Earlier this afternoon, I spotted a large Dogday Cicada (Tibicen canicularis) resting placidly on the railing of my front porch. I had never had the opportunity to get so close to a live cicada before. This one did not flinch when I drew my camera up close to its face. The little reddish dots on its forehead (there are three) are oscelli, primitive “eyes” that detect light.
This small green insect (perhaps a quarter-inch long) with furtive eyes and a body like a leaf is one of my new-found favorites along Piney Woods Church Road. It is a Cone-headed Planthopper (Acanalonia conica). A strict vegetarian, it feeds on a wide variety of plants by piercing them and sucking their juices. This one was not very masterful at evading my camera, though it did try to get away a few times by shifting to the other side of the stem, out of sight and reach.
Late this afternoon, along Piney Woods Church Road, I met up with a beautiful bug with a dreadful name. It is the Rough Stink Bug (Brochymena quadripustulata). Another insect ID book on my shelf uses the Latin to assign it the common name of Four-blistered Bronchymena, which I suppose is a little better, though it is quite a mouthful and carries the unpleasant image of blisters. (The Rough Stink Bug, as you can see in the photograph below, has a number of raised orange-red spots, including four on its upper thorax which are responsible for its Latin species name.) I came across this creature resting on the trunk of a pin cherry tree. According to one field guide, it dines on the sap of many trees, including cherry, though it occasionally feeds instead on larvae and pupae of other insects. The other field guide claims instead that it feeds only on “the juices of caterpillars and other soft insects”. Predatory or no, if I were a caterpillar I would err on the safe side and stay well away from the Rough Stink Bug.
On a shrub along Piney Woods Church Road today, I saw this tiny insect perching. According to insect experts at the BugGuide on Facebook, it is a species of leafhopper in the family Coelidiinae. I am fascinated by its enormous eyes, one of which seems to be focused on the photographer. It patiently endured a several minute photo session before hopping away.
Here is another charming bug I saw along Piney Woods Church Road today. I am almost positive that it is a Leaf-Footed Bug nymph, quite possibly Acanthocephala terminalis. Despite bearing a passing resemblance to a Wheel Bug sans wheel, Leaf-footed Bugs are harmless vegetarians that feed on the juices of plants rather than those of other insects.
Eleven days ago, I paid a late-day visit to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. A stunning array of lilies and water lilies was in bloom, and dragonflies were everywhere. There were some butterflies, too, to round out my adventures. The first photograph is of a Pineapple Lily. I did not get the opportunity to identify any of the other flowers. The dragonflies are male Blue Dashers (Pachydiplax longipennis), while the butterfly is a Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus). The last photo is of a female Blue Dasher perched on a tomato cage on my back porch. I figured that she belongs with the males, although in this case, they are actually separated by a couple dozen miles.
Late last night, a male Reddish-Brown Stag Beetle (Lucanus capreolus) visited me on our back porch, doubtless attracted to the light. This stunning beetle, easily two inches in length, sports quite impressive pincers. Nonetheless, the beetle is a vegetarian, feeding on tree sap. The pincers are for challenging rival males. Interestingly enough, the female of the species also sports a set of pincers, though smaller than the male’s.
On my walk this afternoon, I wandered into a neighbor’s yard and began photographing butterflies on his blooming lantana, phlox, and butterfly bush. I noticed a lovely long-legged fly (Condylostylus sp.), less than 1/4 inch in length, perched on the edge of a phlox leaf. I am not able to identify if precisely, but I am comforted by the fact that two different insect identification books on my shelf both comment that the different species of Condylostylus (of which there are over 40) can only be distinguished by a specialist. If I am correct as to its genus, at least (as the shape of its wings, red color of its eyes, and length of its legs indicate), then this fly is actually brilliant metallic blue or green in color, and only appears coppery in this photograph because of sunlight reflecting off its body.
For the past few days, I have been roaming Piney Woods Church Road, seeing few four-legged creatures of any kind — even the flies seem to have grown scarce. Often I would hear the katydids and other musical insects calling high up in the trees, and I would wish that one would make itself visible so that I could take a few photographs. I am delighted to say that a True Katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia) appeared this very day, resting placidly on a white oak leaf near eye level. I took quite a few photographs — these are my favorite four, beginning with the one I will designate the “official” photo for Day 205. Is it my imagination, or does she (I can tell this is a female from her flat, curved ovipositor on her back end) appear a bit upset that a photographer is getting in her face? I tried to disrupt her as little as possible, though I admit that I took another collection of photos on my return walk — all of my favorite images are from that later set.
I glimpsed this brilliant red Eastern Velvet Ant (Dasymutilla occidentalis) hurriedly making its way across the pine needles scattered along the edge of Piney Church Road. She (the males actually have wings) scarcely paused on her travels, but thanks to the wonders of high shutter speeds, I was able to catch her in this image. I do admit that her velvety fur almost begs one to touch it. Almost. Fortunately, knowledge of this flightless wasp’s other common name, “cow killer ant” is enough to remind me of her potent venom. This beautiful but dangerous femme fatale is worthy of a song, one that might begin, “She wore red velvet….”
