Seeing Things

There's a line in the movie Jurassic Park about the visual capabilities of Tyrannosaurus rex that I sometimes think about when I do my bug walk. In the movie there is a T. rex on the loose, and the paleontologist character tells another character not to move, because the T. rex's vision is based on movement, and if he doesn't move, the hungry predator cannot see him. Thus, the characters who are in the know about this freeze when the T. rex is near, so it can't see them and won't eat them, but the less knowledgeable character gets chomped, because he sees a Tyrannosaurus rex and runs, thereby becoming visible to the carnivorous tyrant lizard king. It's not true, according to scientists. They now believe that Tyrannosaurus reges had excellent vision. I, on the other hand, very much rely on movement when I am looking for bugs. In the case of bugs that are well camouflaged (and other animals, too, like rabbits and birds), I often only see them if they move. Since they are moving because they presumably think I am a predator, it's a tactical error on their part, but as I am not going to eat them, the strategy does not hurt them. It is kind of funny, though.

This moth, for example, I never would have seen if it hadn't flown to a new spot when I got close to it:

The curious thing, though, is when an insect seems to be moving in order to be seen. I may not have seen this fly on this tree trunk if it had not been fluttering its wings:

 Now, I don't know why it was fluttering its wings, but sometimes I think insects are doing that in order to attract the attention of another of their species, but one of the opposite sex.

 

 Of course, staying still to avoid being seen doesn't just work for prey, it works for predators, too.

These assassin bugs blend in rather well among the leaves, and they sit very still there, waiting for some prey insect to land there without noticing them.

I almost didn't see this Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Green Lacewing. It was on the side of this opening leaf, and in spite of the color difference, it looked like part of the plant when I first glanced at it. If was very nice to find one in nature; usually I see them on the walls of the porch, attracted by the light.

Moth

Wasp. This looks like a female ready to lay some eggs.

 One fly...

 ... two flies...

 Click beetle

Arachnid Appreciation:
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 Jumping spider

 Jumping spider feeding on another jumping spider