Backyard Irony

There's something funny, or ironic, or something, about the fact that today I could barely find any bugs at all, but one of the ones I found is one I haven't seen before.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 I don't know what this is, and I am not going to look it up, because it looks to me like it is a hopper nymph, and none of my books show much in the way of nymphs. So let's just assume that's what this is. Also, I just noticed there is a mite on this leaf as well.

 It looks like a tiny horseshoe crab without a tail.

 I wasn't even sure this was a bug until this sequence. I was looking at it from the side...

 ... and it started to stand up...

 ... then it took a step forward...

 ... and sat down again.

Cool eyes.

Random Bugs:

 Assassin bug. This picture was taken from the back, while the assassin bug appears to be doing some sort of ninja thing. I have never seen one sit with its legs up like this.

 Cabbage white butterfly

 Looper caterpillar

 Hopper. I haven't seen any hoppers in a while, and now two in one day.

 I thought there was something strange about this bee/wasp when I took its picture - it was too still. It was not until I looked at it on the compute that I realized it is in the clutches of an ambush bug. Look closely...

Tiny caterpillar hanging from a thread. The blue in the background is the picnic umbrella, from which it was dangling. The white blob in front of its head is the silk thread it is gathering up as it climbs.

I couldn't find the Furcula caterpillar today. It appears to have either moved on to find a new plant to eat, or has perhaps gone off to pupate - though I would have thought it had a little more growing to do before that.

I realize now that I don't have any arachnids for you to appreciate today, unless you count the mite on the leaf with the Backyard Bug of the Day above. It's kind of surprising, after I found so many yesterday. I did see several goldenrod crab spiders today, but none of them wanted their picture taken.