I missed the window of opportunity to do my bug walk during the warmest and sunniest part of the day, but since it wasn't ever actually warm or particularly sunny, I am not sure how much my timing affected what I was able to find in the backyard today. The temperature has been going down steadily and precipitously. We're looking ahead at record cold, according to forecasts, so by the weekend it might be too cold for bugs at all.
Backyard Bug of the Day:
Hemiptera of some kind; plant bug, I think.
Still the most numerous (and that's not saying much) of the bugs were the candy-striped leaf hoppers:
The rain gauge has become a popular hangout for aphids, which is weird, since they can't eat plastic. But there are at least two species hanging out there lately, and here's one of them.
Winter firefly
It's interesting that there are so few bugs around lately, and yet one of the most icon insects of summer, the crickets, are still out there singing as it gets colder every day:
Tree cricket
Bush cricket
Arachnid Appreciation:
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Flower crab spider. I think it is going to be waiting a long time for something to come along for it to grab for dinner.
Such a beautiful spiderling. At least, I assume it's a spiderling. It is so small.
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