A Black & Yellow Kaleidoscope

Here’s a group (kaleidoscope) of male Eastern Yellow Swallowtail butterflies puddling along the Nolichucky drinking water and healthy minerals they so need.

Although, a bit hard to make out, there are five in the picture below -

They were busy doing their thing and were not bothered by my presence. There we oodles along the banks of the river, many in groups like these.

It’s been so darn hot and humid, who can blame them.

The Eyespots Though

Whatcha look’n at bub?!

This male Hackberry Emperor Butterfly thought I wouldn’t notice him perched on the back porch light fixture -

The row of white spots near the tips of its forewing is the tell that this is in fact a Hackberry Emperor butterfly and not its closely related Tawney Emperor butterfly. 

Learn something new every day 💡!

A “Good” Bug

I spied this BIG dude, and a second smaller one beneath it, on a walnut tree leaf this afternoon.

These are both Wheel Bugs, a type of assassin bug. The giveaway in identifying this bug is the spiny, gear-like crest (the wheel) on its back - 

Seems these are very beneficial to have around, as they’re excellent predators and help control pests, e.g. Japanese beetles, stink bugs, caterpillars and other insects that damage gardens and crops, so don’t squash them.

An interesting find, if I do say so myself.

Get A Room

Insect fornication -

A couple of Milkweed Beetles (trying to) enjoy a romantic outing!

Excuse Us!

Insect fornication -

There’s just no privacy these days, geesh!

Little Pests They Are

The ants go marching one by one...to their deaths, hurrah hurrah!

With the warm weather, tiny ants have invade our kitchen already, UGH!

We put out some fresh ant traps, in the areas where we're seeing them marching, and sure enough the ants are crawling off with their spoils, hehehe!  Little do they know what awaits them -

Good riddance and Gods speed.

They're Here!

The Lincoln Street Asian Lady Beetle invasion has begun!

Perhaps cute don't be fooled, these are NOT Ladybugs. Rather, they're false ladybugs otherwise known as Asian Lady Beetles.

Although they look similar, their size, color, and markings can help you tell the difference. 

The easiest way to tell Asian lady beetles apart from ladybugs at a glance is to look for the white “M.” Asian lady beetles have a distinctive, highly visible M-shaped black marking on their otherwise-white heads. This marking varies in size, thickness, and shape, but it’s always there, so look for the “M”, which you can clearly see in these pics -

Similar to ladybugs, Asian lady beetles feed on aphids and other insects that munch on plants. This means that although they can be a nuisance, they can still be a gardener’s friend.

However, these bugs won’t bid a happy goodbye after gardening season is over. They’re prone to swarming, and prefer to overwinter inside homes. Once they’re finished feasting on aphids, they will crowd on reflective surfaces like windows and sliding glass doors. If they have the opportunity, Asian lady beetles will invade your home -

The last week or so, when the temps during the day climb (mid 50ish), these beetles have started swarming the south side of my house!  There's not as many as the Boxelder beetles but certainly more than a handful.

I swat the Boxelder beetles every chance I get!  They're too messy but these Lady Beetles I leave alone.  They're too cute and likeable.

The Katydids By Golly!

When we were in Tennessee a couple weeks ago, we drove up onto our property to have a look around and check out the views, AND we were NOT disappointed.

The land had yet to be hayed and was quite a bit overgrown, which makes it an idle place for all sorts of critters but NOT for us walking. Oodles of grasshoppers and many opted to hitch a ride with us too.

I wish I had taken more pics to capture some of the other varieties but these are the only ones I snapped but how fortuitous was I to capture a male and female of the same family?!

Turns out these are NOT true grasshoppers at all!  Rather, these are Short-winged Meadow Katydids and a member of Tettigoniidae, which is the family for long-horned grasshoppers and katydids, that are distinguished by their long, thread-like antennae.

Female - 

Male -

The hind leg of the female, that she seemingly dropped off herself when I attempted to pinch her back legs together in an effort to pick her up to take a different angle pic, OUCH -

Something I just learned from the Google machine - "Insects can only regrow limbs during their nymph stage, before their final molt into adulthood. Once they become adults, their ability to regenerate limbs is gone, and any lost appendages are permanent."

Oops, SO sorry!

I've named her Eileen (I lean), hehehe

Well This "Stinks"

Green vs Brown -

Can you find the critter in the first picture below?!

** GREEN **

A green stink bug -

And how about this next picture, can you find the critter?!

** BROWN **

A brown stink bug -

There's no real difference between the two, except for their colors.

Just like in past years, this time of the year is when these pests appear in BIG numbers!  They're ALL over my house, windows and screens; they're everywhere.

I swat as many as I can but honestly, that makes a mess and a squashed stink bug truly stinks, UGH!

Flying Dragons?!

Do you see it?

It blends in perfectly on the branch of this red pine tree -

But upon closer inspection, TADA, it's no branch -

Rather a cool looking dragonfly.  Taking a breather, perhaps digesting it's food or searching for it's next unsuspecting insect meal -

Massachusetts is home to over 160 species of dragonflies and damselflies, so identifying this dude is tough, especially since the image is a bit blurry, my apologies for that.

If I was to take a guess, I'd say this is a female or a juvenile male Blue Dasher.  

Here's what the Google machine is telling me - 

"Females and Juvenile Males have a more muted coloration, often with yellow stripes along their abdomens, similar to markings on the sides of their thoraxes."

and

"Blue dashers often perch on stems or leaves, and their wings may droop downward when at rest."

Prove me wrong!

A Calico Paint Caterpillar

Hard to miss this colorful brown hooded owlet caterpillar resting on a goldenrod stem -

I spied this dude on my walk the other afternoon. I mean how could I miss it?  It sticks out like a sore thumb.

They prefer to rest during the day and more active at night, when they like to feed. They're recognized as agricultural pests, particularly for lettuce and asparagus, as they can severely defoliate crops but the good news is that they're also an essential food source for birds.

I left this dude alone but had I known it was a bad dude I may have squashed it.  Hoping a bird spied it too and took care of it...

A Tettigoniidae Family Member

Seems I'm on an insect themed posting streak here recently, so I might as well continue...

I spied this female katydid, also known as a bush cricket or long-horned grasshopper, Sunday afternoon while out on my back deck. She was making her way up the downspout and onto the roof.  She was out a out a tad early, being they're nocturnal, but perhaps she was just making her way to wherever katydid gather in the evenings...

They're not a very speedy insect when crawling.  Kinda remind me of how a sloth seems to move in super slow-motion.

Even though the evening temperatures drop to the chilly side, these katydids are still a chorus singing away at night.  These dudes, along with the crickets, will lull you to sleep if you sit and listen to them long enough.

All Eyes On Me

This cicada was keeping a close eye, two bulgy eyes at that, on my mail delivery technic -

The dude hung onto the mailbox door securely and remained stoic when I carefully opened and closed the door. Perhaps, thinking I hadn't noticed it.

Clearly I passed with a buzz...

Small Wings, BIG Impact!

This Bumblebee has been hard at work and now taking a breather and well deserved rest on my deck banister before getting back to work -

Keep pollinating my friend, thank you!

Well, This Is A Red Flag...

actually, it's a grasshopper hanging onto a red flag -

The red flag of a mailbox  -

Hmmm, I wonder if this grasshopper is working for the USPS to monitor and ensure I'm delivering the mail properly and efficiently.

Where's my tin foil hat?!

Sorry You Can't "Stick" Around

It's blackberry picking season, YIPPIE!

I picked my first batch the other day with oodles of them to come!

While picking I noticed one of the berries had a stick or something stuck to it but upon closer inspection it was no stick, rather a true "Inchworm".  Very stoic for sure, as it was most definitely trying sell itself as anything but a tasty treat for a toad or bird.

After some prodding I was able to get the dude to move, click the link below to watch -

These caterpillars are accordingly called "loopers", "spanworms", or "inchworms" after their characteristic looping gait.

Check it out live - Inch Worm on Blackberry

I eventually removed the critter and placed him in a different area of the yard, then ate the berry!

OMG, they are SO sweet and tasty!

#Blessed

What A Way To Go

Even though this dude was on the kitchen window screen, inside my house, it didn't prevent it from catching and dinning on a meal!  Perhaps, it was a take out meal and it accidently flew in the house when I opened the screen door to water Trixie.

This is a Robber Fly, also called an Assassin Flies, and it had some sort of bee in it's grasp. They use their sharp, pointy mouthparts, called a proboscis, to pierce their prey and inject a combination of neurotoxins and digestive enzymes. These toxins paralyze the victim, while the enzymes begin to break down its internal tissues. The robber fly then sucks up the liquefied contents of its prey. 

I left the dude alone and didn't bother it, after all I don't like to be interrupted when eating either.  The following morning the dead bee was on the window sill and it did actually look as if it had been sucked dry.

The Robber Fly was also still there on the screen, so I gently grabbed it and set it free outside.  The slim, pruned up bee, well it went in the trash can.

The circle of life...

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the first picture below?!

Be Still My Beating Heart...

It's been a couple years now since I've seen one of these beauties here at the ole homestead and I was shocked and extremely excited to spot this male praying mantis!

Up on my deck no less, some 15' high.  With all the flowers in bloom just below, why this dude was up there by the mint plants is beyond me.

Where there's one there are more!

I need to step up my I Spy game to see if I can spot others.

SO exciting!

#Blessed

I Named Him Joey...

How you doin?!

Purple Cone Flower Infatuations

My purple cone-flowers are the insect talk of the town!

They're covered with all sorts of insect, here are just a few -

A fat Bumble-bee -

A Green Sweat Bee, with pollen covered back legs and a Flower Longhorn Beetle -

One of my favorites, a Honey Bee and sadly one of the few I've seen visiting this summer.  In years past there would be oodles of Honey Bees visiting my flowers but the numbers and sightings have been dwindling over the years and this year is concerning -

I could sit for hours and watch these insects flitter from bloom to bloom!

#Blessed