Bug Eater

In spite of the fact that I like bugs, I hold no animosity towards the creatures that eat them. A lot of those are other bugs, or arachnids, but there are a great number of other animals that eat them, too: birds, snakes, toads...

Like today's Backyard Amphibian of the Day:

 I think this is the first toad I have seen this year; I can't remember seeing another one. I found this one in the vegetable garden, where it is welcome to live, and eat up anything that is trying to eat our plants.

 On a more disgusting note of things I don't want to think of it doing in the garden where we grow food to eat, see that puddle just behind the toad in this shot? I watched it create that puddle, if you catch my meaning.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Checkered beetle.

So, toads in the garden, and in the house we have:

 

 The thing about having a lot of moths attracted to the porch light is that sometimes when you open the door to come in or out, they fly into the house. I found this one last night on a pillow on the couch.

 This is what the pillow looks like, so I guess the moth thought that bugs are welcome in the house. Actually, moths are welcome–at least, the kind that don't eat sweaters or lay eggs in the food in the pantry.

But there are definitely some very unwanted insects around, that I wish some animal would eat:

 Stupid gypsy moth caterpillars.

 Yesterday I mentioned how much I have learned about caterpillars in the last few years, well, one of the things I learned is that when they molt, their face falls off like a mask. Sometimes I find them in the backyard. It's kind of cool, except when it's a GMC.

And then there's other unwelcome things I wish something would eat:

 Not the fly, I don't care about flies as long as they're outside. But do you see what it's sitting on? A tick. I have heard that opossums eat ticks, and sometimes I see opossums in the backyard, but I wish they would come around and eat all of the ticks that are plaguing us this year.

In spite of the weather (it started to rain the first time I tried a bug walk today) I managed to find rather a lot of bugs today, much to my enjoyment. Random Bugs:

 Beetle

 Lace bug

 Because yesterday and today were wet, there were sow bugs all over the backyard today.

There's another bug here besides the sow bugs...

And speaking of things eating the bugs...

 I saw this beetle get caught in a stray thread of spider web, and then watched it as it tried (successfully) to escape, which it did mostly by flexing its elytra and wings.

 Mayfly

 Caterpillar

 Another caterpillar that is dangling from a plant, pretending to be a tiny stick. At first glance I thought that's what it was. But I know enough to look closer...

 

 The attempt to look like a stick is less successful in this pose, because sticks don't stick out from the edge of leaves like that.

 Itty bitty, baby assassin bug–one of those bugs that eats other bugs

 Spittle bug and some kind of hopper

 Beetle

 Some kind of plant bug

Moth on the kitchen window. That is another place they are attracted to, when it's dark out and the kitchen light is on.

Arachnid Appreciation:
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