Surrounded

My fascination with, and affection for insects is not all encompassing. I did not like the fly that started following me around when I went outside to look for bugs, zooming around my head for about half of my walk around the backyard. I am pretty sure that distraction is what kept me from finding many bugs today. Then I had a swarm of gnats that accompanied me while I mowed the lawn, including one that flew into my eye. I didn't find any of those bugs interesting. I did like the others, though.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Skipper

 

 The skipper is not alone on this purple coneflower. Can you see the assassin bug nymph?

 Today the monarch in the dining room spent almost the whole day eating.

 And I found another monarch caterpillar!

 Moth

 White hickory tussock moth caterpillar

 I think this might be a hoverfly larva. It's kind of hard to tell...

 Lady beetle

 Squash bug–not welcome on our zucchini plant.

 Cricket

Jagged ambush bug

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

The assassin bug nymph was not the only danger on the flower with the skipper, there was a flower crab spider, too.