Just look into my eyes

 This praying mantis has two different colored eyes. I searched and could not find any info that would cause such an oddity. He seemed to have some kind of genetic problems or brain damage. He could not keep his balance, and every time I placed him on my hand for a picture he would fall off.

Has anyone ever seen eyes like this on a mantid?

Carolina Sphinx Moth

This pretty orange-spotted moth is the Carolina Sphinx Moth (Manduca sexta). They are sometimes called the "Six-spotted Hawk Moth" because of the orangish-yellow spots on their abdomen. These moths have  distinct black, brown and white markings on their wings. The hindwings are black and white with two zig-zag median lines.

These are large moths with a wingspan up to 4 3/4 inches, and are often found nectaring at dusk at various flowers. Because of their size and their flight pattern they resemble hummingbirds and are often mistaken for them.

The caterpillars are called Tobacoo Hornworms. They are large and can consume large amounts of foliage as well as fruit in a short period of time. If these caterpillars end up on your tomatoes you won't have much left unless you remove them. They are a beautiful green with yellow stripes and a red-tipped tail at the end of the abdomen. Fully grown caterpillars will be approximately 3 to 3 1/2 inches long. They will drop to the ground and pupate in the soil. They will spend the winter in this stage and emerge the following spring.  There are several host plants for this species, such as tobacco, potato, tomato and other plants in the nightshade family.

Albino Toad

 I realize this little toad is in no way an insect, but I figure since he feeds on insects he would qualify for being included on this blog, he is all white,  plus he is just plain cool....did I mention he is WHITE? I received a phone call from a man living in Missouri City, MO who said he had found an albino toad and wondered if we would like to have him. He sent me some photos and after looking at them I assured him I would love to have the toad for an exhibit animal at my office. My supervisor lives near this guy so he said he would pick it up for me. Now we have this beautiful little white toad in our office.

He is not a true albino, he has instead a Leusistic abnormality. Meaning he has the inability to produce pigment cells. Some animals with this defect will have patches of white where the cells are abnormal, resulting in a pie-bald appearance. This little toad is completely white, so his entire surface area lacks normal pigment cells. He has black eyes, rather than pink which indicates he is not a true albino.

We've had him about 3 weeks, and he has almost doubled his size. He eats like a little piglet, consuming 6 or more crickets each day. I just think he is the cutest little guy in the amphibian world right now.

Just thought I would share such a unique creature with all of you readers. It just goes to show you never know what will show up once you venture outside.

Waved Sphinx Moth

 This pretty gray moth is a Waved Sphinx Moth (Ceratomia undulosa), they are found throughout Eastern North America. There are records from Oregon and Texas as well. These moths are large with a wingspan up to 4 inches. Of all the sphinx moths in NW Missouri this is without a doubt the most common one I see. They frequently come to a mercury vapor light that I have set up near our timber, sometimes as many as 3 or 4 at a time. Tonight however was the first time I had ever seen the caterpillar. It was feeding on an Ash Tree near our implement shed. The caterpillar was very large at almost 3 1/2 inches long and was a beautiful green color.

These moths are easily distinguished from other gray moths by two white spots located on the forewings. These spots are visible in the first picture. Mating occurs in the early to mid summer. Females lay their eggs on the host plant. For this species the hosts will be Ash, Lilac, Hawthorn and other woody plants. Some reports indicate they  may feed on Oaks, but this is probably in error.

The adults most likely do not feed. Look for them  in deciduous hardwood forests, orchards, timbered edges and suburban areas.

Prairie Cicada

 This large caramel colored cicada is the Prairie Cicada (Tibicen dorsata), they are found throughout the Eastern United States. This species is one of the largest cicadas to call Missouri home and are often associated with tall grassy areas, such as meadows, prairies and tall weedy areas.
This is one of the most beautiful species of cicadas, with a gorgeous caramel color trimmed in black. The eyes are large and pinkish in color.

Like all cicadas the males sing loudly to attract a mate. Each species has it's own distinct song, and if you so desire you can learn the songs of each species and will be able to identify them without seeing them.This is similar to what bird watchers do when they learn the songs of birds.

It is not fully known if the adults eat, it can be assumed they may consume plant juices or tree sap. The nymphs live underground and feed on the roots of trees, plants and grasses. This species is considered a Dog-Day cicada and has a one year lifecycle. Meaning they will live as a nymph underground for one year, then climb up from the soil and make their way to a vertical surface where they will shed their outer skin for the last time and dry their wings. Shortly there after they males will begin singing, this typically occurs in the hottest days of summer...or the "dog-days of summer"

Cicadas are often mistakenly called Locusts. Locusts are a type of migratory grasshopper in the order orthoptera. With summer fast approaching its end, so too will end the song of these loud music makers. I for one dread the silence of their call.....for it means winter is not far away!

Eastern Pondhawk

This beautiful green dragonfly, busy chowing down on a tiny fly is the Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simpliciollis). Like all dragonflies they are predatory and feed on a wide array of flying insects. By reaching out and grabbing their dinner with powerful legs and scooping it up to their mouth to dine on, they give a whole new meaning to the phrase "fast food".  You will find them near ponds, lakes, creeks, and other bodies of water. They will also be found away from water in meadows and open fields searching for insect prey.

Immature males will be powdery blue (picture 2), and as they age they will be mostly green. Females are also green with black spots on their abdomen. These are a medium sized dragonfly measuring up to 2 1/2 inches.

They are found throughout the Eastern United States, as well as Arizona, Texas and New Mexico.
Mating takes place early summer. Males will patrol for females. After mating, the females will lay eggs on aquatic vegetation. The young nymphs will live an aquatic life for a year before emerging as adults.

These dragonflies also go by the name "Green Jacket" and "Common Pondhawk". They are typically easier to approach than most other species of dragonflies. With over 30,000 lenses per eye they have excellent eyesight and are next to impossible to sneak up on. With dragonflies it is more about temperament, which can vary by species, as well as individuals within each species.

Feather-Legged Fly

This pretty little black and orange fly is called a Feather-Legged Fly, I believe this particular one is Trichopoda pennipes. They are found throughout the United States, and are usually associated with tall grassy areas. They are mostly black with shades of orange on the abdomen and thorax. The hind legs have feathery projections on them from whence they get their common name.

After mating, the female will seek out a true bug (i.e. stink bug, squash bug, etc.) on which to lay her eggs. The eggs will hatch and the larvae will burrow into the bug and begin feeding. Only one larvae will exist in each true bug. Eventually a fully formed maggot will develop and exit from the body of the true bug. Soon after this the true bug will perish. The maggot will pupate in the soil and in about 2 weeks will emerge as an adult.

Even though these bugs are used extensively in agriculture to help control the destructive population of damaging insects such as Green Stink Bugs and Squash Bugs, it is debatable how much good they are actually doing. While it is true that they parasitize approximately 70 to 80 percent of true bug populations in areas where they are released, the fact remains that the true bugs are still active and feeding. They will also mate and lay eggs. It takes some time for the fly larvae to have an impact on the true bugs life cycle. So in the time it takes for that fly maggot to wreck havoc the true bug as also done its fair share of damage.

The adults will be found taking nectar from various flowers. It is common to see the adult females hovering over gardens seeking their true bug victim to lay eggs on.

Question Mark Butterfly

This odd knobby-looking caterpillar is the offspring of the Question Mark Butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis). This year seems to be the "Year of the Question Mark", I've seen more of these caterpillars and adult butterflies than any other species. The first photo of the caterpillar was taken on an elm tree, and there was no less than 30 other caterpillar on the same small tree. I've seen them on several other elm trees around our property as well. I've even brought several into the house and reared them into adulthood.
They are found throughout the eastern 2/3 of the United States, except for central and southern Florida. There are populations in Southwestern Canada as well.

They are fond of sweet treats like this nectar from the hummingbird feeder, they will also feed on rotting fruit, carrion, dung and sap flows. The caterpillars feed on elm, false nettle, nettle, and hackberry.

Love is in the air. This mated pair will create offspring that will overwinter as adults. They will secure themselves in leaf litter, and other sheltered areas. In the spring they will become active on the first warm days. They are often the first butterflies seen in early spring. Their close cousin the Comma Butterfly has a very similar lifecycle. They also look much the same. The Question Mark and the Comma both have orangish-red wings and blackish hindwings. There are various black markings on the forewings. The question mark has an extra dash on the forewings that the comma does not have. On the underside of the hindwing are the distinguishing markings that identify this species from its cousin. The Question Mark has a silvery-white "question mark" that is visible in the above picture. The Comma Butterfly has a silvery-white "comma". This species is medium sized with a 3 inch wingspan. The winter form of this species is orange-black with longer violet tipped tails. These violet tipped tails also earns this butterfly their other common name of "violet-tip butterfly".

Common Buckeye

The Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) is found throughout most of the United States. The first broods are born in the Southern United States and migrate north. Each subsequent generation will migrate further north until they reach the northern most part of their range, which includes the Great Lake States. These are a magnificently marked butterfly with shades of brown, yellow, orange and tan. The eyespots are probably the most spectacular thing about these butterflies. The eyespots are shades of orange, tan and purple ringed with black or brown. Most likely the eyespots are present to scare off would-be predators. They are not a large butterfly, with only a wingspan of up to 2 3/4 inches, but what they lack in size they more than make up for in coloration and human tolerance. These beauties are almost always easy to approach and will often land on us to lick up perspiration.

Look for them in open sunny areas with some bare ground exposed with low vegetation. They are often found along roadsides. The adults will nectar at various flowers. Mating occurs throughout the season. Males will be found basking in the sun on the ground during the day. They will periodically patrol their territory looking for females and chasing off any trespassing males. After mating , the female will lay tiny green eggs on the upperside of leaves in the snapdragon family, plantain family and acanthus family of plants.  No other butterfly in Missouri can be mistaken for this species.

The one photographed here was sitting on a milkweed plant at Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area.

Spotted Bird Grasshopper

Spotted Bird Grasshoppers (Schistocerca lineata NO TAXON-typical) are one of 50 species in the same group of grasshoppers that are typically called locusts. The locusts are famous for their swarming capabilities. Millions of these grasshoppers would gather and swarm in huge black clouds that would descend on fields and destroy crops. Many years ago in the United States settlers were faced with huge swarms of Rocky Mountain Locusts. These swarms would blacken out the sky and create fear and dread in all who seen them coming. Nothing would be left behind when these hungry beasts would appear. There was a swarm in the mid 1800's that was reported to be larger than the whole state of California. The swarm was estimated to carry trillions of these locusts. The Rocky Mountain Locust is now extinct in our country and no one seems to have a definitive answer as to why. The last reported live specimen was in Canada in 1902.  I guess we should just be grateful they aren't plaguing us and not ask too many questions. All grasshoppers within this genus have the ability to swarm and some do seem to gather in large numbers, but fortunately nothing as Biblical as the Locust Plague of Moses' time. Or as awful as the Rocky Mountain Locust swarms of our own country's past. In Africa and other countries they are still plagued by huge locust swarms and chemicals such as DDT that has been banned here in the US are still being used there in large quantities to try and control mass population explosions of these eating machines.

 The Spotted Bird Grasshopper is very wide spread and common throughout the Great Plains and Prairie States east of the Rockies. They favor fields and open areas with herbaceous or woody plants to feed on. If they occur in large enough numbers they can cause significant damage to crops. There is some difficulty in identifying this species. Their color can vary by region and if crossbreeding is occurring. This particular species can be brownish, olive, tan or greenish in color. A bold stripe down the back is typical of most bird grasshoppers, and this species seems to have spots on the thorax which probably what earned it the common name of Spotted Bird Grasshopper. They are very large and may reach lengths up to 3 inches. The hind tibiae (lower legs) are usually brown or black.

The mating cycle of these grasshoppers is very similar to that of other grasshoppers. They will mate in late summer and the female will lay an egg mass in the soil that may contain up to 20 or more eggs. These eggs will overwinter and in the spring the young nymphs will emerge. They will look very similar to the adults but lack wings. In warmer climates the adults may overwinter as well.

These grasshoppers are reported to be good fish bait, and I can certainly see why. Their size alone would attract a hungry fish.