Bee Happy

Today was a day contrary to expectations. I expected there to be a good number of bugs in the backyard, because it was in the 60s today (YAY!), and there weren't (I didn't have a lot of time for my bug walk today, but trust me, there wasn't much to see). I didn't expect to see a butterfly, because I haven't seen one in months, but I did (but not in the backyard. I almost ran over one with my bike when we were on a trail in a state park. Fortunately, I swerved and it flew off in the correct direction). I didn't expect to find a new bug to be Backyard Bug of the Day for the third day in a row in NOVEMBER of my third year of doing Backyard Bug of the Day, but I did.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Some kind of hopper, obviously. I have seen one that looks similar to this, but in different colors (well, one of the colors was different - blue instead of brown), but it still qualifies as new. Huzzah!

This was the only hopper I saw today. I was kind of shocked by that.

You know what else I didn't expect to see today? A Bee!

When I first spotted this on the chaise I assumed it was a fly, because there are a lot of flies around lately, and I haven't seen a bee in ages, so when I got closer and saw it was a bee, I was ridiculously happy. Looking at this bee I understand better the difference between bees and wasps. I couldn't get completely excited about this bee, however, because it is possible that this is a male bee that has been kicked out of the hive to die, as I have read happens to male bees in the late fall. The reason I was so happy, though, is that I am finding that I miss the bugs that are not around anymore - the bees, the butterflies, the moths... I can't wait to see them again in the spring.

Random Bugs:

 Remember a while ago I posted a picture of a ladybug larva that I thought was getting ready to pupate? Well, it's been just hanging out in the same spot ever since, until today, finally, it has become a pupa!

I found two grasshoppers today, another bug I haven't seen in a while. They were both on the house, initially, but in these pictures they are off the house and on leaves in the rock garden.

 I know this is a horrible picture, but I didn't get a good picture of this one - it was getting dark, and it was in a difficult spot. So I don't know if it's just the way the camera picked up the light, but this one looks purple. Which means I am only a blue bug away from finally achieving my bug rainbow! Alas! There's not much chance of it happening now...

Arachnid Appreciation:
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Just one to appreciate today.