Category: Insects

A few bugs

On By CarynIn Insects

This fall is giving us the opportunity to observe some rather large insects.

Photo description: Vine Sphinx Moth looking a little ragged hanging out on a window screen
Photo description: camel cricket living its best life in the chicken coop at night, the length of its antenna is impressive at 5-6 times its body length, photo taken with flash
Photo description: Carolina Mantis clinging to a glass window, as seen from inside

House spider for the win

On By CarynIn Insects

My youngest told me there was a large bug in the bathroom, so I went to look. It was indeed a large bug, a bark scorpion, but it had been taken care of by our friendly neighborhood house spider. I have no idea how the scorpion became entangled in the web an inch off the floor, but the spider definitely had the advantage.

Photo description: house spider feeding on a bark scorpion vastly larger than the spider, day one
Photo description: same spider, same scorpion, day three, the scorpion is looking decidedly desiccated

The spider is certainly eating well, and we find it revisiting different parts of the scorpion as well as taking breaks from feeding. I’m going to leave the scorpion until there is nothing left, then clean up the web and let the spider rebuild. Go spider go.

Male Queen

On By CarynIn Garden, Insects

The Queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) is a common butterfly in North Texas, and is the most frequently spotted in our Gregg’s Mist flower patch.

Photo description: Queen butterfly on a Gregg’s Mist Flower stalk
Photo description: Queen butterfly with wings open

In looking up the information on the Queen butterfly for this post, I found references for telling apart the males and females of the species. The males have dark patches on the hind wings, which are scent producing patches. So in my picture, it is a male Queen butterfly because the patches are evident.

Photo description: same butterfly zoomed in and a white arrow pointing to the one androconial scent patch

Moth balls

On By CarynIn Insects
Photo description: two moths in the dryer with a wool dryer ball

I’ve started a new campaign to keep the moth community sparkling clean: Moth Balls! Toss the ball into the dryer and it releases hundreds of detail oriented nocturnal lepidopteran insects to scour clothing. Ew, no, I’m kidding, April Fools. Gah, the thought (shudder).

I did find moths in my dryer at the dawn of Spring. They were safely transported outside. It was weird finding them there, though. We’ve lived here for seven years and I’ve never before found flying insects in the dryer. I wonder if I have a crack or breakage somewhere.

Photo description: moth rescued from the dryer on a piece of paper

Throwback Thursday: butterfly wings

On By CarynIn Craft, Insects

Here is a quick project for found butterfly wings. We often find deceased butterflies in the yard, and in December 2011, we had some amazingly intact wings. Jewelry sections of hobby stores often have premade pendant frames that are two pieces of thin glass or plastic held together with a metal frame. I found these square frames, opened them, and carefully cut the butterfly wings to fit the glass.

Photo description: four square framed pendants with monarch butterfly wings sandwiched between glass

I am amazed at the durability of these pendants. I decided they looked better on our tree, so rather than necklaces, I made them into ornaments by adding a hook. They are some of my favorite ornaments and are still gracing our tree 13 years later.