The Eye of a T-Rex

The weather pretended like it was going to be a rainy day today, so it was very dark in the morning when I did my bug walk. I think all the bugs decided to go back to bed when they saw the skies. On most days, but on dark days like today especially, my vision is like the T-Rex in Jurassic Park - based on movement. There have been so very, very many bugs that I would never have noticed if they had not moved. Today's Backyard Bug of the Day is one of them.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 I spotted this bug because it was scurrying down this branch. I thought it was a spider until I looked at it through the camera, and saw it is... something that is not a spider. A fly of some kind? Wearing a houndstooth suit? It's not your typical scurrying bug.

I didn't get a good picture of it, and couldn't decide which of these shots was less horrible.

Backyard Bud of the Day:

Lettuce. It's done for the season.

I've done a bit of reading and found out something about ambush bugs:

 This is not necessarily mating. Sometimes the male hangs onto the female's back, because she is bigger than he is, and therefore capable of taking larger prey, and he will then share in the bounty if she catches something.

I found out other things by my own observation. Specifically, that if you keep very still hoping not to be seen...

You might get stepped on by something that doesn't see you.

Awkward.

It's impressive, really, how often bugs are completely unconcerned by the presence of other bugs. Especially considering the reaction of a large portion of the human population toward the presence of bugs.

 This bug was crawling all over within inches of...

... this bug. They were even on the same leaf, briefly, and neither seemed to care (though the one above was rather insistent on avoiding the camera).

I guess if you're a bug you really only worry about the other bugs if they want to eat you. How they can tell the difference, I have no idea.

It is possible that this is the adult version of yesterday's Backyard Bug of the Day:

Random bugs:

 So many leafhoppers...

This bug looks like a cartoon character. I believe it is a species of katydid.

Cocoon:

Nothing like prickliness to protect you while you're pupating.

Here's a rare glimpse of a mammal in the backyard (one that isn't a rabbit or squirrel, anyway):

Baby opossum.

Blooms:

Lady's thumb

And seeds:

Actually, the seed seems to be missing on this piece of milkweed fluff.

Lately the backyard seems to be all about the spiders. I've got a few for Arachnid Appreciation today:
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 Imagine that what you are having for dinner is almost as big as you. Now imagine having to carry it around in your mouth, as this spider was doing, going up and down this branch. This is a jumping spider (I think), and one of the things my bug book has to say about jumping spiders is that they are "as cute as spiders get." This is absolutely true. I think they are adorable.

 This is cute, too, because it's tiny, but it is too small for me to be able to see what it is. It was building its web when I saw it.

 This is a flower crab spider. This probably sounds silly, but I was excited to see this today, not just because it's the first one I have seen one like this, but because I have seen it in my bug book before, and always wished that I could see one in my yard. And there it is. I have seen lots of crab spiders before, but not one that looks like this. According to my book, the females can change from white to yellow, depending on the color of the flower they are on. This must be a male... I have seen lots of yellow crab spiders before.