Ambush

I'm getting a very  late start on this tonight, so I am going to have to rush. Fortunately, I also had to rush during my bug walk today, so I didn't have time to see much, or to ruminate much.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Ambush bug. I considered this one for yesterday, and since it is rather ubiquitous right now, I chose it for today.

 I think the dark colored ones are male, and the light colored ones are female.

 They are everywhere right now. At least, they are on flowers all over the yard, on almost everything that is blooming. Sometimes they seem to be trying to hide themselves, even if they don't blend in with the color of the plants they are on, but sometimes they just sit there out in the open.

Remember that I said that one way to find them is to look for other bugs hanging awkwardly from plants?

 Alas, poor butterfly...

I wonder if that ambush bug considered attacking this robber fly... Notice the robber fly already has prey in its jaws. It looks a bit like a long-legged fly, but I can't tell for sure.

Random Bugs:

 Furcula moth caterpillar

 I don't know what's going on here... Is it dead, or molting? Or pupating?

 I don't remember what kind of moth this is, but it is parasitic to bees.

 Slugs are one of my least favorite creatures in the world, but I have to admit that this enormous patch of slug slime is beautiful in spite of being disgusting. This swath was at least 6 inches long.

 Moth eye test

 Today there were more eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies in the backyard than I have ever seen in my life. They were mostly extremely uncooperative, but I got a few shots.

 For one glorious second there were four on this patch of purple coneflowers. I only managed to catch two at once. Then there was the moment when three of them were doing a fluttery ballet around each other in midair. For all I know it was a show of butterfly aggression, but it was beautiful to see.

 Net winged beetle

 

The ambush bugs are not the only ones lurking on the flowers. Here's an assassin bug nymph.

Arachnid Appreciation:
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 Another micrathena spider. This one was considerate enough to NOT build its web across the path.