I went to a school concert tonight, outdoors, with the band set up on the football field and the fans in the bleachers and on chairs on the track. We chose to sit on the track, all the better for social distance. I was introduced to someone, and in making small talk, the pleasantness of the evening for an outdoor concert came up, and the man said, "... and it's too early for bugs!" I assumed he meant too early in the season, but not wanting to be my fully pedantic self to an unsuspecting stranger I refrained from saying, "It's never too early for bugs." The concert started before dusk, but the sun set and darkness came long before it was over, and the stadium lights were turned on. I don't know if the man we spoke to noticed, but there were a LOT of bugs, because it's not too early for bugs. There were mayflies swarming in the lights, looking for mates. There were spiderlings sailing by on their silken threads (two of which landed on me). There were beetles walking around on the track. A wasp landed on my husband's knee. Many, many little things I could not see close enough to identify flitted through the air. I saw a huge moth fluttering around, and then watched it dive bomb right onto a kettle drum, and actually heard the tiny boomp as it bounced off. I also saw several people go out of their way to squish bugs, including a huge beetle I was sorry to see crushed on the bleachers as we left. None of that was necessary, none of them were bugs that were hurting anyone, or could hurt anyone. There were no mosquitoes around me, at least, and I know they have come out for the season, because a couple of them tried to bite me earlier in the day at home, in my woods. I enjoyed watching the bugs during the duller moments of the program.
I enjoyed watching them in my backyard today, too. I didn't do a bug walk, but I was out doing work in the yard. I didn't see many bugs, but I did see a damselfly, and for a brief moment regretted that I didn't have my camera outside. But then I realized that if I had my camera I would only be frustrated and disappointed, because the damselfly didn't land anywhere, it just wafted from place to place, searching for something and not finding it. I watched it, and enjoyed witnessing the flight, and was sort of relieved that I wasn't trying and failing to get a picture of it. Sometimes it's nice to just watch the bugs go by.
Backyard Bug of the Day:
I thought this was a net winged beetle when I spotted it on my way to the mailbox today, but it's a moth. It's pretty beat up; I am guessing that it overwintered as an adult, and is now hoping to find a mate to pass on its genes as it nears the end of its lifespan.
That's all I've got for you today. I hope you have a chance to watch some interesting bugs go by this coming week, and every week, for that matter.
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