Howdy, BugFans,
There has been a paucity of dragonflies and damselflies on the BugLady’s landscapes this season (and they’re urgently needed to eat mosquitoes right now). She has, though, seen more Gliders than usual this summer (or maybe she’s finally developed an eye for IDing them in flight). Compared to darners, they are compact and bullet-shaped, with (mostly) undecorated wings.
09.04.25
Howdy, BugFans,
The Long-horned beetle family Cerambycidae is a large family that contains some spectacular beetles.
Thirty thousand-plus species of Long-horned beetles worldwide is a lot of species to keep track of, so it’s no surprise that, unless they are “pest species,” the biographies of many species are incomplete/barely there.
09.02.25
Howdy BugFans,
It’s been a while since we visited the world of galls.
According to the British Plant Gall Society, a gall is “an abnormal growth produced by a plant or other host under the influence of another organism. It ……… provides both shelter and food or nutrients for the invading organism.’ Some gall-makers are insects; others are mites, and still others are fungi, bacteria, or even nematodes (who make galls on roots), and the definition is broad enough to include the thickened tissue that forms when one tree leans on and rubs against another. Galls are sometimes called “tumors,” but most galls don’t damage the host plant.
08.20.25
Greetings, BugFans,
BugFan Cheryl recently shared this picture of a lovely sphinx moth (thanks, Cheryl).
Sphinx moths (aka Hawk moths, especially across The Pond) are a group of medium-to-large moths that are sometimes drab, sometimes exquisite, sometimes nocturnal, sometimes diurnal. They are strong, fast flyers (3 to 11 mph) with narrow wings, and some can hover as they feed, making people think they’re looking at a small hummingbird.
08.14.25
Howdy, BugFans,
The BugLady was pecking away at this week’s episode when she had a “Hold the Presses” moment. BugFan Freda sent a series of pictures she had taken of a monarch caterpillar taking its first steps into the world (prefaced by the statement, “Who knew that monarchs also oviposit onto the flowers??”). So, this week, we start with a picture story, photographed and narrated by Freda (who has some serious photography skills and a lens that the BugLady can’t lift).
08.06.25
Howdy, BugFans,
The BugLady has enjoyed her vacation and is ready to dive back into writing original BOTWS (until she gets another body part replaced). Here’s a small moth, to celebrate National Moth Week.
07.23.25
Howdy, BugFans,
The BugLady has been prowling the landscape recently, both in wet areas and dry, and she’s been seeing Japanese beetles or evidence of their feeding. It used to be that their populations cycled between boom and not-boom, but the last few years all seem to deliver a fairly constant number of the beetles. This slightly revised episode has some new words and pictures.
07.21.25
Howdy, BugFans,
(with apologies to the Irish Folk Band “Cherish the Ladies”)
The BugLady recently added an American Lady to her butterfly property list. It’s a lovely butterfly that can be mistaken for the Painted Lady, in the same genus (Vanessa).
07.21.25
The BugLady has been seeing her first firefly around the 4th of July. She stands on the riprap, enjoying the fireworks shows launched by her neighbors and the more distant municipal displays while the fireflies fly around her, putting on their own, equally magical shows.
07.03.25
Howdy, BugFans,
Almost two decades ago, when the BugLady was working on a phenology project in the Bog, she encountered multitudes of mosquitoes and she made a deal with them – she wouldn’t bite them if they wouldn’t bite her. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and sometimes she is in the presence of someone who is far more tender and juicy than she is. She’s leading a field trip at the Bog soon, and she’ll find out if everyone remembers the deal.
06.25.25