Howdy, BugFans,
It’s August!!! Or, to put it another way, it’s August – yikes! Halfway(ish) through summer. Here are some of the sights that the BugLady has enjoyed so far. Many of these have already starred in a BOTW of their very own.
08.05.26
Greetings, BugFans,
Seasoned BugFans know that the BugLady’s relationship with skipper butterflies is fraught. These are small, speedy butterflies, most of which are either orange and brown, or brown and orange. Her interactions with skippers always start with the question, “What is it?” and end with “Are you sure?”
07.29.26
Greetings, BugFans,
Back into the wonderful world of plants, in this case, of trees that are super-important to insects, as well as to other wildlife – and to us.
07.28.26
Howdy, BugFans,
On a walk at Spruce Lake Bog in May, the BugLady spied this Bronze jumping spider (Eris militaris, in the family Salticidae) (thanks, Mike) sitting on an unfolding alder leaf. He spied her, gave her a firm look and then went on his way, apparently unimpressed.
Turns out that the Bronze jumper, aka the Bronze lake jumper (or Saltique militaire, if you’re in Quebec), can be seen across 80% of the country, plus Canada, making it one of the most widely-distributed Jumping spiders we have. It likes suburbs and countrysides, and it lives in sunny areas where there’s vegetation to sun on, to hide in, and to hunt in, and it’s sometimes found in leaf litter on the ground. It also likes agricultural areas, especially orchards, where it picks off crop pests.
07.15.26
Greetings, BugFans,
The BugLady was walking at Riveredge Nature Center one day in mid-June when she spied a small Robber fly perched on a leaf, hanging onto its prey. When she put the picture up on the monitor, she recognized the predator as a small (barely ½”) Robber fly named the Stripe-legged robber fly (family Asilidae). Then she tried to figure out what it was holding.
07.08.26
Howdy, BugFans,
Now that summer has arrived with a vengeance, it’s time to take a quick look back at some spring bug experiences.
07.02.26
Greetings, BugFans,
In honor of National Moth Week, here are three lovely moths that the BugLady has found recently, plus one from BugFan Freda (the BugLady’s definition of a “lovely moth” includes being identifiable).
06.24.26
Howdy, BugFans,
Daisy fleabane (Erigeron sp.) is blooming. If you’re not familiar with it, the name “teeny daisy” – given to it by the BugLady’s then four-year-old, firstborn child – describes it well.
Bugs like it, too. As always, the BugLady found insects and spiders who came to rest, to eat, and to be eaten, and with all that going on, some pollination happens, too. Today’s episode is a bit moth-heavy because we are approaching National Moth Week.
06.10.26
Howdy, BugFans,
The BugLady spent the morning watching pelicans; photographing pelicans on the water, on the beach, and, in small squadrons, in the air; and editing pictures of pelicans. They’re having a moment in her neighborhood at the edge of Lake Michigan. There are two floating about far offshore right now – brilliant in the sunlight.
Here’s an article she wrote about them two years ago for the newsletter of the Lake Michigan Bird Observatory.
06.03.26
Greetings, BugFans,
The final installment in National Wetlands Month, though the BugLady would argue that wetlands should be celebrated every month. The BugLady attempts to photograph this burnished beetle everywhere she sees them – some in aquatic settings as they peruse the flowers of yellow water-lilies, and others on marsh marigolds and skunk cabbage in the adjacent swamps. They are not huge – most would have to stretch to reach a half-inch – and they often appear to be gold.
05.29.26