Fog
Visibility was 1/8 mile this morning.
Great morning to see the meshweb weavers (Dictynidae) webs. They make a plain framework of an irregular mess over foliage, flowers, and dead stalks of plants.
This ant hill made me think a rock formation in the Southwest.
They had a side entrance so not many of the ants were going in from the top.
Southern Emerald Moth (Synchlora frondaria)
I had found the caterpillar on Snow-on-the-Prairie (Euphorbia bicolor).
Caterpillar and flower
Closer. It uses the flower parts for camo. Pretty effective, eh.
Plant I found it on.
I found this on Dogbane (Apocynum canadense) and it’s called appropriately Dogbane Saucrobotys (Saucrobotys futilalis) about a month ago.
Side view
Cocoon
It is a plain moth. I didn’t find it in time to release it. 🙁
Update: Go back to the Tiny Egg casing (8-30-2020) post. I believe these are Horse or Deer flies (Tabanidae) eggs. And no, they have not hatched yet.
Keep on looking!
Great ant skyscraper! Has it cooled down there?
Actually it is very reasonable temps here. Today is supposed to be a high of 88, but there is a breeze. This coming week is going to be even nicer, 70's and low 80's.
I love the camouflage looper. It was one of my favorites to teach in my caterpillar gardening class. I have one who attached parts of frogfruit flowers.
Kathy
Kathy, last year i had them on Black-eyed Susan-Rudbeckia hirta var pulcherrima. They are cool critters!