Today the bugs in the backyard were a little more cooperative, even if the wind wasn't. I did my bug walk earlier than usual because the forecast was dire for the latter half of the afternoon. While it did turn out to be a horrible storm in some places, it really wasn't much here. However, I found a lot more bugs than I have been finding recently, so maybe that difference of a few hours is important.
Butterflies have been pretty scarce in my backyard this summer, but today there was a really cooperative one on the autumn joy sedum, and it is Backyard Bug of the Day:
I think that this is a red-banded hairstreak butterfly. There are several hairstreaks that look very similar. They are identified by the specific markings on their wings and, if you can get a glimpse of it, the color of the dorsal side, I think, but I hardly ever get to see that. It's funny that even when I did a search for pictures of the dorsal side of the wings, out of all of the photos that appeared of red-banded hairstreaks, only one showed the dorsal side of the wings. Interesting to note that it still has one of its tails. It is unusual to see one with both tails intact, and I would say most of the times I have seen them, both tails are gone.
Hairstreaks hardly ever open their wings at rest, but they do rub them back and forth against each other, and when they do, you can sometimes get a peek at the dorsal color, as seen here. It's very dark.
Here's a little better look at the dorsal side of the hindwing.
Insects have no concept of personal space:
Another interesting thing: I found this butterfly right at the beginning of my bug walk, because it was in a garden bed right next to the house, only steps from the back door. It was cooperative enough to let me get close to it and take rather a lot of pictures. I took al the shots I wanted and then went on with my bug walk, leaving while the butterfly was still there. Usually with butterflies I get a shot or two if I am lucky, and away they fly; often I don't get a picture at all. At the end of my bug walk, which was at least half an hour later, but I think more like an hour, I checked, and the butterfly was still there, feeding on the autumn joy sedum. I wonder how long it stayed, and if it was chased away by the rain when it began.
Other Bugs:
Large milkweed bug nymphs
The milkweed patch in what used to be the vegetable garden is where the large milkweed bug nymphs are, but that patch has also lately been host to a great many flies. There is kind of a dark, dirty film on the plants that I think is attracting the flies. It may have something to do with aphids, or fungus, or I don't know. The plants don't look good, but the flies enjoy them. I haven't been able to get pictures of the flies, because they are very active, and are often in spots on the plants where I can't get close without scaring them away, but today they were a little more cooperative:
Tachinid fly
Bottle flies. There have been a LOT of bottle flies on the milkweed patch.
Flies and other insects, including wasps (or in this picture at least, A wasp) and large milkweed bug nymphs
Leaf hopper
Arachnid Appreciation:
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I found two spiders today, both on chairs in the backyard:
Bowl and doily spider
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