Cooperation

I was on the back porch putting on my shoes when my husband said, "Ah, I was just about to ask when the monarchs are coming back." I instantly looked toward the milkweed patch in the middle of the back lawn, and there was the first monarch butterfly of the season for my backyard. It flitted around the milkweed plants and disappeared in that magical way that butterflies have of suddenly not being there anymore. Of course I did not get a picture; I didn't even have my camera outside because we were on our way out, but even if I had been holding the camera in my hand I wouldn't have had a shot. However, though I can't show it to you when I don't get a picture, I enjoy the insect experiences in my backyard for their own joys.

Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #1:

 Damselflies are among the favorite insects in my backyard, not only because they eat mosquitoes and are lovely to look at, but because when they are in the mood to be, they can be the most cooperative of insects. Like this damselfly (and not like the other damselfly I saw today of a different species and completely uncooperative temperament).

Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #2:

 Eight spotted forester moth. This is one of the LEAST cooperative of all backyard bugs, although this one finally agreed to let me take its picture. These moths tend to hang out on the underside of leaves, often of plants that are very low to the ground. When I get within a couple of feet of the plant where they are, they fly to a new plant. It is frustrating, but even if they didn't keep flying away it would be hard to get pictures because they land on the bottom of leaves most of the time. I have been seeing them a LOT lately, so it has been a daily game of hide and seek and why am I even bothering. I don't know why this one was more accommodating, but I made sure to thank it, and make it Backyard Co-Bug of the Day.

Even THIS is better than I usually get (and this actually might be a grape leaf roller moth, which looks and acts similarly).

I found this curious thing today:

 Something has cut away a slice of oak leaf and wrapped itself up in it.

 

 There were several on this leaf, and on other leaves nearby.

 Ants with aphids

I think this is a different species of ants, and of aphids.

 Sawfly larvae

That leaf is crowded. Here's how they look before I touch the leaf...

 ... and here's how they look after.

 A hopper nymph and a hopper. Not the same species, I don't think.

The Enemy:

 There were six or seven gypsy moth caterpillars on this tree trunk. I am finding more and more of them now. I am not finding any that look like they have been killed by the fungus. Sigh.

 Flower longhorn beetle of some kind.

 More sawfly larvae. There are a lot of species of sawflies, and their larvae look different.

 Looper caterpillar

 There are some insects called skeletonizers. This is how they get that name. I don't know if this species of sawfly has a name with skeletonizer in it, but that is certainly what they did to this leaf.

 Those look like leftover heads, which could be from moulting, and if they are there for another reason I am not sure I want to know.

 This is what's on the back of the one green section left in the middle of the leaf. Those don't look like sawfly eggs, which are laid inside the leaf, but I don't know what kind of eggs they are (even though a couple did not hatch). Obviously the sawfly larvae ate around them.

 Here's more, in action.

 Bee. I have seen very few bees around lately. I am hoping it's because there's not a lot blooming in my backyard right now, but I would expect to at least see them where things are blooming.

Today was not quite as spidery as other recent days, but it was still pretty spidery. Arachnid Appreciation:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

I had a lovely jumping spider on the storm door today:

 You can just barely see its eyes as it looks down here.

 Here's what it looked like from the other side.

 Female six-spotted orb weaver with egg sac.

 Male six-spotted orb weaver