Caroling

The biggest surprise in the backyard today was that even though it was 63ºF, I hardly found any bugs. There were a lot of gnats flying around, but other than that, I had a hard time finding anything. I had hoped for hoppers or something, but I didn't see a single one. It was weird. Of course, there's a lot more to it than temperature - the bugs don't just go away because it is cold. Some of them are probably gone because there's not much left to eat now. If your diet consists of leaves, there's no more food now. And a lot of them will have lived out their life cycles. But I found more bugs yesterday than I did today.

On the other hand, it's December now, so... I can't really complain.

I did, however, find something I had never seen before, so....

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 First I have to test you to see if you can spot it. Not that this one is so hard.

 I have no idea what this is. It almost doesn't look like an insect, or like it is a nymph, rather than an adult. But it's about half an inch long, so that would be a pretty big adult. It's got long legs, too.

 It sort of looks like a moth without wings.

 Needless to say it was a shock to find something new today...

 Then what to my wondering eyes should appear, but another one, on a tree about 100 feet away.

This one seems to be missing about half of its legs.

Random Bugs... of which there are few:

 I spotted this one without going outside. It was on a window - on the inside.

 A couple of woolly aphids came out to enjoy the nice weather.

 I think this is a cockroach. I know that half of you just ran screaming from the room, but outside cockroaches are beneficial insects, because they help things decompose. By eating them.

 Plus, it's actually a pretty amazing looking bug.

The only spider I saw today was Rain Gauge Spider, and she wasn't in the mood for pictures. Plus, you know what she looks like. So, if you want to have some Arachnid Appreciation today, you'll have to go check your basement.

I can't wait to find out what kind of bugs tomorrow will bring... if it brings any at all.