Backyard: The Epic

Today was a very satisfying day in backyard bug stalking. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I have a new pair of tick repellent pants, so I can sit on the ground and get up close and personal with bugs without worrying about tick bites, or caring if the pants get dirty and grass stained, because I am only going to be wearing them in my backyard. But probably not. It is probably just because it was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, (some of) the flowers were blooming, and I was able to find some really cool bugs.

For the record, I almost never sit on the ground in general. I know too much about what is creeping and crawling through the grass.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 This is the kind of bug you spot because it doesn't understand how camouflage works. It looks like a lump of dirt, and it probably blends in really well on the ground. On the tip of a leaf it looks really out of place, however.

 Up close it has a wonderful metallic look, so that it looks more like a nugget of some kind of ore.

 Bird's Nest Update:

 The robin has been incubating the eggs (3 of them) for a few days now. I have been trying to stay out of her way, but she is extremely sensitive. I basically can't go in front of the house at all, except to go down the driveway (out of view of the nest on the porch) to the mailbox. If I go up the steps toward the porch, she takes off. I tried to sneak a shot with the telephoto lens today, and here it is, blurry. She let me get one shot and then flew to a tree. I left immediately. I'll have to avoid the area for up to another ten days, which is going to be a drag. We just planted bushes in front of the porch, and they need water, and it never rains.

A few tiny flowers growing in

 Random Bugs:

First damselfly of the year! I get a sense that Life In Nature is sort of an ongoing, epic drama series in my backyard, in which new characters are constantly being introduced.

The damselfly was quite cooperative, if inconveniently located. Nothing like having to stick your head through a tangle of vines for a picture.

Bumbleebees and wisteria seem to be a match made in heaven.

 Aphid

This may be the first time I have ever gotten a loot at an aphid's sucking mouthparts. Or maybe it's just the first time I have noticed them.

A cocoon?

 I think most of the assassin bugs I have posted so far this spring have been immatures, with undeveloped wings. Now I have spotted a few adults. This one has quite striking coloring.

 Another one of different coloring. I don't know if this means different species or just individual variation.

 Can you spot the moth?

 How about now?

 Having misidentified the forest tent caterpillars as eastern tent caterpillars recently, I can now show you what eastern tent caterpillars actually look like:

The coloring is similar, but the patterns are different. And these seem to be hairier, but that could be because these are bigger. I found two of them today, this one...

 ... and this one. Since they are on their own, they are probably on their way to finding a spot to pupate.

I was unable to find any of the forest tent caterpillars today.

There's a theme to the spider pictures today, which is webs that are full of pollen and seed fuzz. This must be a frustrating time of year to be a spider. Arachnid Appreciation:
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 Yes, there is a spider in this picture. If I was a spider, this is what my web would look like.

This one's not so bad.