The Bugs in the Backyard: Umbrella

There's your thousand word introduction. I should just let the picture tell the story, because it does so with some elegance, whereas if I told you in my own words what it was like in the backyard today, it would just come out all whiny. Al I'll say is, it's hard to take pictures of bugs while holding an umbrella. I am not whining that it is raining, by the way. We need rain. I am whining because it is cold, and because it is stupid, drizzly rain, which won't amount to anything, but goes on all day just to be annoying.

The biggest effect of the cold, rainy day was in the number of bees out today. Which is to say, there weren't very many. Almost all of them were bumble bees (or what I think are bumble bees). They were mostly just clinging to flowers in a stupor, which made taking pictures of them very easy.

These bees have the right idea - snuggling together on a chilly day.

This bee was actually gathering nectar. Someone had to keep up the 'busy bee' reputation.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

Actually, no, this is not the Backyard Bug of the Day. I am not positive that this has not been BBotD already this summer. It looks very similar to a bug that was BBotD, and it is possible that this one is just a different stage of development, because I think they are both immature versions of a stink bug. However, they are not really different enough that I want to use this again. So, I think something else should be BBotD...

Backyard Bug of the Day:

I don't think this has been Backyard Bug of the Day before. It's hard to tell, there are a lot of bugs that look like this, and I have taken a lot of pictures this summer, and I went through all of the BBotDs so far, and I don't think it has been chose, but frankly, I don't know. However, I don't have another option for today, so, this is it.

This was my first sight of it. Good picture, eh? I had to climb through a lot of wet, prickly things to get the better picture - and then before I could get as close as I wanted, it flew away. I then had to check, after I waded back out to the path, to make sure I didn't have any slugs on me. But at least I didn't have to use this picture! So, play a round of Where's Waldo, and see if you can spot the bug (It was easier for me - I saw it land).

Here's a hint:

No?

This is what it's like stalking a bug.

I'm going to post some pictures of the White Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar AGAIN, even though you're all probably sick of seeing it, because I think it looks cute with raindrops caught in its venomous spines:

This leaf is one it was eating yesterday, that it then moved on from. At this point there is one green leaf left on the tree. Last time I saw the caterpillar, it was walking down the trunk, testing the goldenrod leaves it could reach from there. Unfortunately for the caterpillar, if these are the kind of leaves it wants, it will have a long walk to find more of them.

I debated whether I should post this... I think this is a big piece of frass. It is caught on the spines of a raspberry bush, which is not where the caterpillar who... ummm... excreted it is; I am thinking it must be somewhere in the tree above. I couldn't see it, though - it was a long way up.

You probably can't tell, but this caterpillar has grown a LOT since I first saw it. Notice also that it has raindrops stuck to its spines, too. And check out how the spines on the side have grown. They are a darker color now, too.

I think by tomorrow's bug walk this leaf will be gone.

Random Bugs:

A couple of assassins.

I am thinking that bugs must hate rain.

Zoomed waaaaaay in you can see that this bug has a raindrop stuck behind its eye. Can you imagine how annoying that must be? (Provided the bug even knows it's there. I could just be projecting).