Random crap with Uno.

[Unorthodox]

Think I've narrowed it down to a group of flies (dobsonfly relative) but no luck on species. 

I'm throwing in the towel. 

It's EITHER some species of mantisfly (less likely) or stonefly (springfly most likely), but I can't find anything on either changing color swiftly, just seasonally/with temperatures. 

The best source I could find on Yellowstone insects is surprisingly lax.  Figured it would be someone's project somewhere.  Oh well. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Who do you know to talk to?

[Metaliturtle]

how cool would it be if UnO discovered a new species?

[Buster's Uncle]

Very.

[Metaliturtle]

I concur!

[Unorthodox]

Who do you know to talk to?

Interview with the lead entomologist for the area: 

I think
most people who come here just visiting have heard about the
charismatic megafauna, and that’s what almost all people focus
on. But if you look at ecosystems, you start thinking about how
many insects there are in Yellowstone relative to other animals.
We probably don’t know even within an order of magnitude
how many there are.

Looks like most the research in the area is around the lake and various valleys, not the geothermal areas where this was found, too. (though to be fair, a fairly normal ecosystem in the river was relatively near)  Since it would be practically impossible to safely conduct thurough field studies in the geothermal areas, it's not surprising, just worth noting. 

Should have seen if I could make it back to the car for the macro lens. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Hmm. Stands to reason that the geothermal areas, with their known extremophiles and special conditions, ought to be an especially fertile ground for fieldwork/investigation into speciation and neat-o science stuff like that.  Seems obvious, really.

[Unorthodox]

Here's the little bugger in flesh color mode.

[Unorthodox]

"I don't have that contract information, do you know it?"  - My contracting officer...


Yeah, I'm asking for it because I  have it, yep. 

[Unorthodox]

Hmm. Stands to reason that the geothermal areas, with their known extremophiles and special conditions, ought to be an especially fertile ground for fieldwork/investigation into speciation and neat-o science stuff like that.  Seems obvious, really.

Other than the fact the ground is unstable and any step could be your last, that is. 

[Buster's Uncle]

[shrugs]  Who wants to live outdoors for months at a time to do archeology in the Middle East or North Africa?  Neither safe nor comfortable in those places, yet plenty of people applying for grants and doing the red tape to go.  Fieldwork goes where the field is.

[Unorthodox]

Speaking of research. 

We visited the west yellowstone bear and wolf center while waiting for hEt one day.  The big highlight was SUPPOSED to be the kids going into this habitat and hiding food for the bear to find once he was released. 

The habitat was outside, no roof, and a parade of kids happily marching through as instructed.  I leaned over to the kids and said, "that bear is going to be going hungry, let's go watch the bird show next door." 

Alec come with me, Kyle and Talia stayed to watch the bear.  As Alec and I were walking next door, the kids had finished and left.  No sooner did the cage door shut than the murder of Ravens that had been watching the kids descend and start gathering up all the food.  Talia tells me, further that when the bear was released, the Ravens kept darting at him till he lost interest and moved to a corner of the cage, then they kept eating the food. 

Most interesting thing at the center was a little note about Ravens.  Turns out they are actually training the wolves in Yellowstone.  Or rather, they are at least communicating with one another, with Ravens helping the packs spot prey, then they are able to have the scraps. 

[Unorthodox]

Invited to a Chicago Halloween convention to teach a class on how to make Trevor. 

"Ideally this would be an hour class." 

Right.  An HOUR.  Think I spent 4 months sculpting that...

They want the Davis Graveyard knockoff where you just dip a sheet in paint and throw it on a storebought Wally.  That could be done in an hour. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Any interest in giving them that?

[Unorthodox]

Me?  It's not a BAD way to go about it for someone lacking the time/patience/ability to do a proper transi, but there's no pleasure in it for me.  Let alone having to deal with people.