Backyard BUGwatching has its origins in Bear Essential News for Kids. From 1981-1983, Steve Prchal wrote a column for this monthly newspaper distributed throughout Arizona. SASI adopted the title for its flagship publication which has seen eighteen black and white issues, the most recent in 1998.

SASI first launched its web site in 1995 and has continually added to this arthropod section. Here we bring you a variety of articles with many photos to assisit you in your exploration of the beauty and diversity of Sonoran Desert arthropods.

Whether you are doing a report for school or trying to figure out what just bit you, you will find many things of interest here. SASI members are encouraged to submit relevant articles and photos for Backyard BUGwatching of the 21st Century.

By Barbara Terkanian

Amblypygids

by Virginia Kirby

Arizona’s Other Waterscorpion

Photo's and text by Arthur V. Evans

What do you know about butterflies? The role of object conservators in mounting a living butterfly exhibition.

Learn about the trials and tribulations of constructing a Butterfly House within a pre-existing closed space.

Tracking Mexican Leaf-Cutter Ants in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

In Febuary of 2001, a field trip was organized by SASI and Alex Mintzer to go to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to observe the unique population of Atta mexicana leafcutting ants living there. There are only 40 colonies of this ant in the United States, all at Organ Pipe. For anyone with an interest in ants, this trip was well worth attending.

Journal from Costa Rica

Explore this delightful journal about Steve Prchal's Costa Rican sabbatical March - June 2001. A collaborative effort with Charter Member Michael Mayer, Prchal's Journal presents more than 1000 photos in twenty-two separate entries to bring you not only beautiful and fascinating arthropods of the Costa Rican rainforests but also provides an intimate look at the country and some of the people who rear butterflies for export to butterfly houses around the world.

Casa Hormiga

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard,
Consider her ways and be wise"

Proverbs 6:6-8

Casa Hormiga (House of Ants) is devoted entirely to ants. Like a real ant nest, Casa Hormiga will always be under construction with additional chambers (articles) and tunnels (links) to bring you ant news from SASI's living collection of Sonoran Desert species, ANTICS, A Living Art Installation and the Cincinnati Zoo's collection of neotropical ants.

A Neotropical Nomad in the Sonoran Desert

This is the story of two collectors, a damselfly, a remarkable nature preserve, and the true nature of serendipity by Rosser W. Garrison.

A Giant Desert Centipede Lays Eggs

A centipede placed in SASI's care in Spring 2000 laid eggs and incubated them. Although none of the young centipededs survived the year, we did get some good photos showing how the female centipede nurtures her young.

Dick's Virtual Arthropod Zoo

SASI Volunteer Dick Fredericksen combines his wit with photos and text from a SASI project funded by the World Wildlife Fund to tell you about 60 arthropods occuring in the saguaro/palo verde plant community.

Joe Warfel's View

Photographer Joe Warfel attended the 1997 Invertebrates in Captivity Conference.
Here he shares photos taken while on fieldtrips in a section developed by SASI member
John Goldthwaite.

Butterflies of Coronado National Memorial

Explore this annotated checklist of 100 species of butterflies recorded during a survey conducted September 1996 - October 1998. The pages here duplicate the photo album SASI produced for the visitor center in Coronado National Memorial.

Pepe the Two Tailed Scorpion

Yes, scorpions do occasionally have two tails! See photos and learn more about scorpions as Connell Dunning did in researching this phenomenon.

The Tarantula With Only Five Legs

After accidentally injuring a tarantula, Jim Honcoop nurses it back to health, and documents its recovery.

Sweetwater Project

Ari Teo went into the Sweetwater Wetlands to research, document and collect insect species for the beginning of this project, funded by CAP. Sweetwater Wetlands is an artificial wetland area located on the east bank of the Santa Cruz River near Prince Road. Along with wetland information, you will also find articles by local newspapers describing the potential dangers of artificial wetlands in urban areas.

The Life Cycle of the Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae

Jim Honcoop has been studying this butterfly for years. Here he shares his photos and observations on this beautiful bug, some of which appeared in Arizona Highways magazine.

SASI's Butterfly Garden

Following the publication of Desert Butterfly Gardening with the Arizona Native Plant Society, SASI created a small but very productive garden to attract insects. Explore the plants and the bugs that visit. Images and text are currently being developed for this section. Get your Desert Butterfly Gardening in the Many Legs Trading Post.