Reports from the Field

Bug o’the Week – Black Blow fly

The BugLady has been stewing about this one for a long time. The flies appear on cue, on mild days in March and April (which they can do because they overwinter as adults). She takes their pictures, gets bogged down identifying them, and files them generically under “bluebottle flies.” The reason for her confusion is that there are similar species in several genera of several subfamilies of the Blow fly family:

This year, the BugLady has decided that it’s time to fish or cut bait, so she’s calling them Black blow flies and getting on with her life.

03.23.22

Bug o’the Week – Small Blue Butterflies redux

The BugLady has been enjoying the recent “tropical” temperatures (in the high 40’s) and her thoughts have been turning to butterflies.  Someone asked her recently what butterflies might be aloft as spring approaches.

03.16.22

Bug o’the Week – Olympia Marble Butterfly

The Olympia Marble (Euchloe olympia), aka Olympian Marble and Olympia Marblewing, is in the family Pieridae (the Whites, Sulphurs, and Yellows).  It’s found in a wedge-shaped patch of ground in the middle of North America, plus some disjunct populations in the Appalachians and Texas, and it’s the easternmost of the seven North American Marbles (Wisconsin and Michigan have the greatest numbers of the species).  Within its range, it is local and uncommon.

03.09.22

Bug o’the Week – Western Conifer Seed Bug

Western Conifer Seed Bugs (Leptoglossus occidentalis) (aka Pine seed bugs) are in the True bug order Hemiptera (“half-wing,” a reference to the two different textures of the front wings and in the Leaf-footed bug family Coreidae, a large family of sometimes-dramatic-looking, sap-sucking insects with pretty cute little nymphs. Coreids produce a buzzing sound in flight and an odor when provoked.

03.02.22

Bug o’the Week – Striped Fishing Spider

Howdy, BugFans,

When the BugLady was on Riveredge’s excellent floating pier in the Milwaukee River last spring, she looked over and saw two, spectacular Striped fishing spiders on rocks above the waterline.

02.16.22

Bug o’the Week – Gulf Fritillary – a Snowbird Special

This is not your grandfather’s fritillary (unless your grandfather is a Southerner).  Gulf Fritillaries are in the Brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae, along with a whole bunch of familiar Wisconsin butterflies, and they’re with the fritillaries in the subfamily Heliconiinae (which used to be its own family).  But, unlike our familiar fritillaries, they’re in the tribe Heliconiini, aka the Heliconians or Longwings, many of which occur in tropical climes and have long, slim, spectacular wings.

01.26.22

Bug o’the Week – Bugs without Bios XVII

Greetings, BugFans,

The “Bugs without Bios” series features a bunch of lovely insects that need to hire a PR firm – they fly happily below the radar, and little is written about them.

01.19.22

Bug o’the Week – Ants in My Plants Rerun

Salutations, BugFans, Here we are, in the trough between Christmas and New Year’s. The interminable Christmas movies have been put to bed (YAY!), and reruns rule. Here, too.

01.06.22

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