GREEN and Dreams

I had a dream last night about a stick insect. It was sort of sentient, and I was trying to get it to pose for pictures, and it didn't want to, so I was talking to it, trying to convince it that I was just trying to get people to see how amazing and cool bugs are. I woke up before we resolved the issue, so I don't know how it would have turned out, but I have actually said this to bugs many times without success, so I have my doubts that that dream bug was going to be more cooperative, in spite of its sentience.

Yes, fine, I talk to bugs. You would too, in my shoes... garden clogs. Whatever.

I did two bug walks today, because the first one was basically a huge failure in which I saw three, count 'em, three bugs. I don't know if it was because it was hot (we hit 90ºF today) or because it was ferociously windy, but when I went out the first time the bugs were just not there. The only bug I saw in the rock garden was the carpenter bee that patrols the area–I found out that it doesn't just patrol the front walk, it goes almost all the way around the house and back again. All day. There weren't ANY bees on or around the pussy willow that has been a bee magnet all week. It was weird, and perplexing, and frustrating. So later, when it had cooled off a bit (to 88ºF. Sometimes my perspective on "cool" can be a bit skewed) things were a little better. Again, I don't know why. It was only 2 degrees cooler. It was still ferociously windy. I just don't understand bugs.

Anyway, today's blog is brought to you by the color GREEN:

 Suddenly LOTS of trees are opening their leaves!

This, by the way, is one of the flowering crabapple trees, and it has NO flower buds on it at all. I am crushed.

 Fern unfurling

Also, GREEN BUGS:

 Remember what I said about the six-spotted tiger beetle yesterday? Well, today I got this shot. Of course. Note the six spots; they don't always have those.

 Green bee–actually, this might be a cuckoo wasp, I didn't get closer than this to look.

 Green assassin bug with prey

 Green assassin bug waiting for prey. On my second bug walk there were bees around the pussy willow, which is what this assassin bug was waiting for.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Stilt-legged bug

Other Bugs:

 Can you see it?

 Tiny springtail

 The caterpillar is still where I left it yesterday–I am not sure it is still alive–and while I was looking at it, something tiny hopped onto a bit of grass beside it and then hopped off again.

 

 Even magnified I cannot tell what it is.

 I saw a couple of crane flies laying eggs.

She uses that formidable looking ovipositor to poke into the ground and lays her eggs there.

 Candy striped leaf hopper

 Click beetle

 Beetle on the back of my husband's shirt...

 ... and then on my finger

 Different beetle in the grass

 There were a LOT of ants around the last couple of days, of a variety of sizes, and I have seen many of them on the opening leaves of trees.

 Two different species of insects in one shot!

 Arachnid Appreciation:
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Jumping spider

Snake of the Day:
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 I think that when they days are really warm like the last few have been, the snake(s) don't have to spend as much time basking in the sun to warm up, they can just go out looking for critters to eat, so I haven't seen them around much. But today on the second bug walk I saw this one. I don't know if it's the same one I have been seeing...

 But if it is, it has added quite a lot of girth.

Sassy little snake