The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The insect world, much like the HBO series called the Game of Thrones, is comprised of villains, heroes, and unpleasant creatures.  Stopping to notice and identify these small denizens of our backyards has really opened my eyes to the diversity and complexity of their world.  All three of the following specimens were found and photographed in my yard.

Everyone loves butterflies so how could this Great Spangled Fritillary not be the good.

Japanese Beetles were accidently introduced to this country in 1916 and have been a nuisance to gardeners ever since.   They feed on nearly 300 different species of domestic plants; a big-time nominee for the bad.

 Most people would consider the Wheel Bug to be the ugly, even though it does feed exclusively on other insects.  Also, it also can deliver a painful sting if handled carelessly.  

The Art of Camouflage

Camouflage is blending into your surroundings so you can catch a meal or avoid being a meal.  It’s a high stakes game that nature has to play, and it makes finding new species even more difficult.  However, I am adding new species, slowly but surely, and am now up to 549 for the year.

I walked past this Woodhouse Toad at least three times before I finally realized it was not a rock.  This species is highly variable in color and pattern, and may be brown, gray, olive, tan, or reddish with varying degrees of mottling and dark spots.

 

This Praying Mantis is doing its best to mimic a blade of grass, but it didn’t fool my camera.

If this Carolina Grasshopper had not moved, it probably would not have seen.

June Travels

This past week, I traveled to Quivira National Wildlife Refuge for the fifth time this year.  New species found there were Least Terns and a singing Cassin’s Sparrow.  Due to all the rain, the roads were messy and I had a chance to use my four-wheel drive, a bonus on the trip.  Later in the week I traveled to the Oregon Trail Park in Pottawatomie County where I saw many new insects and a new lizard for the year.  

This was one of many Snowy Plovers seen at Quivira NWR; a location that this species nests at every year.

 

 A Six-lined Racerunner playing hide and seek with me on the Oregon Trail Park.

Halfway Point

Have you ever been standing in the checkout line of a retail store, and suddenly balloons fall and trumpets blare because someone in line just became the millionth customer?  No, not me either, but maybe this moth can relate.  Although absent the celebratory clamor, this Buttercup Moth became my 500^th species for the year.  It celebrated with a short photo session and a quiet release back into the wild.  I also added a slug this morning, so I only have 499 more species to achieve my goal.

Fascination and Frustration

Insects and spiders are amazing creatures, and while the diversity is remarkable, making their identification can be frustrating.  Some species are easy to ID, but most require hours of research in reference books and websites.  It turns out that many do not even have common names.  Anyway, with what seemed to be a tremendous amount of time devoted to catching and researching, I have added around 40 new insect/spider species just this week to my year list. 

This Pyrgota Fly was attracted to my yard light.  After mating, they lay a single egg on a May Beetle, which hatches and kills the beetle.  

This tiny Stilt Bug was feeding on a flower in my yard.