It is clear to me that if you want to see bugs, you'd do well to plant flowers. Obviously, that's not going to attract ALL kinds of bugs. It's not going to attract any dung beetles, for instance. But it will attract plenty of other bugs.
The flower of the moment in my backyard (at least until we get a frost, which I am hoping will NOT be as soon as the forecast is predicting) is morning glories, which I am absolutely charmed by. And so were the bugs in my backyard today:
This bumblebee didn't even care if the flowers were in full bloom yet.
I have been trying to find out, without conclusive success, if insects can become intoxicated from feeding on the nectar of morning glories. I think yes. They often seem somewhat impaired when they've been feeding on them.
Sweat bee
Another sweat bee. This flower bloomed yesterday (morning glory flowers bloom for one day), but this sweat bee still went in looking for nectar. I have no idea if it found any.
This thread-waisted wasp fed on the flower from the outside.
I didn't see the ant feeding, so I don't know what it was doing there.
Backyard Bug of the Day:
Some kind of very small bee or wasp, I think.
Another of my insect questions was sort of answered today. I wondered what ladybeetle wings were like when they emerged from pupation:
Today I found one that was just finishing emerging.
It looks like the wings poke out the back a bit, but are mostly under the elytra.
But this one had a problem: one of its elytra was stuck to the pupal case. You can see the one wing just peeking out from under the elytron, and it's small and wrinkled.
That elytron looks deformed, too.
It was really stuck. I watched it walk all the way around the pupal case, trying to pull free.
I didn't know if I should intervene, and whether my intervention would possibly do more harm than good. But I was getting worried that the wing would be damaged.
I intervened, very gently, adding resistance so the insect could pull free.
Later I came back to check on it; the left elytron was starting to show dots, but the deformed one on the right was not. Also, the left wing is stretched out, but the right one is still crumpled. I went out after that, and didn't get home until after dark, so I don't know how it eventually worked out. I suspect it will be unable to fly.
Other Bugs:
Katydid
Assassin bug nymph
A few leaf hoppers sitting around
Plant bug
Ladybeetle
After seeing at least a dozen white hickory tussock moths every day for weeks, they've been scarce (or absent) the last few days, but today I spotted one.
Not an insect. Not something I like.
This bad picture shows three case bearing moth caterpillars dangling in their cases.
Arachnid Appreciation:
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Six-spotted orb weaver. It had the most adorable tiny web.
Jumping spider on morning glory bud
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