What's the Motivation?

Ah, after all those sunny days when I searched in vain for a winter firefly, I found some today on a gloomy day. More proof that I just have no idea what insects are doing, and why. I want to understand their motivations: why were the winter fireflies out and about today, and not yesterday? What is it that makes them, or any bug that I have seen this winter, choose one day and not another identical day to be active? What are they doing? What are they reacting to, responding to, looking for? I don't know.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Winter firefly. A bit crumpled.

 I found another one, too.

Also out today, and in greater numbers:

 Ants. Again I wonder, why today? What is it about today that made them emerge from their winter quarters? What are they sensing that tells them to come out? Do they think that as of today, it's spring? (If so, the snow we're supposed to get in a couple of days may come as a big shock).

 I found them crawling on tree trunks, which is actually where I find them the most...

 

 ... but I also saw some crawling on the ground among the leaf litter. Now, it is possible that the reason I don't often see them on the ground is because it is harder to see them amidst the leaves, or grass, or against the dark dirt. It is also possible that I don't usually look at the ground when I am looking for bugs, even though I would probably spot some there if I looked more often. At the moment I have to look at the ground a lot when I am walking around in the backyard to avoid stepping in deer poop, which is EVERYWHERE now. That is how I found this ant, and a few others.

 I also found them in the holes that woodpeckers have made in some of the trees. I think there was sap seeping out, and they were feeding on it, because sap is basically sugar water (very low concentration sugar water, with minerals in it).

 I looked under that rotten log I wrote about yesterday, and aside from one small sow bug that scurried out of sight immediately, all I saw was this larva.

 

 And speaking of larva, here's... okay, not a larva anymore, but a pupa. Or more specifically, a pupal case of a case bearing moth. Possibly a pistol case bearing moth. I am not sure about that ID, though.

And now for a Public Service Announcement:

 If it's warm enough outside for bugs, it's warm enough outside for ticks. I found this one today. Loathsome creature.