Recently Asked
Learn what the community is asking about this season, with answers by Museum experts.
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- Recently Asked
“On the north side of Santa Cruz Island I haves seen a couple small caves high up on ridgelines that appeared to have soot staining on the wall and roof. The caves are open to the sea to the nort...”
Don, boat in Channel Islands harbor - August 26, 2021
“Hello, Hoping your experts there can help identify this very large brown moth that was in my house. My photo is not very good. The moth was about five inches across.”
Lisa, Ventura County - August 26, 2021
“Hi there,
Is early July very early to be seeing tarantulas walking around? This one (ebony?) was spotted July 3 in the Carpinteria foothills at about 9:30 PM. Coincidentally, we...”
Claire, Santa Barbara County - August 13, 2021
“I took this photo last weekend at the SB Botanic Garden. I couldn't find an example of one in the online beetle ID sources I looked at.
Thank you!”
Kevin, Santa Barbara - August 5, 2021
“I was wondering if any of your vertebrate zoologists could comment on this skunk. I caught it on my motion camera in my backyard. It appears to have a large growth on its head, visible in both v...”
Rebecca, Goleta - July 30, 2021
“I found this one near our door, so I have no idea what the host plant is. He was all fuzzy.”
Cassie, Ventura - July 16, 2021
“Hello! I have a new insect for you. I think he was on the wisteria...so maybe a genista broom caterpillar?”
Cassie, Ventura - July 1, 2021
“My daughter found a black fuzzy caterpillar 2 weeks ago and wanted to keep it until it turned into a moth or butterfly. Yesterday it wedged itself in the bottom of its container, and started spi...”
Ariel, Goleta - June 30, 2021
“Hello!
I found this cicada struggling in my pool. After I netted it I took a few photos while it was in torpor, and looked online for the species. I could not find a match to a black-eyed...”
Adam, Goleta - June 30, 2021
“On June 16, 2021 I walked onto our concrete patio at about 9 PM and saw a snake in residential Santa Barbara for the first time after living here for just over 50 years. The neighhood net is rep...”
Brian, Santa Barbara - June 18, 2021
