Greetings, BugFans,
The BugLady was walking at Riveredge Nature Center one day in mid-June when she spied a small Robber fly perched on a leaf, hanging onto its prey. When she put the picture up on the monitor, she recognized the predator as a small (barely ½”) Robber fly named the Stripe-legged robber fly (family Asilidae). Then she tried to figure out what it was holding.
07.08.26
Howdy, BugFans,
Now that summer has arrived with a vengeance, it’s time to take a quick look back at some spring bug experiences.
07.02.26
Greetings, BugFans,
In honor of National Moth Week, here are three lovely moths that the BugLady has found recently, plus one from BugFan Freda (the BugLady’s definition of a “lovely moth” includes being identifiable).
06.24.26
Howdy, BugFans,
Daisy fleabane (Erigeron sp.) is blooming. If you’re not familiar with it, the name “teeny daisy” – given to it by the BugLady’s then four-year-old, firstborn child – describes it well.
Bugs like it, too. As always, the BugLady found insects and spiders who came to rest, to eat, and to be eaten, and with all that going on, some pollination happens, too. Today’s episode is a bit moth-heavy because we are approaching National Moth Week.
06.10.26
Howdy, BugFans,
The BugLady spent the morning watching pelicans; photographing pelicans on the water, on the beach, and, in small squadrons, in the air; and editing pictures of pelicans. They’re having a moment in her neighborhood at the edge of Lake Michigan. There are two floating about far offshore right now – brilliant in the sunlight.
Here’s an article she wrote about them two years ago for the newsletter of the Lake Michigan Bird Observatory.
06.03.26
Greetings, BugFans,
The final installment in National Wetlands Month, though the BugLady would argue that wetlands should be celebrated every month. The BugLady attempts to photograph this burnished beetle everywhere she sees them – some in aquatic settings as they peruse the flowers of yellow water-lilies, and others on marsh marigolds and skunk cabbage in the adjacent swamps. They are not huge – most would have to stretch to reach a half-inch – and they often appear to be gold.
05.29.26
Howdy, BugFans,
2026: Week two of our homage to wetlands. Why wetlands? Let me count the whys. For starters, wetlands are fascinating communities that are full of animals that have devised unique ways to deal with the challenges of life underwater. Wetlands both filter and sponge – removing chemicals from water systems and soaking up extra water to minimize flooding. More “whys” next week.
05.13.26
Salutations, BugFans,
May 1st kicks off American Wetlands Month! While we love wetlands year-round, May is a particularly great time to celebrate them as we enjoy the re-awakening of wetlands and all their glorious sights, sounds, and smells. Let’s kick the month off with the story, from 2013, of a tiny, but very numerous and very important, wetland critter.
The ephemeral pond is humming these days, and the BugLady has been giving her 50mm macro lens a workout, channeling her inner photomicroscopist (a person who takes pictures through a microscope). A reminder to newer BugFans – the BOTW definition of “bug” is the one that your average first grader uses.
05.06.26
Howdy, BugFans,
Today’s bug is a world traveler, and the pictures shared by BugFan Freda were taken far from our shores. Thanks, Freda!
So, no guesswork about the geographical origin of the European Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium manicatum) (in the Old World, it’s also found in Western Asia and Africa). The EWCB was first recorded in North America in 1963, near Ithaca, NY (three years before the BugLady got there), was seen in California in 2007, and is now established in a large chunk of the US and Canada. Its nesting habits make it eminently portable, and it has also made its way to parts of South America, New Zealand (2006), and more.
04.29.26
Greetings, BugFans,
The BugLady loves crab spiders, so she’s been thrilled to find two, new (to her) species in the last few years. One, the Whitebanded crab spider, is in the family Thomisidae, a family of, well, crab-shaped spiders, many of whom make their living on flower tops, and many of whom, in the genera Misumena, Misumenoides, and Misumenops (Mecaphesa), can be tricky to ID. We’ll meet the other one next week.
04.22.26