"We don’t give a damn to the insects on our Earth, but if we could find even a single insect on Mars, the whole world would cherish it like crazy!"
― Mehmet Murat ildan
Frogs before insects! I spent most of Saturday on a major bug hunting expedition at the Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor and Deer Creek. Deer Creek is actually the south fork section of Pheasant Branch Creek, though I'm not sure that's even an official name ― I don't think I've ever seen a sign for it. Anyway, all throughout my hike I kept finding Gray Treefrogs (probably Dryophytes versicolor) up and down the creek corridor resting on various plants, but especially Cup Plant Silphium perfoliatum. I don't think I've ever seen so many in all the years I've explored this part of Pheasant Branch.
Naturally, I photographed all the ones that were positioned in easy places to reach without creating too much of a disturbance to them. I have never really considered frog sentience and what's going through their brains in my presense ― do they think they've blended in so well to the habitat that they believe themselves undetectable? They often act like it. To be sure, their camouflage is superb. Well, they don't really express emotion, but they seemed to be keeping an eye on me to see what I might do. Did know know frogs have absent or minimal emotional tachycardia (changed heart rate) to handling? Yet it's present in lizards as well as mammals. Given the emotional fever exhibited by mammals and reptiles, but not by frogs (or fish), it suggests that emotion emerged in the evolutionary lineage between amphibians and reptiles.
Some maintained a low-profile posture, while others seemed only slightly more concerned ...
Alright, enough treefrogs. They actually are quite adorable, though.
And now for the insects! First, some robber flies. This tiny robber fly below is Cerotainia albipilosa. Despite looking like a monstrosity from the macro close-up, this insect is only 8mm or so in length. Like other robber flies, it ambushes smaller flying insects from a lookout perch.
Another robber fly that's only more menacing by size is Efferia aestuans. This female appeared to be laying eggs on the branch. She moved her ovipositor in a semicircular fashion against the branch as if feeling for the perfect spots in which to lay them.
Another mighty micro-monster is Holcocephala calva, also known as a Gnat Ogre. If you look very carefully, you can see this particular robber fly has a tiny little gnat prey just below its mouth. This photograph also shows the characteristic depression formed by the elevation of their compound eyes.
And butterflies ...
A Banded Hairstreak Satyrium calanus.
This ‘Summer’ Spring Azure Celastrina ladon neglecta.
And a Northern Pearly-eye Enodia anthedon, which was pretty far above my head on this tree and had a heck of a time trying to focus off my camera's monitor. Fortunately, the pearly-eye was very accommodating while I snapped, checked focused, muttered expletives, and tried again ... finally!
To the jungle for hoppers!
I was so hopeful to find one of these after coming across a nymph of one at Sauk Prairie Recreational Area a couple of weeks ago while photographing tiger beetles. This is Scolops sulcipes or The Partridge Bug, which is a Fulgorid Planthopper in the family Dictyopharidae. What amazingly strange looking creature. I can't believe with all the bug hunts I've gone on that it's taken all this time to finally find one of these.
A couple portraits of Buffalo Treehoppers, a longtime favorite hopper insect.
A Red-banded Leafhopper ...
This little insect is a Derbid Planthopper in the genus Cedusa and probably not identifiable down to species. At least, that's the sense I have after looking them up at BugGuide.net. How tiny? My guess would be about 4mm or so.
Next up, the shiny and chill Dogbane Leaf Beetle Chrysochus auratus! Though somewhat similar in appearance, these docile natives are not to be confused with non-native, invasive, and uber-destructive Japanese Beetle Popillia japonica. There was a little bit of a skirmish on Wisconsin Naturalists last week about a member who posted photographs of Japanese Beetles. With the incredible variety of native insect species available at the present time, I wondered (and commented) why anyone would bother to take pictures of them ― the damage they do to trees around my neighborhood is incredible some summers.
They're such docile insects.
Just hanging out before feeding ... staring. Perhaps sleeping.
So, what else do we have ...
Not sleeping, these are copulating Green Immigrant Leaf Weevils Polydrusus formosus.
Grasshopper nymph, unsure of species.
A Snipe Fly Chrysopilus modestus.
An Ebony Jewelwing Calopteryx maculata, which appeared to have decreased in numbers since my previous creek corridor visit. I love their floppy flight when they take wing, but this one was uncharacteristically cooperative for this close-up photo opportunity.
The obligatory tiger beetle photograph: Punctured! There were a few of these in the sandy areas that were created by the Great Flood of 2017. I didn't spend much time with them on account of all the fantastic portraits of this species I got last weekend at Sauk.
And for the aves? During my outing I heard Common Yellowthroats, Eastern Wood-pewees, Indigo Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Great Crested Flycatchers, Northern Cardinals, Song Sparrows, American Goldfinches, American Robins, a lone Baltimore Oriole, Black-capped Chickadees, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, House Wrens, and a Carolina Wren belting out its song for what must have been at least twenty minutes.
All images © 2021 Mike McDowell