Daily Changes

Today was quite an interesting day in the backyard. It was the kind of day that makes it worthwhile to go out EVERY day, because part of what was so interesting was seeing how things change in nature from one day to the next, and then the next.
For instance, Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #1:

 I did not find this exact moth in my books, but it may be from the crocus geometer family. Note the plant it is resting on.

 I think it was about a week ago that I posted a picture of these leaves joined together, and speculated that either there was a chrysalis/cocoon inside or a spider. As it turns out, it was a chrysalis, which you can see here. It would appear that the moth eclosed today from that chrysalis.

 I found it in the late afternoon, and then in the evening, when we were on our way out to the grocery store I checked and saw that it was still there (in spite of a downpour in the interim). I took this picture when I came home from the store. I think that it sometimes takes a day or so after eclosure for moths or butterflies to fly away from the place they pupated.

Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #2:

 This is an odd one, and I was unable to find it in my books, so I don't know what it is. It is certainly new for me. It appears to be some kind of fly, and a predatory one. When I spotted this, I couldn't really tell what was going on. The fly is hanging from a leaf by one leg, and there seemed to be some kind of scuffle going on with the insect it is holding onto with its other legs. It was hard to see, these were small, but I thought that maybe the other insect was actually a spider, and the fly was its prey. But a little more observation made it look like the fly was the predator. When I got too close and the fly flew away with the other still in its grasp, that seemed to be confirmation.

Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #3:

 Yes, 3 Backyard Bugs of the Day, the first because its situation was interesting, and the other two because they are new species for me. This one is a Round-tipped conehead katydid. Female, I think. I have never seen one before.

 It really didn't want its picture taken, so the pictures aren't good, but I wanted to make it BBotD because it was new and interesting.

And speaking of interesting... and katydids... and changes...

 Yesterday's nymph is now an imago! I looked for it on its usual plant, and it was not there, but I found it (it's kind of hard to see, as you might imagine), and found it on another plant, just inches away from where it had been, but now, it's fully mature! You can tell from that fact that it has fully developed wings. I wish I had seen the molting process!

 I wasn't completely sure it was the same one, because it seems much bigger, but I think you can kind of see through the wings that the body is not much bigger, the wings are just bigger. And it's the same face.

I might as well put today's last katydid here:

 Three different species of katydids today!

For more interesting moments in the backyard today, when we got home from the grocery store, the car's headlights illuminated Backyard Bird of the Day:

 I am pretty sure this is a barred owl. It looked a little soggy from the rain. It was sitting in a tree at the top of the driveway. It did not seem to mind as I walked quite close to it. Sorry for the blurry picture, I had to take it with my phone, in the dark. My husband went inside to get our real cameras, but it flew away before we got a chance to use them. I stood and watched it for a couple of minutes, though.

And Backyard Amphibian of the Day:

Now for an update on the injured rabbit. It's not as bad as yesterday, but feel free to scroll quickly past it to get to the rest of today's bugs:
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 Here it is, calmly dining on fallen leaves from the peach tree. I should remind you that these pictures are taken with a macro lens, not a zoom. I really was this close to it, and it did not mind. It did not appear to be in any distress, hopping around to eat more leaves, and then when I got too close for comfort, moving away. Note in addition to the wound on its head it appears to have one on its left ear.

And as often seems to be the case with rabbits in my backyard, ticks on its neck.

I've never seen a rabbit eat dead leaves before, but this one really seemed to enjoy them.

 I was eating my lunch outside when I saw movement on a leaf in a tree. Closer examination revealed a caterpillar sticking its head out over the edge. By the time I got my camera it had moved to this part of the leaf. It was about 10 feet up in the tree, which is surrounded by thorn bushes, so I had to use my telephoto lens to take this picture, and can't tell at all what kind this is.

 Scorpionfly. Also taken with the telephoto.

 Wasp on goldenrod.

 Robber fly

Katydids were not the only orthoptera around today:

 Adult, I think red-legged grasshopper

 

 Nymph grasshopper

 Bark louse with mite

 Fly

 Bumbleebee on goldenrod

 The double-toothed prominent is growing more "teeth."

 I could see this caterpillar as I was eating lunch, and it was jerking its body back and forth in some kind of agitation. I thought it was annoyed by an ant crawling on the leaf, but it kept doing it after the ant was gone.

 Monarch. Sorry for the blurry picture, it started to pour as I was taking pictures of it. I can never find monarch caterpillars when I am looking for them, but when I am just sitting on my back porch, suddenly they are visible.

Arachnid Appreciation:
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 Bowl and doily web, where you can just seen the spider.