Differences

Back on the subject of mental priming:

 I almost didn't see this today, but I did see it, and took a closer look at it and now...

... it is Backyard Bug of the Day:

 I finally found a female march fly!

Finally, I can show you the difference between the male and female march flies, though I am having to bend my own blog rules a bit to use a picture of a male from yesterday, because I didn't see a male today, just the one female:

 Female, small head, small eyes.

Male, huge eyes that make up pretty much its whole head. I assume that is because the males do that swarming dance, which the females do not participate in, so the males need big eyes to spot females and predators? That's my guess. I have zero scientific credentials or research to back it up.

Today was much colder than yesterday, although the high did break out of the 30s–it was 40ºF when I went out to do my bug walk. Much colder meant fewer bugs:

 The winter fireflies were active though, crawling around on the sunny side of tree trunks.

I spotted a fly feeding on the sap running down that one tree where I keep seeing the winter ants.

 The winter ants were still there, too.

 Another fly, on another tree

Yesterday there were dozens of candy striped leaf hoppers; today I found one.

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

 I wasn't surprised to see the spider above, but I was surprised to see this daddy-long-legs. It has been a while since I have seen one. My guess is that it emerged yesterday when it was warm, and found that at least this rock in the sunshine was still nice enough today, but by tomorrow it will probably be back under the leaf litter.