Myrmarachne formicaria

On Thursday, I saw an ant walking around on a houseplant in our kitchen. Ants are not generally welcome in my house, so I carried the plant outside to deposit the ant there, and somewhere during the walk from the kitchen to the door I realized... that's not an ant:

The mimicry was really excellent, but it was definitely mimicry. Not an ant, a spider! This is an ant-mimic jumping spider, Myrmarachne formicaria:

This is actually a non-native species, first introduced and observed in Ohio a decade or so ago, and its range is gradually expanding (it's obviously made it as far as central New York by now). And I don't know for sure what benefits this spider gets from looking so much like an ant; perhaps this disguise helps protect it from predators, or perhaps it lets the spider get closer to the creatures it hunts. Either way, I'm super impressed. Only the large quasi-iridescent mouthparts gave it away as not-ant:

And oh yeah, spider eyes!

Here's a brief video of this spider, because it was so amazingly ant-like in its movements, even waving its front legs around like a pair of antennae, completing the illusion:



So that was a cool surprise! How many more mimics can I find around my house?

Things that Crawl on the Ground

It's getting downright chilly outside now, but last week's weather was wonderfully sunny and warm, and I came across several cool creatures while exploring the woods next to our house. After some rain and warm weather, this place turned into salamander paradise. This wonderful Jefferson Salamander (or perhaps it's a salamander in the quite confusing unisexual complex that involves genes from this and other species) was hiding out under a piece of bark on the forest floor:
 

Salamanders are always awesome, and I just love the handsome blue speckles on this guy. (I haven't yet figured out the best way to take pictures with my actual camera in the dark woods, so my iPhone's camera will have to do for now.)

A few Red-backed Salamanders (smaller and sleeker than the blue-speckled fellow) were nearby:
 

This next Red-backed Salamander was particularly active and surprisingly fast. I wouldn't want to be a bug with one of these creatures after me!
 

A big Groundhog was prowling the edge of the forest behind the house the other day, walking along drainage pipes and digging into the leaf litter:
 

It even went partway up a tree at one point. I didn't know Groundhogs could climb!
 

I thought this big orange sphere on a fallen leaf must be some sort of gall, but on closer inspection it turned out to be a species of orb weaver spider (Araneus iviei). Spiders are so weird!
 

I actually saw this last creature a couple of weeks ago, but it's too strange not to share:

What looks like a giant ant (maybe close to an inch long) is actually an oil beetle (genus Meloe). The small coverings (elytra) on its abdomen pointed me toward the beetle family, and some internet searching did the rest.

Here's hoping the cold weather doesn't come in too fast.... I'm going to miss all these cool creatures when they go away!

Some Assorted Garden Residents

Whenever I can remember to do it, I like to bring my camera with me out to the garden. There's always something interesting hanging around, and so many of these little creatures are just amazing when you look at them up close. Here's a small sampling of the creatures I've met in my garden over the past couple of weeks!

Cabbage White butterflies (an introduced species) are basically always hanging around, especially with all the cabbage-family plants I'm growing this year. These butterflies are quite pretty, but their progeny would quickly eat all my kale if I didn't regularly pick them off:

Here's said progeny on said kale, just before removal; tiny ridged eggs:

And fat fuzzy caterpillars:

Sorry guys, you're not allowed here; I want to eat some of the kale, too.

Several of these small and intricately-costumed cobweb spiders (possibly Theridion frondeum) have shown up under the kale leaves as well, and I'm happy to have them stay:

Another spider species currently maintaining webs in several spots in my garden, however, takes the prize for most beautiful arachnid. I can't get over the colorful mosaic on the underside of this Orchard Orbweaver (Leucauge venusta):

I thought at first that this visiting butterfly was a Silver-spotted Skipper (a common species around here), but it turns out to be another skipper entirely, a Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades):

That white patch extending to the edge of the hind wing is a distinguishing feature for this species. Cool! Thanks for stopping by, new-to-me butterfly.

This Ornate Snipe Fly (Chrysopilus ornatus) lit up a recent cloudy day with its shiny gold costume, and it did a pretty convincing wasp impression when it flew:

A couple of these funny-looking treehoppers (genus Ceresa) have been prowling around on the pea plants. Nice eyes and horns, little bug!

When I was out in the garden about a week ago, a couple of bold Black-capped Chickadees came right down to pluck bits of twine from the pea trellis. Of course I didn't have my telephoto lens with me, so even though they were just feet away, a wider photo will have to do:

I guess they were building a nest, and I'm happy to contribute materials!

Finally, I think this little Greater Angle-wing Katydid (Microcentrum rhombifolium) nymph hatched from the eggs on my porch while I wasn't looking. I often see these creatures in our yard in the summer, but I've never seen one so young before. What a lovely and delicate little thing, with antennae so long they won't even fit in the frame:

I'll keep watching for other interesting local creatures as the summer continues. It's a lot of fun to see who's living in your yard!

Garden Creatures: Predators, Pollination, and More

I think of my backyard garden as its own little ecosystem, and I'm constantly amazed at the diversity of creatures that choose to make their homes there (usually because they want to eat the flowers or leaves, or because they want to eat the things that eat the flowers or leaves). Here's a small sampling of the creatures (mostly insects) I've noticed in the garden over the past two weeks. It's a jungle out there!

Flowers are a big deal in the garden, and there are always plenty of bees around. This bumblebee has its head buried in a bean flower and the pollen baskets on its legs are brimming full of collected pollen (I just learned about this part of bee anatomy, and I think it's super cool):
 

In addition to the flowering plants I actually put in the garden on purpose, a huge Pokeweed plant has sprung up in one shady corner, and I let it grow because I think it's quite attractive. Lots of flying insects apparently like it, too. This very small wasp is enjoying the Pokeweed's little white blossoms:
 

And this much larger wasp (probably a Four-toothed Mason Wasp, Monobia quadridens) is browsing over the Pokeweed blooms as well:
 

In the leaf-eating camp, several leafhopper-type bugs make their homes here (in small numbers, so I'm not worried about them damaging the plants). This fancy leafhopper (Graphocephala versuta, I think) is very pretty in subtle green/blue/yellow stripes, and as I watched it, it seemed to be exuding some sort of liquid and collecting the droplets with its legs. Weird!
 

I see these Citrus Flatid Planthoppers (Metcalfa pruinosa) pretty frequently, and I quite like their powdery gray outfits:
 

Baby leafhoppers look super strange. This leafhopper nymph was showing off its weird semi-translucent body on a bean leaf:

This stocky planthopper nymph (possibly genus Acanalonia) was eying me warily:
 

This next leaf-eater I am definitely not happy to see, as it takes huge chunks out of my bean leaves. Go away, Japanese Beetle, I don't want you here:
 

A few times now, I've noticed a strangely symmetrical bit of dried leaf, and then realize... oh, it's a moth! This is an Omnivorous Leafroller (Archips purpurana), I believe:
 

And speaking of leaf-like creatures, this Greater Angle-wing Katydid nymph (Microcentrum rhombifolium) does a fantastic job of blending in with these soybean leaves:
 

This creature isn't quite full-grown yet, but it's still pretty big -- about the size of my thumb. I've seen it several days in a row in the same spot, and I have to admire it every time. I love its mottled green skin, and those tiny baby wings are sooo cute:
 

When I saw this katydid most recently (I'm 99% sure it was the same individual, with that same missing leg and the same pattern of dots on its back), its little wings were bigger! Grow, baby katydid, grow:
 

Other cool creatures include this little cricket with antennae so big I couldn't fit them in the frame (they're about two or three times longer than this picture shows):
 

And this tiny adorable jumping spider who couldn't decide whether to focus more on the giant camera lens looming over its head...
 

Or the huge pink blob (i.e., my finger) that had invaded its home leaf:
 

The little spider was probably keeping an eye out for a meal, and there are tons of other predators all over the garden. Long-legged flies are particularly prevalent, little sparkling jewels in green, blue, and orange that cruise around looking for even tinier bugs to eat:
 

Mmm, this one got something!
 

But the long-legged flies can become meals, too.... This one wasn't very lucky, but I bet the spider's happy with its catch!
 

Robber flies are common predators around here, too. This one was hanging from the Pokeweed stem and munching on a nice fat beetle:
 

Finally, speaking of predators, I was very happy to find an American Toad living in the garden. I took this picture with my phone (I clearly need to always have my camera with me) in early July, but I saw the toad again last week, so I'm hoping it's sticking around:
 

This individual has just the most wonderful deep brown/maroon color, the likes of which I don't remember ever seeing on a toad before. I think it's a gorgeous creature, and I love that it's been out there on bug/slug patrol. Eat away, lovely toad!
 

Whew, so many things to see, and I don't even have to leave my yard! Summer is such a lively time, and I'm looking forward to meeting more cool creatures in my garden as the season continues.

Aaaaahhhh (Big Spider)

OK, I'm not usually one to freak out about spiders, but it's hard not to freak out a little when you walk into your bathroom (as I did tonight) and find a monster like this on the floor:

Normal-sized quarter. Jumbo-sized spider.

My first thought was actually that this was some sort of prank. Surely we don't get wolf spiders this size in Connecticut, do we? Well, apparently we do. [Update: One of my readers pointed out that this is probably actually a fishing spider, genus Dolomedes, rather than a wolf spider, and I think that looks right! Thanks, David!]

The freak-out factor with this creature wasn't just about size. (After all, we had even bigger cellar spiders in our house last year, and I was fine with those.) Well, size was part of it, but this was also one hefty spider, and fast. When it moved, I could hear its legs tapping on the ground. I do not like it when I can hear all those legs in motion. And I know that this spider probably wouldn't lunge at me and bite me, but part of my mind kept bringing up the possibility.

Anyway, freaky or not, I dutifully got a cup and relocated the creature. (Paul flatly refused to go near it.... and I supposed I owed him, anyway, since he caught and released a large wasp that flew into our apartment earlier in the day. I will not deal with wasps, and Paul will not deal with spiders, which I guess makes us a good team?) And now that a few hours have passed, I think this spider is pretty darn cool. But I'd be happier if it just stays outside, OK?

Morning Meadow Sights

This morning, I paid a visit to the meadows at the Western end of Osbornedale State Park, a lovely place close to home that I really should visit more often. It was a misty, foggy sort of morning, and just beautiful:
 

I especially loved the way the pond looked decked out in floating mist:
 

With all that water in the air, the spiders webs became nets of dew droplets:
 

So basically, everything was gorgeous. Then, after a little while, the sun rose higher and the fog went away -- it became a perfectly clear day, and the meadows came to life with activity!

The Northern Mockingbirds were feasting on berries from this colorful Pokeweed plant:

And later, I came across the mockingbirds again, hopping along the path in front of me and flashing their wing spots:

I don't know if this behavior was directed at me, at other birds, or at whatever prey they were hunting, but it was cool to watch. Flash away, funny bird!

A noisy family of House Wrens was exploring a bird house that's in need of some repair -- perhaps their former nest is inside:

Down in a very shallow pond, four Green Herons were on the hunt (there's just the one in this picture):

And a Red-tailed Hawk watched from high above, on a tree that belonged to a group of Northern Flickers until the hawk arrived:

Dragonflies of many different species zoomed around everywhere. There were Common Whitetails, both male:

And female:

A battle-worn Widow Skimmer posed on a grass stalk for a quick photo:
 

And I met what might be one of my favorite dragonflies so far -- a huge Common Green Darner:
 

There were big, impressive creatures in the grass, too. One section of the meadow sported several huge webs belonging to Black and Yellow Agriope spiders (Argiope aurantia), with a zig-zag pattern above:
 

And a monster below:
 

I think these spiders are just incredibly beautiful, if a little scary in their size. All the individuals I noticed were females (the males are smaller and skinnier), and I just couldn't stop taking pictures -- these ladies are just too cool:
 

And seriously, how many other spiders can take on a jumbo-sized grasshopper as their morning meal? (At least, I think that's what this bundle used to be.)
 

Following the yellow-and-black trend, this Locust Borer beetle (Megacyllene robiniae) looked super fancy on its bed of already-bloomed goldenrod:
 

Not all of the creatures I met today were pretty, though, and these next two bugs have a distinct grossness factor. (Consider yourself warned.)

Where there's milkweed, there's usually Milkweed Bugs, and their larvae make colorful piles of their weird, pudgy bodies:
 

And speaking of pudgy, I don't think I've seen anything quite like these False Potato Beetle larvae (Leptinotarsa juncta) -- they're like grubs, but mobile and above ground:
 

OK, even I'm starting to get a little grossed out now, so I'll finish with another pre-adult insect, but this one distinctly pretty in its gold-embossed finery. It's not every day I get to see a Monarch chrysalis:
 

Late summer definitely brings some very cool things!