The beauty of the natural world lies in the details.
~ Natalie Angier
It has been a hectic few weeks at work with summer camp. One good thing is I am out in the Garden daily, and, anytime you are out in a place with that much diversity, there are plenty of things to see. I managed to take the camera out a few days before and after camp, and found some interesting subjects. Here are a few of the recent highlights…
Waved sphinx moth larva feeding on fringetree (click photos to enlarge)
The mummy-like pupa of a walnut sphinx moth (the antennae of the future moth can be seen outlined in the pupa as they curl down from the top into a point just above my finger)
- Snowy tree cricket (Oecanthus fultoni), male – this is the so-called thermometer cricket. The frequency of the chirps made by this species (made by the males as they rub their wings together) is considered a fairly reliable estimate of the air temperature. In the Eastern U.S., Fahrenheit temperature can be estimated by counting the chirps in 13 sec. and adding 40.
Yellow jackets dispatch a pink-striped oakworm to feed to their larvae
One of the many bunnies that reside at the Garden (quite happily, I presume)
Gardener’s friend – a black-spotted prominent larva feeding on lespedeza
This caterpillar practices deceit with its back end looking like a front end
The beautiful and wildlife-friendly berries of a sassafras tree
A handsome trig (also called a red-headed bush cricket). This one is a male. The handsome part is self-evident; the trig part refers to the family Trigonidiinae, or Winged Bush Crickets.
Handsome trig nymph (wings are still developing)
Dogbane leaf beetle, an iridescent beauty
A very pointy-headed planthopper (Rhyncomitra microrhina) that we caught while sweep-netting
Dorsal view of same planthopper
All is well that ends well…the rear end of a tuliptree silk moth caterpillar. Eggs were laid by a female on 5/18/17, hatched on 5/30; caterpillars had all pupated by 6/29; first adult moth of this summer’s second generation emerged on 7/20. This new generation will overwinter as pupae.
Roads End Naturalist 
what kind of camera and lens do you use for these close-ups?
Canon 7D Mark II; 100mm macro; Canon twin lights
that Walnut moth pupa is stunning…great find!
Thanks, Mary. We found the caterpillar one day in summer camp and it looked like it might not be doing well, but I thought it might just be getting ready to pupate. And, indeed, that was the case. It emerged yesterday! I’ll post pics soon.
Thanks so much.
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