THIS IS THE BLOG POST FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016. Our internet was out all day (and night) yesterday, so I was unable to post my blog. This is the post for yesterday, today's blog will be posted later this evening.
Over the past couple of years I have become quite proud of my ability to find bugs. I have learned where to look for them, and have developed a keen eye for seeing things that are hard to see, whether because they are tiny, or because they blend in. I have learned to see movement and recognize what is causing it, and have developed a keen peripheral vision. I know that as I walk around my backyard there are a million bugs I am walking right past without seeing - and not just because I am looking to the left when there is a bug on the right, but I am able to find a lot of things that would probably be invisible to most other people. However, in order to keep my pride from developing into vanity, the world likes to remind me once in a while of how unobservant I really am. I miss a lot of stuff that is right in front of my face.
Case in point:
I took a picture of one of the last remaining asters on this plant...
I didn't notice as I was taking the picture that the flower I was looking at was covered with aphids.
Interesting dried fern...
... with a crane fly hiding behind it. I did not see that until I looked at the picture on the computer.
To my credit, I did find this tiny insect to be Backyard Bug of the Day:
I don't know what it is. I don't even know where to start looking to find out what it is.
Too big to fit in the magnifier, but tiny nonetheless. I can't really tell, but it seems to have wings that are not fully developed. It's just so small it's hard to see.
I spotted these, too. The grill cover is a popular hangout for tiny insects.
I also was able to see more than just the two bees in this clump of asters:
Two bees, three gnats, and an ant.
The other bugs are less in focus in this one.
Asters are the place to be these days. They are pretty much all that's left blooming.
First moth I have seen all week.
Ladybeetle
Ah, the age-old question: Is this a cocoon of some kind, or bird poop? I have no idea.
Stilt bug
To give you a sense of size, that is the stem of a fallen leaf it is resting on.
Moth on the front porch at night.
Mostly very small spiders today for Arachnid Appreciation:
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Jumping spider
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