Welcome!

This blog is the first step to creating my own webpage that will eventually contain more detailed information about observing, rearing, and collecting butterflies and moths in the Pacific Northwest.  My goal is to post a new entry at least once a week, on topics involving personal observations, how-to guides, "biographies" of local Lepidoptera species, and photographic journals of my exploits.
I will primarily stick to Lepidoptera-related topics, but during the winter I may stray more to birds, as I like to visit local wildlife areas to photograph the overwintering waterfowl and other wildlife.
On the left side of the page, you will see other "pages" I have created, as well as a list of links to useful or just plain interesting websites.
To start things off, here is a glossary of words you will commonly see me using:
Lepidoptera - the insect family that contains butterflies and moths: "lepido" = "scale" and "ptera" = wing
Lepidopterist - a person who studies Lepidoptera
Entomology - the study of insects
thorax - the middle segment of an insect's body (head, thorax, abdomen). The wings and legs are attached to the thorax.
Dorsal - upper or top side (usually refers to the wing surface).
Ventral - lower or underside.
DFW, VFW, DHW, VHW - abbreviations for "dorsal front wing", "ventral front wing", "dorsal hind wing" and "ventral hind wing".


Update 16 Feb 2011: Butterflies of America website recently added a great glossary of terms, check it out here.