Feeding Frenzy

My eyes are itchy from allergies, so let's just cut to the chase so I can avoid a lot of looking at words while typing.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 

 Itty, bitty baby assassin bug. Or to be a wee bit more scientifically accurate, assassin bug nymph. I know I have posted pictures of these lately, but I don't think I made one Backyard Bug of the Day, and it was so adorable I couldn't resist.

Yesterday I wrote about the possibly-a-poplar tree that is growing out of my back porch, and how it is so attractive to insects; well, I went out onto the porch last night for some sky time and saw that at night, the tree attracts moths.

Also found on the back porch last night: a bundle of eggs dangling from the porch light.

The sumac flowers are beginning to wane, but today it was wildly popular with insects (This is not poison sumac, by the way. Different plant in that family). Interestingly, though, today I only saw bees/wasps and flies. No beetles. I tried really hard to get pictures to show how much the plant was swarming with insects, but I don't think it worked, in part because they do tend to fly off when I get too close. I even tried to get video, but it came out badly, so you're just going to have to take my word for it that there were fifty, minimum, insects flying around this bush, and there were many different species represented. However, if you look at the next series of pictures, you can get a sense of the comings and goings from the different bunches of blooms on the plants. Look closely; sometimes there are little things that are hiding, or out of focus.

Based on the state of the flowers, I would say within a couple of days this feeding frenzy will be over.

 

 Moth looking very much like a fallen leaf

 

 

 Damselfly

 I think this is a robber fly, and I think it has caught a thrips?

And speaking of thrips, the plant bug is not the only one on this flower...

Arachnid Appreciation:
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 Spider with egg sac