Bad Luck

 I picked up my camera the other day and it was dusty. Ever since I got home from my travels, things have been going wrong. We had a long heatwave, during which I got sick (no, I did not have COVID), and then just as I was getting better again, I injured my shoulder. It's hard for me to hold my camera right now. And I have missed my backyard; I was stuck inside for health reasons for two weeks, and felt completely cut off from what was going on outside, almost as much as when I was on the other side of the planet for two weeks. So today I just went out to walk around for a while, to see what was blooming (goldenrod), and have a look at my milkweed patch. I was feeling morose about not seeing any monarch caterpillars so far this year–in fact, only twice have I spotted monarch butterflies at all in my backyard. Then, lo and behold...

Backyard Bug of the Day:

Monarch caterpillar! A medium-sized one, so one of the middle instars. But wait, there's more! Obviously I went inside and got my camera, and took this picture, and then I turned around and saw...

... ANOTHER monarch caterpillar! This one was about the same size, middle-instar. Then when I finished taking pictures of this one, I saw...

... ANOTHER monarch caterpillar! There's been a lot going on in my milkweed patch while I was stuck inside! This one is pretty big, probably a few days left of chomping leaves before it is done.

When I went outside later to go for my walk, the big one was the only one of the three I could still find.

Also on milkweed:

Pretty, little fly
 

Since I had my camera out, I figured I might as well take a picture of the cricket I had found earlier under the rain gauge:

 One reason why I went out to walk around my yard in the first place is because it occurred to me that I had not yet seen whether or not there were any nuts on my hazelnut trees this year:

Yes.

I did take a few pictures over the last couple of weeks, starting with this one that I took while writing my last blog post (and since it was after midnight it didn't count for that post). Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #1 from August 1:

Moth fly on my computer screen. If you find the name confusing, it is actually a fly, not a moth. It is also incredibly small. And there is a lot of dust on my computer screen.

The next night, but still within the same 24 hours, I found Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #2 for August 1:

Primrose moth. On evening primrose. These flowers bloom at night (hence the name), but I have always found these moths during the day, in the partly closed flowers. This one was also in a partly closed flower until I annoyed it. A couple of days ago I actually saw these in full bloom for the first time, while I was out on a late-night walk (because of the heat wave). But there were no moths on them then.

Ah, I forgot about this...

After taking pictures of the primrose moth that night I spotted these green lacewing eggs on the back porch light on my way into the house. From the looks of them they were ready to hatch soon. I meant to keep an eye on them for the next few days and forgot. Just now I went out to check, and it looks like they have hatched–the eggs are still there, but they look opened and empty. I didn't get to see the baby lacewings. 

But on the subject of green lacewings... They are not an insect I have seen a lot in my backyard. Usually when I see them they are on the front porch, attracted by the light. I have rarely seen one during the day, and only occasionally at night. Until this summer. Recently I have seen them a lot when I do night hikes in the woods. So I think maybe the reason I don't see them much is because they hang out in woods, not in open areas like my backyard, and because they obviously fly around at night. It is fun to see them fluttering in the light of my flashlight, and they are one of the few species of bugs that I can identity while in flight.

Anyway, here's one I found on a night hike (when I had my phone, but not my camera, sadly):

 I also saw a couple of katydids on that walk. And heard a lot more of them. The nights are noisy now.

And on another evening hike, this time one where it was light when we set out:

Ailanthus webworm caterpillars

And because the goldenrod is in bloom, and attracts a lot of pollinators:

Ailanthus webworm moth and bee.

I saw a LOT of ailanthus webworm moths. Maybe because we have a lot of ailanthus, aka tree of heaven, aka stinky tree. Well, I call it stinky tree, because it smells bad. It is also invasive, although apparently the moths are not.

I really wish I'd had my camera on this walk when I saw this pelecinid wasp with her glorious ovipositor. She even was kind of cooperative. But low light and phone camera don't make for great pictures.

On the back porch tree, a lady beetle larva eating lady beetle eggs.

I found a new-to-me spider for Arachnid Appreciation:

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I found this on a milkweed while I was looking for caterpillars. There were none on this plant (which is in a different patch than the one where I found the caterpillars).

Six-spotted orb weaver. The spots are on the other side.