Innocence of a Butterfly

Let's see if this is working again...

Backyard Bug of the Day:

Cabbage white butterfly. I am not 100% sure that this has not been chosen already this year, but I didn't have many options to choose from today. This is my husband's least favorite butterfly because the name comes from the host plants of the caterpillars–cabbages, but also related plants like broccoli and Brussels sprouts that we have tried to grow in our garden a few times, only to have our delicious vegetables devoured by caterpillars. These are, interestingly enough, an introduced species in North America, and they have taken up residence all across the United States, no doubt to the dismay of many gardeners. There aren't many insects that I personally find pesky, but in their larval stage, these certainly are. I can't hate a butterfly, though.

Other Bugs:

Sawfly larva

Dragonfly

And that's it for insects. Now for Arachnid Appreciation:

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This is one of my favorite ways to find insects and spiders: by seeing their shadows:

There is another photo of this spider, from the other side of the leaf, but for some reason it won't load. [Note to self: file number 8827].

This spider was a little bit aggressive, and I was annoying it. Cautiously.

This spider is still hanging out on the same dried leaf where it's been for the last couple of days.