All I could think of when I walked into Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is that I should work here. It was me. I could see myself leading educational groups down the boardwalk or doing biological studies. Dagnabit. Insert Misti and Chris' Rule of Fun Jobs *here* (ie: Fun Jobs Never Pay). Right when you walk into the boardwalk area is a board showing what animals and plants that have been seen. Then you walk through a little wet prairie and into the cypress swamp. Right away the musty odor comes to you, smelling like an old tent that you've left wet for a few months. Mmmmm, camping. We meandered through the boardwalk for awhile, looking for chompers, caterpillars, in particularly a giant sphinx moth cat or ruddy daggerwing cat. The moths will chow down on pond apples and the daggerwings like strangler figs. We'd see a few nibbled leaves here and there but no caterpillars. I was taking in the new cypress leaves on an overhanging branch from a cypress when Chris exclaimed he'd found one.

That's little green bean looking thing in the top center of the photo. That little bugger.

reBlogged to insects on May 5, 2008, 11:25PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2008-05-07, 05:35:21

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The chemical companies just love the way Yardeners deal with pest insect and disease problems in the yard. Our basic modus operandi is to take care of the general maintenance of the yard and simply wait until an insect or disease problem shows up. Here's the good part. We identify the insect or disease, buy some chemical pesticide, apply it according to the label, and then sit back and wait until another problem comes along. The same problem usually returns next year, so then we go out and buy even more insecticide. We come back year after year; think grubs. . . .

reBlogged to insects organic environment on Apr 7, 2008, 3:11PM

Posted by jeffball@usol.com (Jeff Ball) Reblogged by Old Roses to environment, insects, organic on 2008-04-08, 18:13:12

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Honduran bug

Anybody know what this is? It's really pretty. I haven't seen one like this before. The body is about 1/2 inch long (13 mm.) and the wingspan is about an inch (27 mm.). Found it dead on the floor. I didn't kill it. . . .

reBlogged to insects on Apr 1, 2008, 10:37PM

Posted by La Gringa Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2008-04-03, 06:13:14

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Posted by Rurality Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2008-04-01, 06:57:25

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It is certainly worse than a bee sting, that's for sure. While a bee can only sting you once, thereby committing hari-kari to preserve the hive, wasps can sting multiple times - and they still won't die.

Can they kill a human? Given the right conditions - namely the person has allergies to bees/ wasps/ ants and other stinging insects - they certainly can, and have done. It's not that common and in most cases a wasp sting will only result in painful nausea and/ or swelling. . ..

reBlogged to insects on Mar 26, 2008, 6:30PM

Posted by scrobins@westnet.com.au (Stuart) Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2008-03-28, 06:01:23

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I am wandering what this is? It is suspended under the top of the fence held on by fine threads and alien looking gloop!
I thought it might be a Chrysalis.. If anyone can recognise what it is please comment :). . .

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Posted by snappy Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2008-01-18, 05:55:24

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Yesterday my coworker and I, on the way to work in our carpool, were discussing butterfly gardens, butterflies and plants in general. I was thinking it had been awhile since I've been the monarch cats hanging around because my butterfly weed looked pretty, was flowering and had not been chomped up. Today when I got home I saw two itty bitty ones and one larger one the size of this one in the photo. This guy is from last spring or fall and is already a butterfly and has probably already moved on into the other garden in the sky. I'm just happy they are back! I found some seedlings I had started, some other types of milkweed, and I put them in the front bed tonight so maybe they will grow up and be ready for the next round of caterpillars. . . .

reBlogged to insects on Nov 2, 2007, 11:25PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-11-04, 00:29:35

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Posted by blog@cactusjungle.com (cactusblog) Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-10-31, 05:58:43

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Oof. Sorry - bad pun. (I’m sure it’s never been used on a garden blog before.) Actually I did wake up with a bit of a bug this am - so I’ll take the opportunity to lay low and catch up on our old entr

reBlogged to insects on Oct 25, 2007, 2:05PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-10-26, 00:56:17

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This winged beastie was resting on Pats green bean leaf the other day. He has handsome black and yellow stipes, metallic wings, and a shiny visor like front.
My Camera batteries decided they were not going to recharge overnight, so I could not take some photos for todays post. . . .

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Posted by snappy Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-10-07, 00:07:38

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Click photos to enlarge.

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Posted by Ki Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-10-04, 00:29:50

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Bugs, bugs, all types of bugs....black, white, multi-color, bad-ass bugs! I have been taking bug pictures all summer, and this post is the result. Try as I might, positive ID of some of these guys still eludes me, but I'll tell you what I know so far (feel free to share whatever you know, too). All information for ID's courtesy of What's That Bug , Butterflies and Moths dot org, and Bug Guide .(And a couple more resources in the text).First off, we have a Grass Skipper...

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Posted by lisa Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-09-27, 06:16:19

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I did an online search and it may be the Common Cattle Grub larvae. See this website for more information. Or this site for a photo and description.


Anal end. Bottom view. . . .

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Posted by Ki Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-09-23, 07:11:01

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One of the many advantages of being married to Liz, is that I get to see a fair number of walking sticks, for she has extremely sharp eyes for picking out odd little critters. Walking sticks belong to the insect order Phasmatodea (from the Greek phasma, meaning phantom, due to the unique ability of these insects to "disappear"). . . .

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Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-09-20, 06:09:52

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In the paper the other day, there was an article about the finding of ハマオモトヨトウ (Brithys crini) caterpillars in the prefecture. They were last since around parts in the mid Fifties. The name is derived from their favoured plant Hamaomoto, found between Minami-Kantō and Okinawa. The report shows a chap with hundreds of larvae swarming. . . .

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Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-09-06, 18:40:25

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I took these a couple of weeks ago about a quarter of a mile apart. They are the only dragonflies I photographed that day, and are male and female twelve spot skimmers. Not that I knew that until I got home and looked her up.

reBlogged to insects on Sep 4, 2007, 7:42PM

Posted by Sandy Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-09-05, 18:35:03

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Walking through the meadows and fields of late summer in Iowa is a lively experience; grasshoppers are everywhere, clattering off through the tall goldenrod in front of you. Our commonest hopper is the red-legged grasshopper, recognized by... well, by its red lower rear legs (tibias), primarily. It is occasionally called the short-horned grasshopper, because it has relatively short antennae.

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Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-09-04, 00:50:46

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After working several hours in the garden today, I took a walk to see if I could see a few more dragonflies. The conditions were ideal- sunny, and a nice breeze. Of course, I had my camera with me. Actually had it in the garden, too. I missed a shot of a hummingbird moth and the dragonfly above while I was working, so was thankful to get another chance at what I think is a variable darner, later in the woods. This is a very large dragonfly, and fast, too. A pair of them were just ahead of me most of my walk. I finally got this shot when one of them settled in a choke cherry tree above me. I used my flash for the first time for extra light since I was shooting toward the sky. . . .

reBlogged to insects on Aug 22, 2007, 5:23PM

Posted by Sandy Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-24, 06:34:02

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Posted by Tamara Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-20, 18:49:24

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This was a very cooperative dragonfly, posing for pictures inside the house.

reBlogged to insects on Aug 19, 2007, 3:56PM

Posted by La Gringa Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-20, 18:40:04

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I photographed these two small dragonflies yesterday afternoon on a path near my house. Both are small, in the same family. The one in the upper photo is a female white faced meadowhawk, and the lower shot is a male banded-wing meadowhawk. While I was looking up information on meadowhawks, I found that they are usually the last dragonflies seen in the fall.

reBlogged to insects on Aug 18, 2007, 10:57AM

Posted by Sandy Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-20, 00:30:00

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Posted by Ki Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-18, 06:32:30

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I happened upon this caterpillar while deadheading petunias this morning:

Quite unusual, at least for my yard. Here's a closer look:

I checked a web page called What's This North American Caterpillar? to try and identify him. But I couldn't decide if he fit into the tufted, hairy or bristled category. Therefore he shall simply be called Caterpillar "L'il Dewd."

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Posted by Beth Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-17, 06:17:02

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We have a gravel driveway, which, as anyone who has one knows, is a great incubator for weeds. So whenever my husband or I spot green stuff in the gravel around the yard, we reflexively bend down to weed it out. Tonight, as I reached down for a bit of errant grass, it moved. Ah, ha, not grass, but a grasshopper.

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

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Posted by Yvonne Cunnington Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-15, 06:16:40

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Remember when I posted this dragonfly a while ago? I thought it was the male calico pennant because it was so colorful. Well, this week I found the one below in the grass at edge of my garden. When I looked it up, I found the male is red. Guess I am used to bright male birds and drab females! Anyway, this a very colorful pair isn’t it? There is a lot to learn about dragonfly identification, and hard sometimes, because the colors in the photos can be deceiving. It is fun to learn though, and I will keep at it.

click on the bottom shot for a better view

reBlogged to insects on Aug 13, 2007, 6:57AM

Posted by Sandy Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-15, 06:05:48

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This evening I was sitting outside with my mom and dad when I spotted some activity at the hummingbird feeder. I was surprised to see two small hummingbird moths along with several hummingbirds. I was able to get pretty close to them but the pictures still didn't turn out too well since it was getting dark and I couldn't use the flash. . . .

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Posted by Robin's Nesting Place Reblogged by Old Roses to birds, insects on 2007-08-09, 18:43:29

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Well, gosh, I was going to write a post about August being the beginning of autumn, but I decided to check my archives before doing it. Good thing, too, because I was going to write very nearly the same thing I wrote a year ago. Everything I wrote then applies equally well today, except this time I have a good picture of a clearwing moth.

In that picture, it just looks like a bug, but when you see one of these hovering in front of a flower, you could swear you're looking at a tiny hummingbird.

Also, to update last year's post just a bit, Wikipedia now has a page showing the exact time of the traditional beginning of autumn. Going over to time.gov, I see that we are already 2 hours into autumn as I write this. Then why is it so darned hot?

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Posted by Entangled Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-09, 06:58:53

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Dragonflies are tough. I can't make this one exactly fit any of the pictures on BugGuide or Giff Beaton's site. I think it's one of the Libellula species but I'm not even sure of that. . . .

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Posted by Rurality Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-08, 06:45:22

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Do earwigs get in one's ears? (answer).

From The Old Farmer's Almanac.

reBlogged to insects on Aug 4, 2007, 11:00PM

Posted by The Old Farmer's Almanac Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-07, 06:50:38

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Posted by traceyf Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-07, 06:50:31

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I've seen these before but have never had my camera handy. This time, I didn't have it with me either, but I stopped what I was doing (deadheading) and ran up to the house to get it and hoped this colorful guy didn't take off. . . .

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Posted by Kylee Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-07-31, 00:33:45

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When I was photographing some Dahlias I came across this tiny bug, about 1/4" long with green paddle front legs. I haven't a clue as to what it is. It didn't seem too perturbed by the closeness of the camera lens and moved only slightly when I got too close or moved some petals to expose it more fully.

It has an almost Egytian looking headdress and delta wings which are kinda neat but I wonder what those front legs were meant for? I don't think it is used for locomotion in water.

Update: Thanks to Annie in Austin the bug has a name - Ambush Bug, Family Phymatidae from the "What's That Bug" website. The Ambush bug is halfway down the web page.

Here's a quote from the website " The lethargic behavior you describe is the key to the hunting strategy of the Ambush Bug, Family Phymatidae. These bugs usually wait on flowers for much larger insects to arrive and then pounce with those raptorial front legs. A tiny Ambush Bug is capable of subdueing a much larger bee. Their protective coloration will camoflauge them very well on such plants as goldenrod."

Futher, " You have an Ambush Bug, Family Phymatidae. These are True Bugs and closely related to Assasin Bugs, hence the similarity in appearance. According to Borror and Delong: "The Phymatids are small stout-bodied bugs with raptorial front legs. ... Most of the Ambush Bugs are about 1/2 inch in length or less, yet they are able to capture insects as large as fair-sized bumble bees. they lie in wait for their prey on flowers, particularly goldenrod, where they are excellently concealed by their greenish yellow color. They feed principally on relatively large bees, wasps, and flies." They do have venom, hence the pain in your bite. As you know, their bite is painful, but not dangerous. I believe your species is Phymata erosa."

And here's a site that shows an amazing photo of the Ambush bug capturing a much, much larger wasp.

And another site showing it capturing and devouring a butterfly, again many times its size.

The bug seemed to be so slow moving, small and innocuous, I'm surprised at how ferocious it is! I'll have to be more careful having been stung by the yellow jacket already this summer. I don't want to experience the venomous bite of the Ambush bug too.


Here's a closer look.

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Posted by Ki Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-07-25, 00:47:21

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Posted by Ki Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-07-22, 00:55:56

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I took these shots a couple of weeks ago at the edge of the woods. The Common Whitetails are found all over the country, and seem to be abundant in our area. An old pine tree fell in one of our spring storms, and I can find these dragonflies resting on the limbs most of the time. The male is above and the female below.

reBlogged to insects on Jul 20, 2007, 9:49AM

Posted by Sandy Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-07-22, 00:42:23

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My parents are visiting right now from Pennsylvania, and as I juggle work and playing hostess and the rest of my life, it’s not leaving much room for blogging.

But I have a story that deserves telling…and I can’t give it the writing time tonight that it’s due. So…here’s a taste of what’s to come:

I hate to be a tease, but sometimes it just can’t be helped. Stay tuned for more on my latest friends in the garden…

reBlogged to insects on Jul 20, 2007, 12:50AM

Posted by inadvertentgardener Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-07-21, 06:13:33

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Posted by Crafty Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-07-19, 17:51:10

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We've had rain for the last two mornings and things are looking so much better. I was outside looking around and heard something land in the small birch tree. It was a cicada and at that very moment I heard another one in my neighbors tree. They sure are ugly creatures and quite loud.

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Posted by Robin's Nesting Place Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-07-19, 17:46:44

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Posted by Earth Girl Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-07-15, 04:53:29

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This caterpillar is a master of camouflage... or just has the inside scoop on where to hang out in the garden to best blend into the surroundings.

Can't see it? Unlike the common green inchworm, this one's color-coordinated with the yellow center of the cosmo flower. Here's a closer look:

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Posted by Beth Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-07-15, 04:46:24

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