Archive for the ‘Insects & Invertebrates’ Category

I have decided to offer up my very own virtual beetle collection in honor of the first edition of the carnival created just for beetles. An Inordinate Fondness is the name that Ted MacRae has given to this new blog carnival, dedicated to his beloved beetles. My method of observing and contemplating beetles (as well as just about every wild thing) is to walk around and see what I see. Maybe scratch in the dirt with a stick, ruffle some leaves on the ground. This method of beetle-hunting has not rewarded me with any beetles lately, but I have a virtual collection to share:

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This is, by far, the most unusual (and the coolest) bug I have seen so far. While I was sitting in the corner of my backyard, watching birds, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and witnessed this Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus) climbing the nearby fence. It was hard to miss – easily 1.5″ long. This visitor to my backyard could have walked right off a science-fiction movie set! Read the rest of this entry »

I have to follow up my last post because a few days after I wrote it, I looked really close at the plant where the Green Lynx (Peucetia viridans) placed her egg sac. Spiderlings!

Green Lynx spiderlings

…and here’s a close-up: Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been watching a couple of spiders in my native plant garden since late August. I can’t say with complete certainty, but I’m hoping this photo shows the next generation of the spider families that have been thriving in my Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii) and a patch of what may or may not be Hummingbird Mint (Agastache cana). Anyway, what you should be seeing here is a tiny little spider in the center of an intricate web, with the silhouette of a much larger spider looming in the background. Pretty cool, huh? Read the rest of this entry »

If this is the sort of animated .GIF file that you can watch for minutes on end…I’m right there with you. As I’ve said before, I don’t have a video camera, but I can often make due with a series of rapid-fire photos. At another spot on the trail, I saw a grasshopper pounce on something. I swung my camera around to focus, hoping to see the drama of the food chain playing out… Read the rest of this entry »

Why am I just now noticing caterpillars? Sure, I’ve seen a few here and there – but I am learning that there are tons of super-cool caterpillars all around us. They don’t necessarily resemble their moth- or butterfly-selves, and it’s a toss-up as to which form is more showy. How do I know this? Because I’ve been pouring over my brand-spankin’-new field guide, “Caterpillars of Eastern North America.”¹

I saw this fabulous, fuzzy black caterpillar today: Read the rest of this entry »

Paper Wasp (Polistes annularis) I *think*

I saw this Paper Wasp (Polistes annularis) while taking a walk through the forest. At first he caught my attention simply because of his size, contrast to the tree limb, and close proximity. Then I noticed that he was eating something…looks like the remnants of a caterpillar. I took a series of rapid-fire pictures to make this animated GIF file, and you can see that he is rapidly rotating his tasty green meal for choice bites.

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Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia)

I was chit-chatting with my neighbor (no, not Mr. Green Thumbs), and he showed me the big spider that was hanging out on the side of his house. We both thought it was cool – he likes having the spider around because it eats other less-desirable insects, like grasshoppers. Read the rest of this entry »

Ruby-throated Hummingbird and wasp

Now is the time of year when native plants shine, because they’re doing fine while non-natives may be suffering from the summer heat. I have a 3 year-old native plant garden that has really matured and is doing fantastic. It’s home to all kinds of wildlife, and is a perfect theater for nature’s daily dramas. Read the rest of this entry »