"I thought how lovely and how strange a river is. A river is a river, always there, and yet the water flowing through it is never the same water and is never still. It’s always changing and is always on the move. And over time the river itself changes too. It widens and deepens as it rubs and scours, gnaws and kneads, eats and bores its way through the land."
― Aidan Chambers
Early July at the Sauk City Canoe Launch along the Wisconsin River is the perfect time to search for Sandy Stream Tiger Beetles. I first observed this species at this location back in 2015, which was received with much fanfare among local tiger beetle enthusiasts. This is a species of special concern in Wisconsin, threatened with extirpation. I've found them at two different locations near Sauk City now, but they're one of the least abundant tiger beetles I annually seek.
Though we needed rain badly, there were numerous exposed sandbars last weekend that are once again under water. When the sandbars are present, there's more habitat for tiger beetles and also more territory to share with other users of the shoreline. Fortunately this morning I was the only person on the beach for a few hours before sunbathers and anglers appeared on the scene. With time to spare, I managed to obtain some nice portraits of the Sandys.
Also present, Bronzed Tiger Beetles outnumbered all the other species present: Big Sand (4), Festive (2), and Punctured (1). I was optimistic for Hairy-necked and checked every Bronzed carefully, but none were found. Hairy-neckeds are generally more abundant when sandbars are present.
There were also many robber flies. Here's Stichopogon trifasciatus ...
Efferia albibarbis with prey ...
Same species and behavior, different individual ...
And Shoreline Wolf Spiders ...
Still a little on the small side, they were easy prey-targets for wasps looking to stuff them into nests for their offspring. I felt a little bad for them, but enough survive to sustain a robust population at this site. In another month they'll turn into relative giants, should they survive. Many will!
Their camouflage is exquisite.
And that's it for the river!
It was lunchtime for me, but I still wanted to spend a few hours outdoors photographing insects. I decided to check Deer Creek near where I live to look for Gnat Ogres.
And that didn't take long at all! Such nifty little monsters ...
There were a variety of damselflies perching in various plants and grasses surrounding the pond. Apart from them and the Gnat Ogres, the only other insects catching my eye were Milkweed and Dogbane Leaf Beetles. So, there's a chance with Boreal Long-lipped out of the way I might actually find all 16 Wisconsin Tiger Beetles during 2022. It doesn't matter if I do or not and I'm not sure I want to make the drive all the way to Bloomer for the spot I got Cow Path last year. Virginia Metallic isn't a sure-thing, neither is Hairy-necked or Twelve-spotted. But a dozen tiger beetle species is a solid effort and anything else I get this summer will simply be gravy.
All images © 2022 Mike McDowell