Hello Tweeters I live in what is known as the "Duwamish Industrial Corridor", at 129th & MLK Way, and I have a yard that is full of field crickets. When I first "discovered" them I was pleasantly surprised. They are totally enjoyable and I have done my best to increase their numbers. I find little baby ones as well as adults. I have also found amphibians here, not sure what kind, as well as garter snakes and alligator lizards. What a treat to see these little wild creatures hanging on in such an industrialized area. regards Susan in the Skyway area susananderegg at hotmail dot com
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> 17. Re: "cricket" query (Jim Flynn)
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> Message: 4
> Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2011 13:28:50 -0700
> From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson at comcast.net>
> Subject: [Tweeters] Re: Tweeters] "cricket" query
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Message-ID: <FCC02688-3859-46D9-A71F-29A7CC4E549C at comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
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> Jeff,
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> As far as I know, the western WA lowlands (and presumably adjacent OR and BC) have the lowest diversity of insects of anywhere in the lower 48. This is thought to be because of our cool and wet summer climate, which is not favorable for insects, as you indicated. There may be historical reasons too, because the very wet and very dry regions in the PNW acted as barriers to organisms that favored dry or wet conditions, respectively, after the last glaciers receded.
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> I am an entomophile too, and I enjoy every trip to eastern Washington (in season) because of the much greater abundance and diversity of insect life there. Just in the area this week, I delighted in the occasional cricket I heard. Insect abundance is definitely on the wane over there, but there are still quite a few. Also high in the mountains where the abundant wild flowers are still attracting lots of butterfly, fly, and bee/wasp pollinators.
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> I was sent a katydid photo from the Kitsap Peninsula a year ago, but I have still never seen a katydid in Washington. We seem to have a pretty good species list of insects from the Puget Sound lowlands, but it has always struck me that most of them are rarely seen! Interestingly, dragonflies are among the most conspicuous and notable insects in this area, for which I won't complain.
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> Dennis
> URL: http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20110909/ecc911c7/attachment-0001.htm
> "Hello Dennis,
>
>