Surface Charm

 My macro lens lets me see things up close, but when something is tiny, that's not always enough. So when it looked like there were more changes in this insect egg today:

The egg is darker, and it looks like there's more to see inside. But it's so small, it's hard to see, so...

I decided to magnify it, and though it's still really hard to see what's what inside, now I know about the interesting surface of the egg, which I have never seen before. Using the ring flash to take the picture makes it harder to see what's inside, but it illuminates the surface quite nicely. 

Backyard Bug of the Day:

A planthopper nymph. I figured out which one this was last year, but I have forgotten again. Note the photobomber on the lower right.

I have noticed that these hopper nymphs are very often found in proximity to these:

Usually I will see both species clustered in the same area on a vine or stem.

The fluff on the back ends of both species is a waxy secretion that I have read is involved in defense, but I don't know how.

Last night we went for a night hike in the woods, and these two crane flies fluttered through the beam of my flashlight and landed on this plant. 

The female is the larger one above. Note her pointy ovipositor.

'Tis definitely the season for Hemiptera nymphs.

Moth

Caterpillar on a sassafras leaf

I did my abbreviated bug walk in the early evening, and saw a couple of red milkweed beetles and some bumblebees...

Then we started out on our woods walk at dusk, so it was dark by the time we got back. I went to have a look at the milkweed patch by flashlight:

There were several moths doing the pollination night shift.