It's hard to have anything to say when there wasn't much to see in the backyard. The most interesting thing I saw today I was unable to photograph. I was walking around outside after dark, and had brought a flashlight out with me, but the moon is full, so I decided that I didn't need the flashlight and turned it off. As I was walking down the driveway I saw a faint glimmer of light coming from the ground–the glow of a firefly larva. I left my flashlight (turned off) next to it while I went inside to get my camera, but by the time I got back outside it had wandered off somewhere–there are a lot of fallen leaves on the driveway so there were plenty of places to hide. I realized that if had been using my flashlight to walk around I would never have seen that faint glow. The flashlight would have overpowered it. If you have a place you can walk safely I highly recommend walking around in the moonlight without a flashlight. It's quite an interesting experience, and I think you will be amazed at how well you can see once your eyes adjust to the level of light.
Backyard Bug of the Day:
I assume this is some kind of plant bug. It's a Hemiptera, anyway.
Other Bugs:
Katydid, female, missing a rear leg. It's late in the year for an insect of summer, and some of them are pretty battered by months of avoiding being eaten by predators. Sometimes they come out of attacks alive, but without a limb.
A better look at yesterday's Backyard Bug of the Day. I have already forgotten the name of what I think it is... four-humped stinkbug?
It took a second look for me to realize there was a bug here:
Crane fly
This is a female, you can see her ovipositor, which looks like a stinger but is not.
White hickory tussock moth caterpillar. Usually these are a common sight at this time of year. So far this year I think this is the fourth one I have spotted.
Honeybee above, assassin bug nymph lurking below
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