Creatures

Sphex pensylvanicus (Great Black Wasp)

As it gets hotter and hotter, the bees seem to get thicker and thicker on the mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum). The great black wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus is a bit hard to photograph well. In general, it’s easier to photograph something with a bit of contrast in it but the great black wasp is pretty much a uniform black. It’s also not an insect that you can take a lot of time with. It’s constantly on the move. For a huge, dangerous looking wasp, it also seems to be relatively shy and doesn’t like to be approached. Still, I’m reasonably pleased with this shot.

Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot)

This is a cute little butterfly that’s appeared in our garden the last few days. It is a silvery checkerspot, Chlosyne nycteis, one of a genus of 20 to 25 species. It’s a smallish thing, between 1.5 and 2 inches across and seems quite fond of the black-eyed Susans, although they are on the mountain mint, as well, with about a jillion bees and wasps. The mountain mint has really come into full bee-attracting mode. There must be hundreds on that one small patch at any given time, especially in the heat of the day when the sun is shining on it.

Epargyreus clarus (Silver-spotted Skipper)

It’s another insect! Aren’t you excited? This one is a skipper, a silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus) to be precise. It’s a fairly large skipper and quite common, although I’ve only seen a half dozen or so of them so far. We have dozens upon dozens of smaller grass skippers (subfamily Hesperiinae). It’s a busy time in the garden right now. This skipper is on the buddleia, as you can clearly see.

Mantis religiosa (European or Praying Mantis)

This isn’t a great picture but I was competing with a 10-year old who was trying to get a better view of it while I was trying to get a photograph. Actually, she was trying to “help” me get a clear view and she was moving the leaves around. Of course, the mantis didn’t stay in one place very long and I was lucky to get two pictures, both reasonably sharp. This is a small mantis, about two inches long. Metamorphosis in mantises is called hemimetabolism. The larval stage looks basically like the adult, only smaller (and without wings). As they grow, they shed their exoskeleton a number of times.

Halictus parallelus (A Sweat Bee)

I’m pretty pleased with this picture of a leaf-cutting bee. It could be better, to be sure, but I’m pretty psyched with it. The best part, in my view, is what it shows about bees’ eyes. Most people are familiar with the fact that most insects have compound eyes. These compound eyes are called oculi (singular oculus) and are made up of up to 9,000 ommatidia, the individual components of the eyes. What you may not know is that many insects have three additional simple eyes, called ocelli (singular ocellus) on the top of their head, arranged in a triangle. That’s right, they have five eyes, not two.

If you enlarge this image you should be able to see the three “additional” eyes on this leaf-cutting bee’s head. You’ll also get a nice view of the mandibles that she uses to cut pieces of leaf (thus the common name) to use as separators between cells of her nest.

Update: The good folks at BugGuide.net have identified this as Halictus parallelus (A Sweat Bee) (and a male, at that) rather than a Megachile (Leaf-cutting Bee). I have change the title and the caption on the photograph to reflect this.

Cotinis nitida (Green June Beetle)

I saw a new insect today. Well, not technically a new insect, but one I haven’t photographed before. This is a fairly large beetle, about an inch long. It was up on the buddleia bush and I was able to get a reasonably sharp picture, although not as sharp as I’d like. It’s a little like a giant Japanese beetle, but it’s a green June beetle, Cotinis nitida, a North American native. They are generally considered to be pests, because their larvae eat the roots of many plants including grasses and ornamentals.

Dark Phase Tiger Swallowtail

At the risk of overdoing one subject, here’s another picture of a tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). As you can see, this looks a bit different to the others I’ve posted lately. There is a dark phase which occurs in females through much of its range.

This little lady was playing hard to get, moving to the top of the buddleia (butterfly bush) and staying on the far side as I circled trying to get a good look at her. This is the best I could do, and it isn’t bad, anyway.

Ammophila nigricans (Thread-waisted Wasp)

I saw this chap on the gooseneck loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides) but at first is wouldn’t come close. I stood for a while without taking any pictures and eventually it came near. I managed to take quite a few pictures but most of them either aren’t in focus or don’t show enough of the wasp to identify it. This is an Ammophila nigricans, one of the thread-waisted wasps. It’s a fairly large wasp and, as you can see, is characterized by a long, very narrow “waist” and the brown coloration on its abdomen.

Megachile, Leaf-cutting or Resin Bee

This is one of the leaf-cutting or resin bees in the genus Megachile. There are over 1,500 species world-wide and about 130 in our area. While I could eliminate a few species from consideration, I really have no idea which of them this is. It’s a little but not tiny bee, measuring about 12 to 15mm in length (I didn’t actually measure it with a ruler or anything).

This is one of a growing number of bees and wasps that is now enjoying the mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum).

Popillia japonica (Japanese Beetle)

This is not a friend of mine. Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) are highly destructive plant pests. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “the Japanese beetle was first found in the United States in 1916 in southern New Jersey. Since then, it has spread throughout most of the country east of the Mississippi River, as well as areas in Arkansas, Iowa, and Missouri.”

I have to admit that I find their metallic green exoskeleton to be quite pretty but I equally admit that I rarely take the time to admire them. I’m usually more intent of killing as many of them as possible. Fiends.

Eumenes fraternus (Potter Wasps)

This is becoming one of my favorite wasps. I’m not sure why, but it is. I think I like the simplicity, along with the distinctiveness of the markings. It’s also such a fragile little thing. I say little, but it’s not all that tiny, measuring a good 15 to 20 mm in length. I suspect it’s also got a sting that I don’t want to experience.

Now that the mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) is starting to bloom in earnest, it’s starting to attract the usual suspects. So far, in addition to bumble bees and this potter wasp, I’ve seen a one four-toothed mason wasp (Monobia quadridens) and a few great black wasps (Sphex pensylvanicus).

On a somewhat irrelevant note, the Latin name for this genus of wasp always reminds me of the third play in the Oresteia, by Aeschylus, called The Eumenides. The Eumenides are “The Kindly Ones.” That’s irrelevant, however, as the genus in this case is a different, although similar word. They are apparently named for a Greek general and scholar, Eumenes of Cardia (ca. 362 BC—316 BC).

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus, female)

With the reliability of summer following spring, the tiger swallowtails have returned just as the buddleia (butterfly bush) started to bloom. There are flowers open on two bushes so far with a promise of many more to come. We’ve had the little cabbage whites for a while now but today was the first day I’ve seen a swallowtail in our yard. This is a female. The males don’t have the band of blue spots on their hind wings. Getting a picture that is “just right” is hard. they move about a bit, but this one, with the wings lit from the other side, is pretty good, although the colors in the wing are a bit washed out.

Genus Condylostylus

While I was out picking raspberries I saw a spider web with an orchard orbweaver spider (Leucauge venusta). I took a few pictures but it was too dim and I didn’t have my tripod so I wasn’t able to get enough depth of field to make the image worth sharing. I also saw this little fellow (or lady, I really don’t know). The leaf it was on was moving in the slight breeze and of course there’s that “hand-held” thing, so most of the pictures were out of focus or blurred. This one, I think, is pretty good. Fortunately it was in a small ray of sunshine giving me enough light for a reasonably short exposure. It is one of the flies in the genus Condylostylus but many of them look quite similar, so I don’t know which one.

Golden Three-spot Gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus)

In addition to the pictures I took of Cathy and Dorothy (see prior post), I took a few pictures of our fish. We recently acquired a few new fish from one of Dorothy’s friends, whose family is moving to Colorado. This is a golden gourami, which is one of the common color morphs of the three-spot gourami, Trichopodus trichopterus, native to southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, and Malaysia. This is a pretty good size specimen and has adapted well to our tank, along with a large angel fish, some neon tetras, and a pretty good sized plecostomus.

Anomala orientalis (Oriental Beetle)

I was trying to photograph a particularly small bee this afternoon and not having a lot of success. First, it was only about 5mm long. Second, it kept hiding behind bits of the flower it was on. Third, it kept turning so all I could get was pictures head-on.

Anyway, I happened to notice this little beetle (about 10mm long) on a leaf and decided it would be an easier subject. It is an oriental beetle, Anomala orientalis, and is considered to be a pest. The larvae feed on grass roots, so they aren’t something you want to encourage. I do think the –winged— antennae are cool. The scientific term for that form is flabellate, meaning fan-shaped.

Chrysidinae (Cuckoo Wasp)

This is, I’m pretty sure, a cuckoo wasp (family Chrysididae) in the subfamily Chrysidinae. All of the species in that sub-family have metalic green, blue, or in once case red exoskeleton. They are easy to spot but not always easy to photograph, this is pretty good but I’m still hoping for something sharper. They are not very big, only about a centimeter long, and my lens doesn’t focus any closer than a foot. Maybe it’s time I invested in a set of extension tubes. Of course, they little things don’t stop moving, either, which is a significant issue. The yellow in this picture is pollen from the yarrow (Achillea millefolium) on which the wasp is perched.

Bird In The Grass

When I picked Dorothy up from her friend’s house this evening, I got out of the car to chat for a bit before we left. As we were talking I noticed this bird in the grass of the front yard. I’m not sure what sort of bird it is and to be honest, I didn’t pay that close attention. I did get my camera and took a few pictures of it, though. Poor thing probably came out of a next in the tree overhead. It must have been there for some little while, as it was nestled down into the grass quite comfortably. Still, I don’t give too much for its chances. A bird that cannot fly is easy prey for a neighborhood cat.