Giant Robber Fly

 Very few insects generate as much interest as these large predatory flies. They are called Giant Robber Flies, and being called a giant it a very apt term. They reach lengths up to 2 inches....which is incredibly large for a fly. They are sometimes called bee killers because of their preference for eating bees and wasps. I've seen these guys attack and eat bumble bees!!! It is a pretty impressive insect that can accomplish that feat.

 This large fly is feeding on a dragonfly. When I first saw this dragonfly I thought something had already fed on it, I reached out to touch it and that robber fly let it go and flew straight at me. Scared the CRAP outta me. I literally screamed.
These giant robber flies are in the family Asilidae. I'm not sure which species are pictured here, I know there are at least two different species, but for me they are difficult to ID to species. These giant robber flies belong in the family Promachus. These flies are found Worldwide, and seem to be ,more commonly seen during the summer months. They are often found in open grasslands, sometimes near timber lands. Look for them perching in sunny locations awaiting their insect prey, where they will fly out rapidly and grab with their powerful legs and carry back to their perch and feed.

Mating is an aggressive affair. Males will fly out and pounce on females much like they do when grabbing prey. They will remain interlocked tail-to-tail for some time. They are still capable of flight while mating. Last night I stumbled upon a pair mating and they flew quite rapidly into the woodlands near a pond and out of sight before I could capture an image of their behavior. These flies are very quick and difficult to approach.

Arrow-Shaped Micrathena

After posting about the Spiny Micrathena, I thought I would share with everyone a spider that I posted about last fall that is very similar, but perhaps even more beautiful. Arrow-Shaped Micrathena

Spined Micrathena

 This odd yet pretty little spider is a Spined Micrathena (Micrathena gracilis), they are very common in gardens and woodlands throughout Eastern  North America. I see them all the time in my backyard flower gardens.....I easily have a dozen or more of these little females sitting in the middle of their simple yet effective web. These webs will measure approximately 30 cm (6 to 8 inches) in diameter. Like most spiders, only the female is responsible for web building. The males are capable of producing silk, but it used in mating rituals only. Males will carefully approach the web, and using his legs will tap out specific signals to the female on a specific piece of silk that he will use to attach to her web. If the female is feeling amorous, she will not eat him. Mating will occur and if he is quick enough he will live to see another day. The life of a male spider is truly a life lived on the edge. He is almost always at the mercy of the mood of his potential mate. The female will lay eggs in a sac woven of silk that will overwinter near the original location of the web; usually hidden in the bushes. It takes approximately one year for them to complete their lifecycle.

These are relatively small spiders; females measure up 1/2 of an inch in length, males are about half that size. They are a glossy black with white spiny abdomen, males will have no spines and will be lighter in color. There will be a total of 10 spines located around the perimeter of the abdomen.The spines on the abdomen are an adaptation that protects the spider from being eaten. They are quite sharp and can even draw blood if smashed against your skin. Any bird, frog, or other insect bent on munching on this spider would get a nasty surprise when the spines hit the palate. I would assume it would feel very much like munching on a cocklebur.

They mainly feed on flies and other small insects. Their web is too small to contain very large prey. Butterflies and large moths would most likely tear the web to pieces. While walking through the timber these are the most commonly encountered webs in this area. There is very little that is more discerning that walking into a web and not knowing if the spider has now taken up residence on your body somewhere. Makes me shiver to think about it!

Brenda's Photo Contest---Macro Red

These bright Red Milkweed Beetles are some of my favorite insects. I have often posted pictures of them on my blog and frequently comment on how cute they are.....just look at those faces.

Long-Jawed Orb Weaver

 This long slender spider is a Long-Jawed Orb Weaver in the family Tetragnathidae. They are orb weaving spiders that build small webs. This particular species is in the genus Tetragnatha. They are commonly found in gardens and tall grassy areas. These garden variety long jawed orb weavers do not grow very large....maybe 1 inch or a bit more in length (with legspan).

Some species of Long-Jawed Orb Weavers can reach gigantic proportions. These larger species typically live near water and may reach lengths up to 4 inches or more (with legspan). 

They are harmless to humans and provide great insect control. They are amazing to look at...just look at the overly long legs on this specimen. They are capable of elongating their body on a blade of grass and all but disappearing  hidden flat against the blade. 


These are one of my favorite spiders, most especially these long impressive species. Look for the messy webs near the waters edge.

Spotted Apatelodes

 This oddly shaped sphinx-like moth is called a Spotted Apatelodes (Apatelodes torrefacta). They are in the family Bombycidae which are the Silk Moths.....Sphinx Moths are in the family Sphingiidae. They are a moderately sized moth with a wingspan up to 2 inches.  The adults are gray with brownish colored lines running through the forewings.  They will often continue the ruse of appearing like sphinx moths by holding their wings and tail up at a vertical angle (pictured).
Look for them in deciduous woodland and nearby areas from Texas eastward to Florida and north to southern Ontario. The larvae feed on Ash, Maple, Oak and Cherry. Most likely in Missouri there will be one generation per year.
UPDATE: I checked the BAMONA (Butterflies and Moths of North America) website for this moth in Missouri. There were no recorded sightings. I reported this moth to our Missouri representative Philip Koenig. He said he would add the information to BAMONA. Looks like my sighting of this particular moth may be the first for Missouri...or at least the first one reported.

Pearl Crescent

Silvery Checkerspot

 This brightly colored butterfly is the Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis), they are common throughout the Midwest and eastward. In fact these little orange butterflies are one of the most frequently encountered butterflies around our farm. With a wingspan up to 1 1/2 inches they are far from a large butterfly and may often go unnoticed in favor of the much larger and colorful butterfly species.

Another similar species is the Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos), the main difference between these two species in the "Open" spot on the hind wing of the Silvery Checkerspot. When I first posted this entry I had the first picture listed as a Pearl Crescent. Linda Williams, who is an expert on butterflies here in Missouri and actually raises many of them for release, pointed out I was indeed mistaken. It is a silvery checkerspot. So I changed the information to reflect the right species. I want to thank Linda for pointing out my faux pas. These are terribly difficult butterflies to differentiate....I need to remember to look for that open "spot"

There is something to be said for these smaller butterflies though, they are beautifully marked, and very often easy to approach. I've coaxed them to sit on my fingers and they cooperate quite nicely when trying to get their photo.

Pearl Crescent

The females lay eggs on plants in the Aster family where the caterpillar will feed for a couple weeks. Older caterpillars are brown with yellow bands with many spines. There may be more than 3 generations per year, which would account for their being so common. The adults nectar at a wide variety of flowers and are often found near woodland edges.

Pearl Crescents

 This picture was sent to me by Steve Wenzl over at Out On The Prairie. He graciously agreed to let me post it here. I think it is a lovely photograph depicting these butterflies as they search for minerals on the rocks. Be sure to visit his blog it is a great mix of lovely pictures and journalism. Thanks Steve for the use of this photo.

Lizard Beetle

 This pretty, but very thin beetle is called a Slender Lizard Beetle (Acropteroxys gracilis). The adults are fond of pollen and leaves of herbaceous plants. The larvae bore into the stems of herbaceous plants and feed there. They are found east of the Rocky's and are very tiny at up to 3/8 of an inch. Look for them along roadsides and near woodland areas...or in your garden like I found this one.

They will overwinter in the stems of plants such as Joe-Pye Weed, Sneezeweed and Boneset. These beetles were originally in their own family of Languriidae....now they are included with the Pleasing Fungus Beetles in the family Erotylidae.

Gold & Brown Rove Beetle

This bland colored beetle is a Gold & Brown Rove Beetle (Ontholestes cingulatus). They are found throughout North America and are associated with dung, carrion and other nasty's. The adults do not feed on poo....they are there to feed on the insects feeding on the poo. The larvae however do...so therefore they are often found in these excrement's feeding on insects or laying eggs. They are one of the largest rove beetles in North America and are all brown with golden coloration near the thorax and on the last abdominal segment. This golden segment has a glowing appearance when first seen that reminds a person of a lightning bug. I have been finding a lot of these beetles on cow dung in out pasture. There are at least two per pile and they seem to prefer fresh dung. The cow patty's that are a day or two old will have no rove beetles on them.

These beetles are incredibly fast and difficult to approach and photograph. I managed two decent photos out of numerous attempts. They race quickly underneath the poo and disappear, sometimes never to be seen again. I draw the line at flipping cow patty's to get at these beetles. I prefer to wait patiently and hope for the best. It just goes to show you never know where you will find interesting insects. :o)

Lubber Grasshoppers

These humongus grasshoppers are called  Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers (Romalea guttata). They are the only lubber grasshopper native to the Eastern United States, although you will not find them in Missouri. I photographed these beauties at the Omaha Zoo at the new Insect Exhibit. I thought they were so beautiful that I wanted to share them with everyone. If you visit our neighboring states of Arkansas and Tennessee, you are likely to find them as they are known to be there, as well as Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. In the west they occur in Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. These are extremely large, flightless grasshoppers that measure up to 3 inches in length. Their bodies are thick and heavy. The coloring is a warning of their bad taste, and when disturbed they will secrete a foul tasting fluid and hiss angrily which is sure to ward of potential predators that would typically dine on grasshoppers. I'm sure a bird coming across a grasshopper this large would think it hit the motherlode of all grasshoppers....until faced with the defense system that this large hopper has in store for it.

In the wild they feed on a variety of vegetation, including pokeweed (oh how I wish we had them in Missouri...the pokeweed has taken over my gardens and I fight to keep it at bay), pickeral weed, sedges, arrowhead, and lizards tail. They can be found in a wide variety of habitiats including yards, pine forest, along roadsides, in croplands and open fields. They seem to prefer moist areas. At the zoo they were being fed fresh tomato wedges and other fresh vegetables, which they seem to relish.

Their common name of "lubber" means to be clumsy or lazy.....which may have to do with their slow movements and lack of flight. With a chemical defense such as they have fast movement and flying would not be necessary, this allows them to conserve energy, so maybe it is not being lazy at all, just frugal.

If anyone reading this entry has these grasshoppers in their yards, on their farms or anywhere nearby....I would love to have some to keep in captivity to use for programs with children. Their large size would make them a hit with the kids. I also have an event coming up in September called Insect-O-Rama and would love to have some interesting insects to exhibit there. I will happily pay for postage and handling.