Moth Manor

The bugs in my backyard weren't very nice to me today. I went outside to eat my lunch, and something stung me right in the middle of my forehead. Then while I was eating, a hummingbird moth flew into the arbor and then out again before I could grab my camera (which I bring outside with me when I eat outside, just in case). Then when I did my bug walk, the bugs were generally just really uncooperative.

Sometimes I amused myself with thinking of names for my property, in the manner of... well, manors. Like Pemberley, or Mount Vernon, or Versailles. Except I think of names that are more descriptive, like The Land of Ticks and Poison Ivy (that was before we build our house). Today I thought that Moth Manor would be a good choice - there were moths EVERYWHERE. There were many, many kinds of little moths, but mostly there were male gypsy moths. I noticed them even before I went outside - it was impossible to look out any window of the house and not see at least one flying by. And then when I went outside, they were flying all over the place. Funny thing is, I remember the gypsy moth scourge of 1981, but I only remember the caterpillars. I don't remember the moths afterward. In case you are wondering how I knew they were male moths flying everywhere, it is because while female gypsy moths have wings, they don't fly. They just hang out in the area where they eclosed, while the males fly around looking for females. I read somewhere that the males are mostly nocturnal, but will sometimes be seen during the day. Well, they are definitely around here during the day - and yesterday when we were out all day, everywhere we drove, including on the highway, we saw them flying across the roads. But it wasn't just gypsy moths I was seeing (and speaking of which, I think today was the first time in weeks that I didn't see a single gypsy moth caterpillar) - there were lots of other moths, too, mostly rising up from the grass or nearby plants as I walked around the backyard. Funny thing about that is, we had gypsy moth caterpillars everywhere this year, but I never saw other caterpillars in the numbers to equal the numbers of moths I see every day now.

But there is a caterpillar for Backyard Bug of the Day:

 I don't know what kind it is. It was tiny, must be a very early instar of something, or maybe will be changing into a very small moth some day. It was maybe about an 1/8 inch long.

 

There were not very many bugs to be found today. Random Bugs:

 Beetle

 This was tiny, and I only got this one shot. I am not sure if it is a wasp or a fly.

 There isn't much blooming in my backyard at the moment, which may be why there are so few bugs around, but the sumac is blooming, and attracted a lot of bees. This is the only one I got a picture of, though. They were busy and speedy, and not interested in posing for me.

 Assassin bug nymph

 Geometer moth - possibly a Large Lace Border moth, which is the perfect name for it, and what I have been mentally calling it, before looking it up. Not the large part, but the lace border part. However, I don't know if it is a large lace border, or some other lace border, because there is only one lace border in the book, and it doesn't give a very good indication of size.

 Japanese beetles. I know they are generally considered pests, but I think they are beautiful, and they have such funny personalities, so I like them.

 This one was still sitting in exactly the same place as it has been for the last couple of days. They other weird hopper was not to be seen today, however.

Now, about those pestilential gypsy moths...

 I opened the garden shed to get out the lawn mower, and saw this. There are only some of the gypsy moth pupae I found in the shed.

 I removed them from the shed. Here they are in a jar.

 You can see that there really is a pretty big difference in size, which if what I read is correct, means the big ones are female, and the small ones are male.

This is the only gypsy moth I saw today that was not flying. I see them fluttering all over the backyard, but they never seem to land. Except for this one. For all their faults, I do have to appreciate those bunny ear-like antennae.


Arachnid Appreciation:
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 I don't think I have seen this kind of spider before.

 Awkward angle of a... drat, I can't remember the name, and I have posted several of them recently. They are all over the backyard lately. It will come to me... maybe...