Don't Follow, No One's Leading

There are many stories, some fictional, some true, about animals coming to humans when they need help (or when some other animal, or even human, needs help). The animals approach a human, and by barking, quacking, or through body language, let the human know that the human should follow to where the trouble is. It is, perhaps, not so surprising when pets do this, but I have heard of wild animals doing it too, like ducks or geese needing help for their young, or a whale approaching a boat because it is tangled in fishing gear and needs to be freed. Butterflies act like this, but they are really just teasing. They come to me, fly around in front of me, going back and forth as if to say, "Follow me!" and then they fly off, keeping low so I know where to go, and at the last second fly off over a tree. It's annoying. I keep falling for it, though, in spite of my personal vow not to chase butterflies. Not that I think they are actually asking for my help, mind you. They just give the impression that they are unafraid of me, and I think, if they land, I will be able to get a good picture. And then I don't get any picture at all. This happened to me several times today, and you will not see a picture of a butterfly on this blog today. Time to remind myself of my vow: I will not chase butterflies. But I will enjoy watching their flight.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Cricket

Random Bugs:

 This primrose moth looks stuck.

Speaking of primrose moths, there was one on the front porch when we got home last night. I think this is the first time I have ever seen one on the porch.

The last two of these caterpillars have turned green now.

Small milkwwed bug nymphs, but not on milkweed.

I can't tell what it is, but there seems to be a bug of some kind stuck between the webbing and the upper branch. It doesn't look like a spider, though.

Furcula caterpillars. They show no sign of changing colors yet.

Dragonfly

Grasshopper

I checked today, and yes, this furcula caterpillar's "tail" is broken.

Weevil

The monarch caterpillar seems to grow in sudden spurts.

There were moths on the front porch last night when we got home (after midnight, making them today's bugs) and also tonight when we got home (before midnight):

Arachnid Appreciation:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Jumping spider

Micrathena spider