Sticky Things

Well, I did it again - I procrastinated so long that now I have to hurry to get this done. But first...

There are some minor hazards involved in insect microphotography. There's the possibility of being stung, obviously, but there are also other things out in nature that you have to look out for. So before I step of the paths in my backyard to try to get close to an insect so I can take its picture, I look to make sure that I am not about to step into poison ivy, or be impaled by thorns (although, to be honest, I get jabbed by a lot of thorns anyway). I checked for those things today when I was intrepidly pursuing today's Backyard Bug of the Day, but what I didn't notice was that I was plowing right through a patch of burrs.

 Burrs aren't really a hazard, unless they get under your socks or something. But my legs were covered in them. I had to sit down on the stile and pull them all off. Still, there are worse ways to spend ten minutes.

Here's the Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Look! Burrs! I didn't notice those at the time.

 More burrs, and a spittle bug (I think). I was holding onto the end of the stem of burrs, and they even stuck to my fingers. That was weird and surprising.

Oh, I saw a monarch butterfly today. I don't know if it was my monarch butterfly, but I would guess that whatever butterfly laid the egg that became my butterfly also laid other eggs around the same time, so there are probably others around. I wish I had found more caterpillars, though. But I am happy that they are around.

Random Bugs:

Here's the last leaf on the caterpillars' sapling, and also the last caterpillar.

 But I did see one of the other caterpillars (probably the other one that was there yesterday) on a nearby vine. It was gone later when I looked. I don't know which is the one that was wrapped in a leaf yesterday, probably this one, but that leaf was gone today. I am guessing they do the leaf-wrapping thing for a day, then eat that leaf and leave the plant.

The last remaining caterpillar moved around on the sapling for the rest of the day.

It appeared to be eating the leaf stems. It never did eat that last leaf, though. I wonder if tomorrow I will find that leaf folded around this caterpillar. That is my current hypothesis.

Today was a day for uncooperative butterflies:

 See the two blue blurs? It's the lighter colored one.

 Here it is sitting on a leaf on the ground for a nanosecond, just to pretend it is going to let me take a picture. This was a tiny butterfly.

Flying away

 

 Can you spot the uncooperative butterfly in this one? (Not the same kind as above).

This one was alright, actually. Small copper.

I almost got a shot of the dorsal side of the wings...

This one was okay, too. I think it's a gray hairstreak red-banded hairstreak...

Look at the pretty blue wings you get a glimpse of as it moves its wings. I wish I could get a full look at the dorsal side, but they never pose that way for me.

And check out that tongue!

 Thick-headed fly

 Dragonfly

 Grasshopper. It has wings, so it's an adult. It's also missing one of its rear legs.

 Tree cricket

 Robber fly with a moth. The moth was still alive and moving.

 Moth eggs

 Spittle bug? Or some kind of hopper. Or both, I am not sure if spittle bugs are considered hoppers.

 Stinkbug. Note the proboscis that it is using to suck from the plant

 I think this is an assassin bug.

 Tumbling flower beetle

 Caterpillar. This was also uncooperative - after I took this picture it scooted on up the tree branch and out of my reach with the camera.

 Wasp

 Assassin bug looking the wrong way...

Here's the assassin... It's a nymph

... and here's the bug that was NOT its prey, a candy-striped leaf hopper

Long-legged fly

Honey bee. The one thing I am totally failing to give you an idea of lately is how many bees and wasps are around in the backyard. They are currently most attracted to the goldenrod, but they are in such a hurry to collect nectar that it is almost impossible to get a picture of one. But a single plant can have 6-10 species of bees and wasps on it at a time.

Arachnid Appreciation:
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Jumping spider on the back door. It was on the inside of the door, but when I opened the door it moved to the outside.

Crab spider