Groundbreaking

Something interesting popped up in the backyard today.

Backyard Amphibian of the Day:

 On my bug walk I happened to notice the grass moving. Not in a rustled kind of way, but a bulging upward kind of way. I stopped to see what would emerge; I didn't think it would be a bug, because I didn't think a bug would be big enough to create such an upheaval. I thought maybe a mole, though there are no mole tunnels anywhere in my backyard this year. Then this frog poked its head out!

 Even not knowing what to expect, this is not at all what I expected. I wish I knew what the frog was doing in there–was it in a hole in the ground, or did it just burrow under the grass? Later on I was back in the backyard and walked over to see if the frog was still there. It was out of the hole by then, and hopped away when I arrived.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Cabbage white butterfly. This is my husband's nemesis insect. The name is a reference to their host plants; cabbage white butterflies lay their eggs on cabbage plants and plants related to cabbage, which includes broccoli and Brussels sprouts, two things we have tried to grow in our garden in recent years, which have been devoured by cabbage white caterpillars. A curious thing, though–most summers I see cabbage white butterflies all the time, and this is maybe the third one I have seen this year. It is possible that there are fewer of them around because we didn't plant their host plants in our smaller garden this year, but even before we ever planted broccoli or Brussels sprouts in our garden they used to be regular visitors to the backyard. After all, it is not just the host plant that attracts a butterfly, because they will feed from flowers of many kinds. Also interesting is that a couple of days ago we were out in the car and passed a house that had about half a dozen cabbage whites flitting around their front yard. It's not that this is suddenly their season, because I usually see them all summer long, starting in the spring, even. So, even though my husband hates them, I chose this for Backyard Bug of the Day. Also, it cooperated with me, and that is an important feature.

Other Bugs:

 Bee or wasp on autumn joy sedum

 Sweat bee on what my friend tells me is called bluebeard

 Wasp on goldenrod

 Robber fly with moth prey

 Here's a better look at that.

 Another robber fly

Dragonflies:

 Bumblebee on bluebeard

 Two contracted datanas remain.

 Pearl crescent butterfly

Tussock moth caterpillars:

 White hickory tussock moth

The currently ubiquitous banded tussock moth:

 Assassin bug with prey

 Leaf hopper. This is the leaf where the eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillar used to rest, and you can still see the silk threads of its "hammock."

 The other plant that is blooming profusely in my backyard right now is the aster. Quite popular with bees, but in shady areas, so hard to get photos of things that move fast.

Arachnid Appreciation:
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 Jumping spider. No, it is not about to jump.

I spotted this orb weaver's tattered web, and knew it must be hiding nearby. I meant to go outside after it got dark to see it building a new web, but I forgot. I did go out about 1 a.m. and got pictures of the spider on the web, but those will be for tomorrow's blog.