Each weekend, Stephen Taber treks into remote areas of the country in search of previously undiscovered insects. The Saginaw Valley State University associate professor of biology has found, catalogued and named 30 of them over the years.

Recently, he invited Reflections photographer Michael Randolph on one of those expeditions into Michigan’s Manistee National Forest and then back to a laboratory to see the extensive bug collection.

Click on any thumbnail below to see the full-size image and scroll through the photo gallery.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, treks into remote areas of Michigan’s Manistee National Forest to collect bugs for his academic research.

A beetle from a Texas swamp is among the bug collection of Stephen Taber, an SVSU associate professor of biology.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, has found, catalogued and named 30 previously-unidentified insects.

A male glowworm is among the bug collection of Stephen Taber, an SVSU associate professor of biology.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, treks into remote areas of Michigan’s Manistee National Forest to collect bugs for his academic research.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, has found, catalogued and named 30 previously-unidentified insects.

A male grapevine beetle is among the bug collection of Stephen Taber, an SVSU associate professor of biology.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, has found, catalogued and named 30 previously-unidentified insects.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, treks into remote areas of Michigan’s Manistee National Forest to collect bugs for his academic research.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, has found, catalogued and named 30 previously-unidentified insects.

A cottonwood borer plectrodera scalator is among the bug collection of Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, has found, catalogued and named 30 previously-unidentified insects.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, has found, catalogued and named 30 previously-unidentified insects.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, treks into remote areas of Michigan’s Manistee National Forest to collect bugs for his academic research.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, treks into remote areas of Michigan’s Manistee National Forest to collect bugs for his academic research.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, has found, catalogued and named 30 previously-unidentified insects.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, has found, catalogued and named 30 previously-unidentified insects.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, treks into remote areas of Michigan’s Manistee National Forest to collect bugs for his academic research.

A collection of daddy longlegs is among a large insect collection for Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, treks into remote areas of Michigan’s Manistee National Forest to collect bugs for his academic research. He lays a number of traps — like this one — to capture the bugs.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, treks into remote areas of Michigan’s Manistee National Forest to collect bugs for his academic research.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, has found, catalogued and named 30 previously-unidentified insects.

Stephen Taber, SVSU associate professor of biology, treks into remote areas of Michigan’s Manistee National Forest to collect bugs for his academic research.