Slender Grasshopper

(Slender Grasshopper)

Grasshopper season is among us, and from what I am seeing there is no shortage of them. 

 (Lichen Grasshoppers, mating)

I am unsure of the species of this very large Conehead. It measured about 4-5 inches in length.

(Angle-Wing Katydid)

(Black-Legged Meadow Katydid)

The Cocoon

 I found this cicada just as it was about to meet its adult life for the first time. I've long wanted to capture this moment with the camera, but had never been at the right place at the right time before. I found this poem a few years ago, and even though it talks about a butterfly, the premise is the same for this unique, noisy creature of summer.

The Cocoon

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then is seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and could not go no further. Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it has a swollen body and small shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the entire rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been

And we could never fly.

 

White-Lined Sphinx Moth

This pretty moth is a White-Lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata), they are found throughout much of North America, as well as Central America. These are very common sphinx moths in Missouri, and are often mistaken for hummingbirds as they flit and flutter around flowers nectaring at the blooms. Which has also earned them the name of hummingbird moths. White-lined sphinx moths are medium sized with about a 3 3/4 inch wingspan. The upperwings are olive-brown with lighter brown edges There is a white line running from the wingtips to the base, there are also many white lines along the veins, which is where their common name is derived from.

The caterpillars are quite large when mature and may reach lengths up to 4 inches. They vary somewhat in appearance, but generally have a black back. They will feed on a wide variety of hosts including Four O' Clocks, Apple, Fuschia, Purslane, Evening Primrose, Grape, WillowWeed, Elm and Tomato. The adults take nectar from flowers, like wild sweet william. They are common in backyard gardens, but will also be found in desserts as well as other Rural, and Suburban areas.

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.