Taking Bug Breaks

 I had a LOT to do today, and the bugs that I took pictures of were distractions from what I was doing, which I am not complaining about. I, as you know, really like to see cool bugs, and if it means that it takes me a little longer to mow the lawn (or even start mowing the lawn), that is not a problem.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

Damselfly. It was hanging around the back porch area most of the afternoon. Mostly it rested on the stones of the path, but at one point it landed on this plant for a few minutes, and was very obliging in staying still for some photos.

Backyard Bug of the Night:

Green lacewing. We saw this bug just as we were setting out on our night woods walk. It was flying, and in the beam of our flashlights it was so graceful and delicate. I watched and waited for it to land, and when it did, I went back into the house to get my camera for photographs. This specific insect is special to me for reasons I don't want to explain, so I am always happy when I get to see one. I am especially happy to see one someplace other than the wall of my front porch, which is usually where I find them, attracted by the porch light.

Other Bugs:

Katydid nymph and candy striped leaf hopper

Katydid nymph

I think this is a nymph of a leaf-footed bug

Little wood satyr butterfly. These have been all over the backyard for the last several days. They are hard to photograph because they flit from place to place, but never land for long, or let me get close to them. As I was sitting on the back porch cooling down after mowing the lawn, I saw one land in this thicket. I had my camera handy and cautiously moved closer to try to get a picture, and just as I was in range, a wasp landed right next to the butterfly and scared it off. I was frustrated, but I stuck around, watching the butterfly, and a couple of others, flutter around. One looked like it might land right next to the damselfly that was resting on a rock at the time. Then once again one landed in this thicket, and AGAIN another bug landed nearby and scared it away! Finally this one came, and you can see that I wasn't able to get close, because of where it was among the leaves. It was interesting, though, to see it resting with its wings open like this (as it had the first two times it landed there, if this was the same one); usually they rest with their wings closed.

By the way, among the several species of butterflies I have seen this week was my first monarch sighting of the year. It swooped past me, over my head, when I was in the vegetable garden, and zoomed away.