This walkingstick stood out against a white door, otherwise they are hard to spot. Although they have great camouflage of a twig, birds and other predators can spot them easier than I can. Walkingsticks graze on the leaves of a variety of deciduous forest trees.
Walkingstick
Insects are happy that I missed cutting some thistles since they collect nectar from the blossoms and later the finches will enjoy the seeds.
Thistle Blossom
With very few common milkweeds still blooming, insects are attracted to the swamp milkweed blossoms instead. The fluttering of a monarch butterfly caught my eye as it fed off the flower, but it was sharing the space with a bumblebee also after the nectar.
Busy as a Bee
After a rain shower last night, it was another nice day with more signs of spring returning as well as revealing the harsh winter. I saw a rabbit this evening but earlier in the day, I spotted one of my young maple tree debarked by the bunnies looking. More spring wildflowers are opening like the bloodroots although the deer already ate some of the snow glories blossoms overnight. More birds are returning like the northern flicker. The pond is coming alive with the tadpoles swimming in the shallow waters as the female wood duck makes trips into the duck house. The water striders are skimming across the top of the water while dragonflies skip around in the air above. But it will be a while before spotting this red color dragonfly as it is an autumn one and I want spring and summer to last a while first.
Meadowhawk Dragonfly
Those awful, stinky Asian beetles thawed out these last two days outside on my porch and in the house. I sure don’t want them inside and I rather see some other insects outside on flowering plants in the summertime although this red milkweed beetle seems a little lost since it isn’t on a milkweed.
Summertime Bug
On a cold December day, you won’t find a butterfly or other insects on the bright colorful butterfly weed. Even my last little viola has disappeared under the snow so the yard is not very colorful except for a cardinal or blue jay at the feeder.
Butterfly Weed
While there are certain types of insects that I really don’t like, including mosquitoes, ticks and wasps, other types don’t ‘bug’ me as much, even if they destroy my garden. But I expect them to stay out of my house and I don’t want to find them on my kitchen table like this caterpillar. And while he might be cute with its furry and spiky look, he would be more appreciated outdoors (and could be a snack for the birds).
But he might not become a snack as his protection works well as this Banded Tussock Moth caterpillar often rests and feeds on the top surfaces of leaves during the daytime. The word “tussock” in its name refers to the clumps of hairs that is thicker or longer than the rest.
Banded Tussock Moth Caterpillar
On a warm summer day, the pond is full of activity with frogs, fish, tadpoles, damselflies and dragonflies. This dragonfly was busy laying her eggs in the water. The eggs are surrounded by a jelly-like substance which helps the eggs to stick to plants or the bottom of the pond.
Laying Eggs
The daytime flight habits of this insect may cause some to think it is a butterfly, but feathery antenna and folded back tent-like shape of the wings tell you it is a moth. The Virginia Ctenucha moth is one of the largest moths in a group called “wasp moths”. Despite its name, this species is more commonly found in the northeastern United States and southern Canada than in Virginia, which represents the southern boundary of its range although it has begun to expand westward and can now be found west of the Rocky Mountains. Adults feed on nectar during the day, and are considered good pollinators, while the caterpillars feed on grasses.
Virginia Ctenucha Moth
While yesterday’s zinnias are pretty, the hummingbirds and insects might like other varieties of flowers better for nectar. The hummingbird clearwing, a moth in the Sphingidae family, liked these blue flowers as it was zipping around the flowers yesterday. The hummingbird clearwing can vary in color from the olive green and burgundy on its back.
Hummingbird Clearwing
