Ology

 Today is the first day of meteorological autumn, but based on the number of bugs I have been finding lately you would think we were much closer to winter. I don't have an explanation for it, other than maybe the drought has affected insect populations? I don't know. As it says in the introduction of this blog, I am not an entomologist or biologist. I am also not a climatologist. Nor any kind of ologist at all. And I supposed it doesn't really matter that I don't know why things are the way they are, but I have an endless supply of curiosity, and I like to know and understand what's going on around me. My backyard is an endlessly fascinating place. It was more so, though, when there were more insects to be found in it.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

Some kind of looper caterpillar, dangling from a thread, pretending to be a twig. I don't usually bother to look up loopers, but this one seems to have distinctive markings, so I decided to try, and was unable to figure out what it is.

 

Other Bugs:

Ailanthus webworm moth on wild lettuce. The flowers have bloomed already, but for some reason bees and other bugs have been all over the plants and their unopened seed heads.

Immature katydid, female. You can tell it is immature because it does not have fully developed wings, and it is female because that brown thing looping up in the back is an ovipositor. She's also missing her right hind leg. It did not prevent her from walking away from the camera, although it may have prevented her from leaping.

 

This fall webworm has molted–the exuvia it has just shed is right beside it–and has much longer hair than it did yesterday (which you can see on yesterday's blog).

 

Weevil

Some kind of plant bug on thistle

Planthoppers on thistle leaf. Thistles are so spiky even touching the leaves hurts. It doesn't seem to bother the bugs, though.

 

Arachnid Appreciation:

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Around this time last year the same kind of spider showed up in a web on the front of my house. This one is not exactly in the same location, but close. I don't know what kind of spider this is, but it looks a bit like a strawberry, so in my mind it is a strawberry orb weaver.