MISSION

Armed with my camera, macro lens, bug spray (ha, kidding), and neverending curiosity and awe of nature, my goal is to showcase the often overlooked beauty of bugs and show you don't have to travel to exotic faraway locales, that they are awaiting discovery right in your backyard, community garden, or park.

KUDOS

How I became a nature nut case: Thanks Mom and Dad!! I believe you are a product of your environment, and boy was I raised in a rich one. My childhood summers were spent at our family cottage upstate swimming, hiking, fishing, and no TV. My parents encouraged me and my brothers to face and embrace nature in all of its not so cuddly forms and I have been hooked every since.

How those bugs were categorized and ID'd: Thanks Bug Guides!

My first guide, still my favorite, the Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, AKA my Bug Bible.	This is a close second, chock full of insect info and love that images include the larval stage next to some as well.	Collaborator of Kaufman, Eaton's Bugguide.net has an insane amount of user submitted photos ID's by experts.	Every guide is different and has a few species the others do not have, so the more guides the merrier.	Thanks Haley Main, I still can't find the difference between some of those damselflies, but still helped oodles.

Camera set up My current photography setup is a Nikon D300 and Tamron macro lens (90mm 1:2:8). However, I am truly drooling over the Nikon 200mm f/4 AF-Micro Nikkor.

WHO'S KIMSECT?

I am an amateur, self-taught entomology enthusiast only. No degree or proper schooling, just countless hours crawling through fields and forest, and poring through my numerous insect and spider guides. I've tried my darndest to ID what I could, but any feedback on erroneous classifications or ID would be humbly accepted and greatly appreciated. And visit often! The site will be updated continually on my never-ending quest for more species and fresh air.