A pile of fresh-cut wood attracts dozens of harlequin beetles. Huge and gloriously colored, these beetles give a terrifying hiss when threatened.

Entomologist Jon Martin , delighted to find harlequin beetles massing and mating, explains that the beetles like to lay their eggs on newly fallen timber, which then becomes a food supply for the larvae.

“This place is uncomfortable. The bugs and flies are particularly unpleasant. It’s a frontier of sorts. Anywhere you go, you’re going to find new things.”—Jon Martin, Entomologist