I'm Home

The backyard didn't exactly give me a warm welcome home today. I was chased inside by weather - rain and thunder - a couple of times, and the bugs were hiding from me. It took me three... no, four attempts at a bug walk to get anything to show you.

I've got a weird one for you for Backyard Bug of the Day:

 I've been seeing these around, and have been puzzled by them. Basically, I figured that they were cocoons, which isn't so puzzling, really. They usually look like they are attached firmly to a leaf. But I saw one the other day with a little bit of a gap between the leaf and the... thing, and that made me wonder if they are not actually attached, and are ambulatory.

Then I found this one today. I know, you still can't see what it is, really, but what you can see are two little legs that are holding this creature up. So, I did an internet search and found out that this is a casebearing leaf beetle's larva. The case is made of droppings. According to the internet, the mother starts it for the young when she lays the egg, sticking her own droppings to the egg. When the larva hatches it adds to it from its own droppings, and then scoops it up on its back to carry around. Eventually it will close up the opening and pupate inside. So, it's weird, and pretty disgusting, but also quite interesting.

Still honoring native bees here:

Who's On the Milkweed Today?

 Not many bugs, but this one was there.

More photos of the BBotD from a few days ago:

 These bugs really like astilbe. Until this year I think this was the only flower where I ever saw them.

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 Egg sac?

Random Bugs:

Hiding from me... or the rain...

 I only found part of it, but this is a huge beetle.

 Ants drinking sap from a crack in a crab apple tree. The white circles are reflections of the camera flash, not part of the ants.

 This katydid is not dead, but I think there is something wrong with it. It's not normal for a katydid to jump and land on its back or side. And its body is curved strangely.

 Also, its wing covers are sticking up.

 I don't know what this is, but it is very small, and seems to be immature, because it looks like it has wings that are not fully developed. Also, could be female, because that looks like it might be an ovipositor.

 Also, those mouth parts look like it's a Hemiptera.

 Still thing these are adorable.

 I never looked at one from this vantage point (directly in front) before.

 I know the angle makes this look like a spider, but it's not, it's some kind of Hemiptera.

Arachnid Appreciation:
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My husband called me into the kitchen by saying, "Hey, do you want to see my spider?" It was crawling on his hand. Very small. Here it is between his pinky and ring finger.