I didn't do a bug walk today because it was cold, dark, and rainy, but my husband spotted an interesting bug when we were out on our woods walk. We had just started the walk, and I went by the same spot on the way back, and the bug was still there, so I went back to the house for my camera. Ironically, it's an insect that I always have trouble photographing because they don't like to sit still for pictures, and will usually hide under a leaf if I try to get close enough for a photo. I hoped that because it was so cold it would be more compliant. It was, marginally.
So, Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #1:
Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #2:
Amazing crane fly. That's my opinion, not the name of the species. I have never seen one like this, so it's a new species for me.
Female. That is not a stinger, but an ovipositor, for laying eggs.
When I took the pictures I wasn't sure if this was a wasp of some kind or a crane fly. It didn't occur to me until I was looking at it on the computer to check for halteres. The arrow is pointing to one. Halteres are organs that evolved from a second pair of wings down into a tiny, almost vestigal appendage that is believed to be used to aid in balance and flight control. Flies (including crane flies) have them, but wasps don't, because they still have four wings.
She looks like she is bursting at the seams. I wonder if she is gravid, and being full of eggs is what makes her so round, and also creating that gap.
Since this is not, at present, a daily blog, I have decided to abandon the rule that any pictures I post have to be from the day of the post. I planned to do a blog a couple of days ago, but my internet was out of service for a couple of days, and I was unable to post that day. So, here are the bugs I saw on Thursday, May 27, 2021:
This is another moth that was spotted on a walk (this time in the backyard, near the house), and was obliging enough to wait while I went inside to get my camera.
Sawfly larvae on oak leaves:
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