The Bugs in the Backyard: Huzzah!

A bug made my day today. A slight breeze and recalcitrant insects frustrated me for most of my bug walk, but one bug turned it all around and made it a successful venture. Here's how it went...

I saw a fair number of bugs today, but mostly they were tantalizingly beyond the scope of my camera:

Like when three dragonflies of three different species landed in front of me... in a brambly area, where I could not get close to them.

They're hard to even see, aren't they?

(Only two are actually in the picture).

There was one that was willing to pose for me...

But then there were those that just refused to cooperate:

Yes, there's a dragonfly here. A nice, big, green one. Right in the middle of the photo.

And there were all the butterflies, and moths...

This is the BEST picture I got of this one–either a comma or a question mark. Its wings are pretty beat up–it's been through some things.

And, well, this is the best (actually, I think the only) picture I've gotten of a swallowtail at all this year.

This one wouldn't let me get any closer...

Nor would this one.

And at this point I don't know why I even try to get pictures of male velvet ants (which are actually a species of wasp):

This is the best shot I've been able to get all year of this species.

When this robber fly cooperated with me I promised it glory, so it is Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #1:

They've been everywhere lately.

And these two are making sure there will be more.

And then there was an ebony jewelwing, a gorgeous species of damselfly that up until recently was an incredibly rare sight for me–I posted a bad picture of one last week and said it was the third time I had ever seen one on my property–well I have seen at least one every day since, mostly when I didn't even have a camera with me, but always out of of range for a photo anyway:

Practically out of view, even.

But then! Oh, finally...

Ugh. This website uploaded all of these pictures in reverse order, and I am too tired to fix them. So, I can't really tell my story, after all that build-up. Suffice to say...

Backyard Co-Bug of the Day #2:

Ebony jewelwing damselfly! In this shot you can really see why it is called jewelwing.

Now, if you want to see this the way I experienced it, scroll to the end of this very long line of pictures of this magnificent insect, and then look at them from bottom to top of the set.

Cleaning its face after eating.

I don't know what it was doing here...

Close-up of the remaining leg of whatever it was eating.

You can see the insect in its mandibles.

It caught something and came back to eat it.

Aaah. I was so happy after this! Frustrations forgotten!

Other Bugs:

Hoverfly

There are still some maple leaf viburnum blooming, and they are still attracting a couple of species of flower longhorn beetles:

I don't know what happened to this crane fly, but I doubt that little fly had anything to do with it. Except it may be enjoying the spoils.

I am not sure if this is a very new assassin bug nymph, or an aphid.

I looked for the hairstreak caterpillar on its usual leaf today but it had moved on... farther up the branch. Here you can see its face (on the left). When I went past this tree later I couldn't find it. In the ensuing hours after this photo it had obviously made good distance–to somewhere else on the tree, I presume, or maybe it went elsewhere to pupate.

Lady beetle

I think this is some kind of seed bug.

Candy striped leaf hopper

Either apple fly or some other kind of fruit fly

I found a couple of lady beetle larvae:

Here's a bug-spotting test for you: can you see the moth?

How about now?

I hope you enjoyed those moth photos–I accidentally stuck my head through a spiderweb trying to take them.

Four-lined plant bug

I ate my lunch outside today and this hoverfly landed on my arm. Before it landed it hovered a bit, as hoverflies do, and I could feel the breeze from its tiny wings.