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