Back in early August I got a text from my neighbor, asking if I knew what this thing was on her tree:
You know what activity allows you to get a really good glimpse at many of the corners of your garden, looking underneath leaves, searching for tiny insects to eat? (Not to eat myself of course, because if I were hungry for insects I'd be looking for the big ones.) Sprinkling baby mantises everywhere, that's what.
When I was in the sixth grade, I went to summer camp for a week with my class -- it was the highlight of the school year for us. Being with my classmates around the clock for a few days gave me a chance to know many of them better, like it or not. One of the memories that has stuck with me happened one night in the cabin, when Patrick -- a big, loud, tough kid who could sometimes be a bully -- started yelling and jumping around. He was on one of the top bunks (of course) and was standing up, arms thrashing, completely freaking out, oblivious to the ceiling inches above his head and the edge of the bed which promised a late-night trip to some country hospital at best. I seem to remember him yelling "get it off, GET IT OFF!", but that could just be time aging the story for me.
The garlic chives have been blooming for a week or so now, and every pollinator in the area knows it. Well, not every pollinator, but a lot of them. The butterflies and honeybees may get all of the press, but there are a lot of other critters involved too.
So this morning I was doing a little project in the garden, cleaning up a bed and moving some pots into it (trying to get my driveway cleared before the end of the summer). I needed to get this project done before 10 AM or so or I'd be cooked by the sun -- this bed is shaded until then.
Lepidoptera is the order of insects including moths and butterflies. Today I have a few more specimens to show you. First up is this insect that really looks like a beetle of some sort, with its long tubular body.
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