The top 10 new species discovered in 2011

The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and a committee of scientists from around the world recently announced their picks for the top 10 new species discovered in 2011.

See the full list here.

My favorites are: 

Sneezing monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri)

Parasitic wasp (Kollasmosoma sentum)

Sazima's Tarantula (Pterinopelma sazimai)

Photos:
1. Thomas Geissmann/Fauna & Flora International
2. C. van Achterberg
3. Rogério Bertani/ Instituto Butantan

Can you guess what this is?

A Thistledown Velvet Ant, also known as a Cow Killer, is seen in the Mojave Desert, California. It isn't really an ant, but a wingless female wasp. This photograph was taken by Robert Jensen after his son Chris found the unusual insect wandering around on the desert floor. The female wasp is about 2cm long; the males are much smaller and have wings. Their sting can be quite painful.Picture: Robert Jensen/Solent News

Source

Too close for comfort?

Amateur macro photographer Nicolas Reusens has amassed a huge series of insects from around the world - totalling over 100 images - over a three year period. Each image takes Mr Reusens between 20 and a staggering 200 shots to compose through a complex process called stacking. Source

State Insects

The Smithsonian has compiled a list of the 41 states in the United States which have officially designated State Insects. Illinois has the Monarch Butterfly:

Photo: pieceoflace

Most of the states who have an official State Insect have selected a butterfly of some sort, but New Mexico is very unusual. The State Insect of New Mexico is the Tarantula Hawk Wasp:

Photo: Bugman

Read more about the Tarantula Hawk Wasp at Durango Nature Studies

Should have called Orkin

A man trying to remove a wasp nest ended up setting his home on fire Sunday, fire officials said. At about 6:45 p.m., Hugh Williams was attempting to remove wasps from a nest in the ground next to his home at 1804 St. Andrews Road, according to the Greensboro Fire Department. Williams had poured insecticide into the wasp nest, said David Douglas, fire marshal for the Greensboro Fire Department. When that didn't get rid of the wasps, he placed paper inside the nest and set it on fire. Flames shot up the wall and ran up through the attic, setting the home on fire, Douglas said. No one was injured in the fire, which took about 30 minutes to extinguish, fire officials said. The fire caused $80,000 in damage and the home is uninhabitable.