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The restudy of the iconic Hallucigenia animal from Burgess Shale

Researchers from the University of Cambridge, the Royal Ontario Museum and the University of Toronto have found that the creature, known as Hallucigenia due to its strange appearance, had a throat lined with needle-like teeth, a previously unidentified feature which could help connect the dots

Entomystery – why did the beetles go to camp?

Occasionally, I put on my entomological detective hat to investigate insect mysteries. This one was a beetle mystery at my son’s camp in a Toronto elementary school. My son reported a large number (hundreds!) of tiny beetles swarming the windows in his classroom and asked me to look at them. 

The ROM's Remarkable Bees

The ROM's Remarkable Bees

Guest blog by Antonia Guidotti, Entomology Technician  ROM visitors love the live hive of European Honey Bees in the Hands-on Biodiversity Gallery. They are encouraged to look for the queen bee and if they find her, will receive an “I found the Queen Bee” sticker.  Most Common Questions

I think I have bedbugs, what should I do?

(Cimex lectularius) since the early 2000s, has resulted in heightened concern from people who find insects in their home. “Is it a bed bug?” is a common question posed to ROM entomologists. It may be helpful to know that there are many types of insects found in homes and most of them are not

I found what looks like a tiny “caterpillar” in my home. What is it?

Let’s take a look at a common critter that share our space. Amazingly, over 500 species of arthropods have been recorded in houses! One of our most common household guests is the carpet beetle. The larvae look like tiny, furry, ‘caterpillars’.  Larva of a carpet beetle, family Dermestidae,

Yellowjackets (a.k.a. Late Summer Picnic Pests)

We love picnicking outside in the summer but in August and September our meals are inevitably cut short because of wasps. What are they and what can we do about them? Yellowjackets - much worse than ants at a picnic! There are a few species of these social wasps in Ontario, but most common are

Bugs are moving in (not bed bugs this time)

Question: It’s fall, why are all these bugs coming into my home? I’ve never seen them before! Western conifer seed bug; copyright ROM images At this time of year, this is one of the most common insects that you might run into. They are relatively new to our fauna since they were not found in

Does a mild winter mean more insects?

With increasing frequency, as spring rolls in, ROM entomologists are asked this question: will mild winter temperatures result in more bugs this spring and summer? Unfortunately, there is no simple “yes” or “no” answer to this question  — the best response is “It depends”.  There

Biodiversity Series wins award!

The Ontario Association of Landscape Architects recognized the City of Toronto Biodiversity Series of booklets with their Service to the Environment award. The award is “In recognition of the recipient’s ongoing contribution in supporting sensitive, sustainable stewardship of the

Massive Migration

They were everywhere across southern Ontario yesterday; even in downtown Toronto. I saw a few in Philosopher’s Walk and across the Bloor St. viaduct. The Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) have arrived! One of our more common migrant butterflies, they were spotted in the thousands from