As you may know, National Geographic has been doing a series lately called “Inside the Womb”. The series has previously looked at fetal development of human babies, cats and dogs. They have another episode airing in time for Mother’s Day (5/10/2009 @ 9PM ET/PT) profiling a shark, penguin, kangaroo, and parasitic wasp.

From Nat. Geo:

“In The Womb: Extreme Animals explores the extraordinary methods of reproduction and gestation of four different animals: fish, bird, mammal and insect.  Using real-time 4-D ultrasound images, specially created visual effects and fetal imaging techniques, the two-hour special follows unusual developmental challenges in utero: the shark embryos’ nutrient supply transforms into a placenta; the penguins find an ingenious way to keep their eggs from freezing in the Antarctic; the kangaroo fetuses actually leave the womb to finish growing in the pouch; and the larvae of parasitic wasps invade the bodies of other creatures.”

Check out this short, but very cool, video trailer for the parasitic wasp part of the episode:

– Body Invaders” – A parasitic wasp has injected her eggs into a caterpillar — and now they’re ready to hatch: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/feeds/cv-seo/Animals–Nature/All-Videos/Caterpillars-Host-Wasp-Larvae.html

Its not every day that you get the chance to go inside of the host and see what the parasitoids are actually doing in there…so check out the link and watch the show this Sunday.

I got to dust off the ol’ bug net today and it got its first use of the season…

For the last couple nights Josh and I have been hearing some noises after we have gone to bed. The other night I told Josh that it sounded like a bat. I was right.

He decided to join us for some pizza and tv tonight. Maya proved that she is more versatile than just a “bird” dog, and she almost got him a couple times. The cat on the other hand, could not be bothered to get off his perch after checking out what was going on during the initial ruckus. He’s useless and definitely not pullin’ his weight around here, but I digress.

Now I am no mammalogist, but I think it is the garden variety Little Brown Bat. Correct me if I am wrong…

Josh, being the normal person he is, instinctually grabbed his coat thinking he was going to catch the bat with it…me on the other hand, we entomologists try to find any way possible to inundate our insect nets into every situation. I am planning on fighting crime with it one day.

Anyway, just for the record, I won.

Yes, this is what an entomologist does on a Friday night.