Woolly Bear

Some people have been saying that since there are a ton of acorns dropping from Oak trees that this winter will be severe. Hodge podge. The real scientific way is took find a woolly bear and look at how thick his or her brown stripe is. Thick means a severe winter. Thin means a mild winter. Based on this little fellow, looks like we are in a for a doozy. Lock it up! No woolly bears were hurt during the taking of this picture.

Giant Katydid

Despite what little boys say, little girls are pretty tough. A couple I know let this giant katydid climb all over them (only later did I read that they do bite or pinch but usually don't break the skin). I should just get it over with and name the this the bug blog.

Butterfly on Apple

Having an apple tree in your backyard has its pros and cons (mostly cons). We've made a total of one apple pie from a single giant apple that we saw fall from the tree. If it spends more than 5 seconds on the ground, it is a goner. The rotting apples do attract bugs, some bad, some good. The bad would be flies and giant bees and wasps. The good would be these butterflies. 

Bag of Water with Penny Fly Deterrent

Seemed to good to be true. Didn't see any bugs for a little while, then one started buzzing around me. I used a penny that was kind of dull, so I'll have to run a couple of blinded, controlled, randomized clinical trials to see if it actually works. UPDATE: I may have to eat crow.: while not blinded, controlled, or randomized, I did put a bag of water with a shiny penny above the old garbage can out back, and miraculously, no more flies as far as I can tell. Too bad it doesn't work as effectively on mosquitoes. In other words, I should re-title this post BEST ECONOMICAL FLY DETERRENT EVER. So if you want to put one of these up, you've gotten nothing to lose since it only costs a penny, plus what the bag costs, plus the string...

Stink Bug

We've been invaded by Asian Tiger Mosquitoes and Stink Bugs. The Stink Bug has another name, but I call a shovel a shovel, and this is a horrible name, befitting of a bug who seems to have little purpose except stink. I caught some bonus bugs in this picture as well. 

Bug with Big Antennas

Not sure if this is a grasshopper, though it does hop, and I did see it in the grass. A Google Images search of grasshopper with red stripe revealed...nothing, absolutely nothing. Still, this dude's antennas are huge! Like twice the length of his body. You try jumping with those. After also taking a picture of a giant Katydid, turns out that these is a katydid and not a grasshopper based on the length of the antennae. They also apparently have big nuts as well. 

Horse Fly

Horse flies are annoying critters. I guess they are called horse flies cause they like horses? I used to think they didn't bite, but boy was I wrong. We were also told that they puke with each foot or something? Anyhow, the best way to kill a horsefly ever (without any help from technology), is to place both hands above where the fly is resting, and clap them together very quickly. The pros are that the fly will fly right in between your clapping hands, stunning and/or killing him. The cons are you get bug guts on your hands. Do not try the Karate Kid stuff; that stuff is best left to professionals.

Asian Tiger Mosquito

The Asian tiger mosquito, sort of pictured here, is a sly little "sucker." *wince* I wavered between her and the stink bug, especially since the stink bug causes more environmental damage. However, the mosquito has ruined many a summer afternoon cause it doesn't care if it is dawn, dusk, lunchtime, nap-time, etc., she is coming for your blood. They seem to know to attack ankles and the backs of elbows. Who the hell gave them maps to the human blind spot? I planned on killing one of them and taking a picture, but, of course, as soon as I go outside to find one, there is none to be found! They find every way to annoy me. Finally caught this one buzzing around, easily distinguishable from the native jerks with their tell-tale black and white legs.

False Colorado Beetle

The Colorado Potato Beetle apparently got upset that this little guy was stealing all of its thunder, so concerned entomologists slapped him with the name False Colorado Potato Beetle. Such incidences are most likely unavoidable in the bug kingdom. Couldn't they come up with a better name though, sort of like false diamonds are called cubic zirconia? 

Wood Eating Bumble Bee

Dear Bumble Bee, why do you chew on my fence so? I see a couple perfectly drilled holes, and wonder, what the hell? Then I see you buzzing around, entering one of the holes, then some sawdust get kicked out. This is highly unusual behavior for a bumble bee, I think. Aren't you supposed to be flying around making flower love or something? Or are all those chemicals messing with your senses and you've gone into drill mode? If this is a new home, you are welcome to bring your bee family, although I swear you guys like hives.

Bess Bug

Thank you, patent leather beetle, for appearing in my life the week of one of my daughter's "bug week" at school. Against my better judgement, I took you to her school in ghetto fab bug barn made of two plastic cups held together with masking tape. You could have perhaps resulted in the first lawsuit against a parent for bringing an aggressive bug to school. However, Wikipedia assured me of your docileness (sp?). Therefore, I had some regret leaving you at school all day, despite being a good representative for your genus, or kingdom, or something (8th grade biology was a loooong time ago). We all know the happy ending, as we ended up bringing you home and releasing you into the woods, were you could enjoy the rotting wood you so enjoy. Fare thee well, most amazing bug in the world, we hardly knew ya.

Butterfly Pamphlet with Live Butterfly

I like to fancy myself a manly man, although I don't know why I just used the word "fancy." Anyway, these indoor butterfly exhibits are hardcore, with butterflies everywhere, landing on everything. This big guy was on one of the pamphlets about butterflies. Awesome.

Plate of Fruit with Butterflies

Because it is covered in butterflies.

Fistful of Worms

She likes earth worms and gummy candy, but does not like gummy worms. Go figure.

Wheel Bug Eggs

Actually, the macro setting on the phone camera is not too bad. Just takes some practice. I know these are Wheel Bugs eggs because I saw a big bug in the same spot for several days on the bricks on the front of my house, looked up the bug on the old internet, found out it was a wheel bug, and learned that they like to cement their eggs to surfaces then sadly die. They are supposedly beneficial bugs, in that they eat a bunch of other bugs that cause gardens, trees, etc. problems. People also like to film them fighting other bugs and post the videos on YouTube. A bugs gotta do what a bugs gotta do.