What we’re about
The Scarabs are an informal group of folks who, for diverse reasons, are interested in insects and/or spiders. We have banded together (perhaps "swarmed" would be a better word) to socialize, exchange views, see interesting programs, and go on field trips with like-minded people.
Real scarabs (a type of beetle) spend their time burying balls of dung. The Scarabs, however, meet once a month, usually for a lecture or presentation, sometimes for a picnic or party. We go on field trips to collect, watch, or photograph the creatures of our choice. We publish a monthly newsletter, "Scarabogram," with news, articles, illustrations, and poetry. We show and tell about our collections and memorabilia. And of course we talk about bugs!
Members range in age from young children to retirees, and in experience from rank beginners to seasoned professional entomologists. Local members, who can attend meetings, are preferred, but others are not turned away. The only requirement is an interest in the subject matter!
All are welcome at our meetings, whether members or not.
Please see our website for more information, including dues and instructions on how to join. (Note: Joining here will get you meeting reminders but does not automatically make you an official member. The following website explains how to do that.)
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Life in a Leaf: The Wonderful World of Leafminers — by Charley EisemanLink visible for attendees
Leafminers are insect larvae that spend at least part of their lives feeding between the epidermal layers of leaves. In North America they include over 2000 species of moths, flies, beetles, and sawflies, belonging to over 50 different families. These insects are typically quite host-specific, and the form of the mine varies considerably depending on what insect produces it. As a result, it is often possible to identify the responsible insect using only the host plant and mine characteristics. After a decade of reviewing the relevant literature, traveling throughout the continent, and collecting and rearing thousands of leafminers, Charley has completed a guide to the North American species that includes keys to the mines found on each plant genus. This slideshow presentation will introduce the major groups of leafminers, drawing all of the examples from among the 200+ species he has found in his yard.
Spending your whole larval life inside one leaf is pretty amazing, but it's even more amazing that you can often look at the leaf and tell what insect is in it. Don't miss this fascinating program!
Charley Eiseman is a freelance naturalist based in western Massachusetts. He has been conducting plant and wildlife surveys and natural resource inventories throughout New England for over 25 years, as well as teaching courses and workshops on interpreting animal tracks and sign (both vertebrate and invertebrate). He holds an MS in Botany (Field Naturalist) from the University of Vermont and a BS from the University of Massachusetts. Charley is the author of Tracks & Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates (Stackpole Books, 2010), Leafminers of North America (self-published e-book, 2019; second edition, 2022), and an insect-themed blog called “BugTracks.” He has published 80+ scientific papers on insect natural history, describing 79 new species.
Scarabs' new Zoom Czar, Matt Neumann, has created a special link you can click to get to each month's Scarabs session, regardless if the specific meeting ID changes. You should get this link (or it will become visible) if you RSVP here (passcode is 816620). If you attend by phone, you'll need the old-fashioned numerical Zoom code, and anyone doing that should refer to their print newsletter (or, if not a subscribing member, contact us well ahead of time please!). Go to Zoom not long before the meeting starts, otherwise the link may not be active. And if anything about this new system misfires, tell us so we can trouble-shoot for next time!
