Here are the rest of the pictures taken at the park in which one can find our largest damselfly.
In this park, an abundant insect on the bushes was the red-headed bush cricket (Phyllopalpus pulchellus). This was certainly new! It appeared to me that they use their enlarged, flag-like palpae to signal to each other.
Next there are some exceedingly common insects. The stands of milkweed plants had our two different species of milkweed bugs. The first is the small milkweed bug (Lygaeus kalmii), and next is the large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus). Their bright colors of course are a warning to would-be predators that these insects are toxic because they feed on the poisonous sap of milkweed.
Milkweed bugs often concentrate on seed pods, where they use their beak to penetrate to the nutrient rich seeds. This reminds me of when I was in grad school, long, long ago, and in our lab was kept a colony of the large milkweed bugs because there were people doing research on them. In the Fall we would go out to collect the mature seed pods, and an old ‘cotton gin’ was used to thresh the pods and collect the seeds for the bugs. After a couple years of this, we probably got rather tired of the process because we later switched to just feeding them raw sunflower seeds from a commercial supplier. That worked just as well, but of course then the bugs were non-toxic.
Grasshoppers have long been a favorite subject because they just look weird somehow. Perhaps the most unremarkable of species is the differential grasshopper (Melanoplus differentialis), but even these plain-as-dirt insects are worth a look.
In a field I came across a ‘mystery chrysalis’. It had to go unidentified for a time, but eventually it was learned that this is the pupa of the red-spotted purple butterfly (Limenitis arthemis).
Finally, here is an insect that I certainly don't’ recall photographing before. This moth (and yes, it is a moth) is an excellent mimic of a yellow jacket wasp. It is the raspberry crown borer (Pennisetia marginata). Of course it is widely viewed that mimicry of bees and wasps are a way to gain protection against predators like birds, and there is presumably some truth to that. But another idea that has been floating around recently is that harmless insects mimic stinging insects not so much to deter birds but to avoid predation by social wasps like hornets, paper wasps, and yellow jackets. You see, these social insects are constantly in search for insect meat to feed their larvae. This predation pressure actually stretches back in time to long before there were birds, and so the more recent proposal is that many insects mimic bees and wasps in order to gain immunity from predatory social wasps! This is a very clever idea, but it has to be experimentally tested.
Spectacular photos.
Dennis
i like the RSP chrysalis,i kept one until the BF emerged.i havent seen any chrysalis this year
What a fantastic set Mark. Every shot is so sharp. Very informative narrative my friend. Maybe the "differential" name is because of the chevron-like markings on the hind femur or the shape of the male cercus. They certainly are differentiating field marks.
-Doc
A great variety and perhaps the most unusual moth I have ever seen. Well done.
thanks for the well shot informative series, always enjoy learning more about what we shoot
Mark Sturtevant wrote:
Here are the rest of the pictures taken at the park in which one can find our largest damselfly.
In this park, an abundant insect on the bushes was the red-headed bush cricket (Phyllopalpus pulchellus). This was certainly new! It appeared to me that they use their enlarged, flag-like palpae to signal to each other.
Next there are some exceedingly common insects. The stands of milkweed plants had our two different species of milkweed bugs. The first is the small milkweed bug (Lygaeus kalmii), and next is the large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus). Their bright colors of course are a warning to would-be predators that these insects are toxic because they feed on the poisonous sap of milkweed.
Milkweed bugs often concentrate on seed pods, where they use their beak to penetrate to the nutrient rich seeds. This reminds me of when I was in grad school, long, long ago, and in our lab was kept a colony of the large milkweed bugs because there were people doing research on them. In the Fall we would go out to collect the mature seed pods, and an old ‘cotton gin’ was used to thresh the pods and collect the seeds for the bugs. After a couple years of this, we probably got rather tired of the process because we later switched to just feeding them raw sunflower seeds from a commercial supplier. That worked just as well, but of course then the bugs were non-toxic.
Grasshoppers have long been a favorite subject because they just look weird somehow. Perhaps the most unremarkable of species is the differential grasshopper (Melanoplus differentialis), but even these plain-as-dirt insects are worth a look.
In a field I came across a ‘mystery chrysalis’. It had to go unidentified for a time, but eventually it was learned that this is the pupa of the red-spotted purple butterfly (Limenitis arthemis).
Finally, here is an insect that I certainly don't’ recall photographing before. This moth (and yes, it is a moth) is an excellent mimic of a yellow jacket wasp. It is the raspberry crown borer (Pennisetia marginata). Of course it is widely viewed that mimicry of bees and wasps are a way to gain protection against predators like birds, and there is presumably some truth to that. But another idea that has been floating around recently is that harmless insects mimic stinging insects not so much to deter birds but to avoid predation by social wasps like hornets, paper wasps, and yellow jackets. You see, these social insects are constantly in search for insect meat to feed their larvae. This predation pressure actually stretches back in time to long before there were birds, and so the more recent proposal is that many insects mimic bees and wasps in order to gain immunity from predatory social wasps! This is a very clever idea, but it has to be experimentally tested.
Here are the rest of the pictures taken at the par... (
show quote)
I looked up differential. One of the meanings was"the product of the derivative of a function of one variable multiplied by the independent variable increment". That doesn't quite fit.
I believe it is because they change markings and colors as they molt towards adult. Green, yellow, even a slight reddish in different molts.
That cricket sure gets around. Was in Texas a day or two ago.
All well shot, of course.🖖
Live long and prosper.
Bill
All beautifully shot, your descriptions are always welcome.
Mark, this is an excellent series of images and highly educational narrative for a fellow like me. Thanks for both.
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