Catches of the day

The morning started out with the usual morning walk. Of course my eyes are peeled for interesting stuff. Here are today’s catches!

Jim had the alert eyes! Both Gracie and I walked right over this foot long rat snake.

This was as close as I could get before it had enough of this photographer. LOL.

Let me introduce you to the Bleeding Flower Moth (Schinia sanguinea). 😉 “SANGUINEA: from the Latin “sanguis; sanguinis” (blood); refers to the forewing color, and is the origin of the common name Bleeding Flower Moth” (BugGuide)

Liatris are its host plant. So you can bet I will be watching for the larva!

It seems like the Hackberry Emperors have been more numerous the last few days at our house.

Since I am looking closely at the Liatris, other critters of course being are observed like this crab spider.

An orange egg cocoon!

A Bee fly was visiting! They are important pollinators.

A side shot!

The yellow aphids had shed their exuviae! These were on milkweed (Asclepias). Even thought the aphids do not play a direct role in pollination, they still are a vital part of a healthy ecosystem.

Researchers Discover That Wolves Can Show Attachment Toward Humans

Keep looking!

The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know.

7 Comments

  1. Sure glad you didnt step on the snake. Article about wolves is good but doesnt surprise me. Its what I would have expected. True of many critters I bet. Thanks

  2. What pretty markings on that rat snake! So cool about the bleeding flower moth. Did you bring the orange cocoon in to your lab for observation?

  3. The bee fly has quite a fur coat also. Are they telling us to get ready for a cold winter 😉
    Beautiful snake!
    This morning I was watching movement at what I thought was a lizard hole. It was a good inch across but the lizards have pretty much quit that kind of activity. Well the movement was a tiny, really tiny, wasp kicking dirt back towards the hole like it was filling it in intentionally. Wish I had taken video. Hmmm, I wonder if it finished. And if that was its hole why so big for such a tiny critter who could never drag prey the size the hole looked like would be needed.

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