The Tupi people, one of the main ethnic groups of Brazilian indigenous people, believe in a male supernatural being called “Curupira” that guards the forest in Tupi mythology. I crowned this BLOG with his name because I aspire the BLOG, which deals with insects as part of the nature, to play a role just like Curupira who protects the forest from the destructive habits of man.
23 Dec, 2008
On Dec. 8, my earlier-than-usual arrival at the Museum at 7:30AM led me to an encounter with a bizarre fungus. Sure, it has been drippy lately.
A closeup picture of the fungus. It reeked slightly of rot, which seemed to be attractive to bugs. The geometric fungus of 5cm in diameter shriveled into a minuscule lump in about an hour.
Aha, that same treehopper on the same tree. This one looks a bit smaller than its kindred I saw last time, perhaps due to the recent lack of sunshine. But the difference is only to a minor extent, by a couple millimeters in length.
The familiar face, a crocodilian which has settled into the pond on my property. From its right hindlimb stretching limply on the sand, you can tell it's so relaxed, even when I come within 5 meters of it.
The picture below shows how shy it was a month ago. With its four limbs gripping the ground firmly, the croc was ready to escape at any moment. But that is how a wild reptilian should be--on the lookout for human intruders.
Penned on Dec. 22, 2008
