Friday, December 7, 2018

Snow Showers Bring...

What I saw in my backyard today:
 
 Snow. Just in the shady areas, it must have snowed a little bit overnight, and the sun melted whatever snow it landed on (even though it was still very cold today, the high was a couple of degrees above freezing).

 The same (I assume) caterpillar from yesterday. It was moving more slowly today, and still on the stone steps out front (but on a different step). It is probably not going to freeze to death; if it is a caterpillar that overwinters as a caterpillar, it will go into hibernation (a slowing of metabolic functions) or diapause (a ceasing of metabolic functions, that sounds like dying, except when it warms up the systems start up again. Go figure).

Actually, the only reason I went out looking for bugs today is because I saw one (probably a crane fly) flying around when I looked out the window. So I knew there had to be something. But all I found (and in the same general area, in front of the house, meaning the rest of my bug walk was a very cold waste of my time) was the caterpillar, and...

Arachnid Appreciation:
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 Six-spotted orb weaver.




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