There are quite a few pollinators still around this late in the season; the days are still warm here in the hardwood forest of sw TN. I saw this butterfly for the first time on some very small wildflower blooms in a sunny field.
This pot-belly was in the garden area out here in the woods -- there are still a number of frogs around! So the question is: is it a Fowler's or American toad?? It looks to me like the partoid glands do NOT butt up agains the cranial crest (at least I can't see the cranial crests on this individual), BUT- it has 3+ warts per spot! So tell me which species you think this is, or is it possible that there are hybrids? I have found both species in this same general area of forest.
This beautiful, but wary, butterfly has frequented the garden (and this butterfly bush), but tricky to photograph. They are not uncommon, but not nearly as numerous as the swallowtails. Habitat = hardwood bottomland forest, sw TN.
Size: 12-15mm approx
I observed a sunny area near the woods with many flowers, and this bee came by visiting many.
According to John Ascher on BugGuide.net, this is a Melissodes (Eumelissodes), or belonging to the
"Long-horned Bee" genus
Size: 1 inch long total, approx
This wasp came to rest in the lawn near wildflowers. Hard to get closer for a photo. It looks like a red wasp, but seems to have more green color and pattern. I hope an ID can be made from the photo. It was taken during midday in sw TN.
ID'ed by BugGuide.net as a
Paper Wasp or Polistes metricus (male)
There are some of these around the house - not too many - seem to like open areas; not the nearby dense woodland forests. This one came down for a drink in the bird bath during a dry spell.
It looks like a Eastern Yellowjacket - Vespula maculifrons. Concur?
There are large numbers of this moth with the strangely folded wings. Some are faded brown, others sport more auburn colored wings. They are all over the flowers everywhere now.
This has been ID'ed as a
Fiery skipper male
(by GaryC)
These beetles were quite common this summer; particularly in August. They came by the windows at night. They seem similar to the "June bugs" of CA, but are not as shiny, and seem to have some fine hairs on the elytra. The house is next to hardwood forest - lots of trees; hot & humid sw TN.
ID'ed by Brad Barnd as a May Beetle, or "Phyllophaga tristis" [http://bugguide.net/node/view/584188]
I find these preying mantis' around the house or in the garden (next to dense hardwood forest) every now and then. They are not too numerous, and hunt during the day; fly rather clumsily, and reluctantly. There seems to be several kinds - some greenish, and some brownish.
ID'ed on BugGuide.net by John Stanard as:
Stagmomantis carolina or "Carolina Mantis"
[http://bugguide.net/node/view/584195]
This insect was flying around from flower to flower, competing with the carpenter bee in an area of flowering shrubs in a sunny opening in the dense hardwood forest. It has a bluish tint to its black wings and some bright yellow bands on the abdomen. They are rather numerous here.
ID'ed by Ken Wolgemuth (BugGuide.net) as a:
Double-banded Scoliid (Scolia bicincta)
[http://bugguide.net/node/view/584197]
I found this bug crawling on flowers that many other bees and butterflies were also hovering on. There was only one, and it seemed rather slow. It occurred on a patch of wildflowers in the neighborhood near the woods here in sw TN on a beautiful day.
IDed by Gary Griswold, BugGuide.net, as a
"Goldenrod Soldier Beetle" or Chauliognathus pensylvanicus (see http://bugguide.net/node/view/585031)
I observed an sunny area of wildflowers near the forest; many bees and other pollinators were very busy here. This is the first I've seen of this dark winged, red-headed insect, but it stayed for a while on several flowers. The body is bluish.
This has been ID'ed by 3 experts on BugGuide.net [http://bugguide.net/node/view/585016] as a:
"Yellow collared scape moth" or Cisseps fulvicollis.
Cool-looking, isn't it?
I have seen a few of these around - not many - these past 2 weeks, mostly singly, around flowers.
I found this beautiful sphinx-like moth resting on the door in the early morning. I have only seen this kind once before. The house is in the hardwood bottomland forest near the MS river.
I've seen this spider on some of my hikes through the woods. It sits on a leaf (or the underside) and stretches one very long, sticky strand of web across an open space. When disturbed (even lightly), it tucks all its legs very close to its body, which is shaped like a small pyramid with a white patch. Very interesting little arachnid.
ID'ed by Ian Stocks at BugGuide.net
Also called Triangulate Orb Weaver (Verrucosa arenata).
This spider is unusual because it rests in the web with its head up, not head down like most other spiders.
This bug came up on our deck. We live in hardwood bottomland forest, sw TN. I've only seen this bug once.
ID'ed by Ken Wolgemuth at BugGuide.net as
Euthyrhynchus floridanus
otherwise known as the
Florida Predatory Stink Bug !
saw 1 individual up close
very common all year
at feeder all summer
common and present all summer
extremely common for a few weeks
