5.19.2011

Is Something Bugging You?

Loads of critters are active in the yard this week. Treebeard was kind enough to provide perches for some so I could take some pictures.

Here we have a little whisper of a bug, a juvenile leaf-footed bug. It just assumed that Treebeard's hand was an extension of the plant it had been sitting on. One wonders how something that starts out so cute can become such a pain in the garden when it matures.
 


A rustle in the weeds drew our attention to this shield-backed katydid. She didn't take kindly to being caught and set about munching on Treebeard's hand. She put her weight behind it, too ;) Katydids in general have some pretty strong jaws and they can deliver an impressive pinch when they are this size.
 


Last, but by no means least, we have a pale jumping spider. Yes, I know, it isn't particularly pale. That's because this one is a male. The common name comes from the appearance of the female -- she is pale. Whenever we hold spiders we are very gentle. So far neither of us has been bitten. Spiders are not out to get you (FC, SIL, Maineac, et al)
 
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5 comments:

Jacqueline Donnelly said...

Ooh, I do love those bugs! Thanks for the great photos of them, and for saying kind words about spiders.

R.Powers said...

Shieldbacks are carnivorous.
I watched one eat another insect once.

Weird.

Kat said...

Ticks. Ticks are bugging me. They're THICK around here this spring. I'm a live and let live kind of gal. Except ticks. I hate ticks. They really bug me, since you asked.

Anonymous said...

I'm not concerned about spiders biting me, I just think they are creepy.

SIL

swamp4me said...

woodswalker,
I am always amazed by the variety of insects that can be found in a small area. And I'm glad you are a spider fan!

FC,
I'm pretty sure they are carnivorous because they are actually Klingons. You can tell by their armored spines and cranial ridges :P

Kat,
Oh, yes, I agree 100% on the ticks!!