Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Waiting

So late... Well, I didn't find much in the backyard today anyway - aside from the fly that followed me around the whole time, buzzing around my head. It was a generally annoying day, really.

Backyard Bug of the Day:
 This definitely appears to be a furcula moth caterpillar, and it seems likely it will change color when it changes instars, but I still don't know if it will be the same as the other furcula caterpillars. The others on the tree in the back porch are a different color, but they were not much bigger than these when I found them. Still, I'll wait and see.

 Two on a leaf!

Random Bugs:
The other young furculas. Not a good shot, but I wanted to show the size difference in these two. They looked about the same until today.

 The monarch caterpillar molted this morning...

 ... and then ate the skin that it had just discarded.

 The eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillar is greener today.

 A couple of hoverflies, hovering together. The ambush bugs from a couple of days ago are not the only ones who look like a circus act. After not seeing any for a while, suddenly there were hoverflies all over the place. They mostly refused to have their picture taken. As you can see, these two weren't too keen, either, but I am glad to have at least gotten a couple of shots that show what they are. It's not easy to take pictures of things in midair.


 Did I mention that most of the bugs today were uncooperative? Like this butterfly?

 Same butterfly

Fly

Remember I mentioned that one was to find ambush bugs was to look for bugs dangling in a strange manner? Well, today it was an ambush bug that I found dangling in a strange manner, and it was still alive, not being eaten by anything.

No idea.

 Skipper


 Leaf hopper

 In general anything with more than 8 legs creeps me out. This was especially weird in the way it moved up and down the tree trunk. Ick.

Milkweed pod with small milkweed bugs, and ant, and aphids

Arachnid Appreciation:
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I wonder if this is the same species as the other micrathena spiders I have been seeing, but perhaps a smaller male?

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