Pena Blanca Arizona Centipedes and Insects

This video is a short documentary of some of the desert scenery and bugs around Pena Blanca Lake in Arizona, near the border with Mexico. This is part 1. Later, in Part 2 we will explore the same general area at night.
Arguably the best blacklighting spots in the United States are in this region and particularly if you like large moths, like Saturniidae (giant silkmoths). The diversity of insects that come to the sheets when you have a pairing of mercury vapor and UV lights is staggering. And likewise, the things to see during the day do not disappoint. Though this short video only documents a few insects, one of the must sees for any arthropod enthusiast is Scolopendra heros, the giant desert centipede. A few main color forms occur in Arizona, but orange with a black head and black terminal body segments are the most common and we document those here in this video. They are not particularly difficult to find in the vicinity of the lake, but it is not without some effort and exposure. Spiny plants, scorpions, snakes and various other desert animals occur in the same habitat. And though we had some cloud cover on this Arizona day, there had been some recent rains. It was unusually humid and hot. It's sweaty work traipsing through the desert, looking for bugs. But when with like-minded friends, it is a grand travel adventure full of memories and a few closely held secrets spots of course!
Joining me (Peter Clausen) on this day were the familiar three, John Skierski (Zonbonzovi), Jesse Ray and Jesse Greene as well as Ev and Andre, and Austin. Most of us live in Portland, Oregon and so traveling to the desert is an unforgettable world away!

Please let me know if you have any questions about Arizona bugs, pet bugs or travel in AZ. I always appreciate your interacting with the videos I upload. It goes a long way towards making more videos like this possible. On Friday we will conclude the prior week's contest, and launch a new one. Thank you for watching!

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