Máistir Nádúraí: It's a Bug Hunt!

"July beckons us to complete what we began with fervor, harnessing our genius and triumphantly finishing the year. Embrace the power of seven and unleash your potential to leave a lasting impact."

― Tracey Bond

July renders a veritable jungle in southern Wisconsin ― our woodlands and forests look and feel more like something encountered in the tropics rather than the Midwestern US. Lately we've had the heat to go with it, but not enough rain. There are places near water that are very lush and these make for great entomological spots to explore with my camera and macro lens.

The next couple of months are traditionally the best time of year here to find a variety of insects. Overall, I'd say numbers appear to be down and certain species that should be around by now have yet to be observed. I'm inclined to blame the drought, but it could be something else. Search the Interwebs for insect population declines and you'll see the alarming data.

It looks so very inviting ... let's see what we can find!

This is Bromius obscurus, a species of Leaf Beetle. A distant cousin of Dogbane Leaf Beetles, but more closely related to each other than tiger beetles. But all three share common ancestry with some archaic member of Coleoptera, likely extinct and probably not even preserved in the fossil record. Did you know that Coleoptera are the most diverse and species-rich insect group on Earth? There are nearly 400,000 described species and thousands more yet to be discovered. One estimate puts the total number around 1.5 million ― have a look at this basic clade. Perhaps one day I'll discover a new species given all my bug hunting endeavors (ha ha, right).

Treehoppers are out! Above is a Two-horned Treehopper Stictocephala diceros.

Here (above) we have an adult Buffalo Treehopper Stictocephala taurina, and a nymph below. You'll note that the Two-horned is in the same genus and is considered a species of Buffalo Treehopper as well. Long ago when I first encountered the brown species, I thought it sexual dimorphism or a different state of morphological development. Though Wisconsin doesn't have such a resource, checkout this hopper database for the state of North Carolina ― many of the species listed are also found in Wisconsin.

Buffalo Treehoppers feed on plant sap by piercing plant tissues with their mouthparts and extracting nutrients. While they can occasionally cause damage to plants, they are not typically considered significant pests. They are more notable for their interesting appearance and behaviors. Male treehoppers produce a buzzing sound by rubbing their wings against specialized structures, attracting females for mating. Can you imagine the hullabaloo if such lifeforms were found on another planet? The insect realm teems with an endless variety of peculiar looking creatures.

Comparatively smaller than other treehoppers, this (above) is a Two-marked Treehopper Enchenopa binotata. It's part of a fascinating complex that goes by host plant.

And a Robber Fly Efferia aestuans. One member of Wisconsin Naturalists commented that it looks like it's made of steel. Another person added "And then you wonder where Hollywood comes up with its ideas." Given how they suck body fluids from their prey, we are all very thankful that most robber flies are only an inch or so long.

A little late in their season, here's another Long-tailed Dance Fly Rhamphomyia longicauda.

Here's a Stilt-legged Fly Rainieria antennaepes. Its species name means 'antenna foot', as they frequently hold their white-tipped front legs outwardly and move them around as if pointing ― sometimes both, other times just one.