Second Try's the Charm

It started to rain this morning, and I was glad, because I really need a day off from this. I love it, but it's EVERY DAY because it's BACKYARD BUG OF THE DAY. So rain was a relief to me, beyond just something we need in this continuing drought. But then it stopped raining after about 3 minutes. And the sun came out. So, I had to do a bug walk, and I was in a rush because we were going out for the afternoon. And I couldn't find any bugs. Yes, I say that all the time, and it is not literally the case, but aside from the same sawfly larvae I have been seeing for days, and a lot of bees and wasps that wouldn't sit still long enough for me to focus on them, I did not see any other bugs on that bug walk. It was frustrating and annoying - if there weren't going to be bugs, I could have been taking a nap!

So, we went out for the afternoon with this as the best picture I took on my bug walk:

 Oh, I forgot about this one. But this is the exact same assassin bug nymph I got yesterday, still sitting on the same leaf.

 And there's this. Remember yesterday I posted a shot of a caterpillar under silk on a leaf? Now it has pulled more leaves around it so it is completely out of sight.

 And then there are a lot of pictures like this of this wasp.

We came home in the early evening, and it was getting on toward sunset, and I went out with my camera to do another bug walk - I wanted a day off, and ended up going out twice. But the second walk was more fruitful.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 I think this is a two-spotted tree cricket. Female.

 Those two marks are why it is called a two-spotted tree cricket.

Random Bugs:

 It seems to be de rigueur lately for this species of cricket to be missing one of its hind legs.

Weevil on purple cone flower

 The purple cone flowers were the place to be.

 

Tree cricket (different species from above - I think this one is a snowy tree cricket) on purple cone flower. It's wings have been chomped.

 Evening, and the bees (wasp?) are drowsy

 Planthopper - possibly Acanalonia conica.

 The sawfly larvae were eating this evening, instead of curled up together on a leaf.

Must be nice, having a leaf to yourself.

 Moth

Arachnid Appreciation:
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 Am I afraid of spiders? Not much.