The End of Summer
Howdy, BugFans, Well, we’re into October. The BugLady is still seeing and hearing lots of bugs as she makes her way to the hawk tower, where she counts migrating raptors from a perch 10 feet off the ground. Most of the …
Spiders
Mid-summer Stories
Howdy, BugFans, It’s August!!! Or, to put it another way, it’s August – yikes! Halfway(ish) through summer. Here are some of the sights that the BugLady has enjoyed so far. Many of these have already starred in a BOTW of their very own – …
Bronze Jumping Spider
Howdy, BugFans, On a walk at Spruce Lake Bog in May, the BugLady spied this Bronze jumping spider (Eris militaris, in the family Salticidae) (thanks, Mike) sitting on an unfolding alder leaf. He spied her, gave her a firm look and …
Spring Summary
Howdy, BugFans, Now that summer has arrived with a vengeance, it’s time to take a quick look back at some spring bug experiences. BUMBLE BEE ON PINK LADY’S SLIPPER – A website about Wisconsin’s native orchids lists “naïve bumble bees” …
Crab Spider, Part 2 – Metallic Crab Spider
Howdy, BugFans, Another day, another crab spider. This time, it’s the Metallic Crab spider, and while it may resemble last week’s Whitebanded crab spider (family Thomisidae), it’s in a whole, different crab spider family, Philodromidae, the Running crab spiders. Philodromidae comes …
Bugs in the News XVI
Greetings, BugFans, Let’s take some time off from the relentless, 24-hour news cycle and enjoy a few bug stories. MOSQUITOES – The BugLady always snickers at the obligatory TV news spot in mid-spring in which someone earnestly tries to predict …
The Twelve Bugs of Christmas
Howdy, BugFans, It’s that time of year again—time to put our feet up, sip adult beverages by the light of the tree, hum “The Twelve Bugs Days of Christmas,” and dream of spring. (The days are getting longer, you know.) Here are …
Redspotted Antmimic Spider
Howdy, BugFans, In mid-summer, BugFan Dave shared these dynamite pictures of a pretty spiffy little spider that the BugLady has never seen—the (unhyphenated) Redspotted antmimic spider (Castianeira descripta). Thanks, Dave! Antmimic spiders used to be in the “catchall” Sac spider family Clubionidae, …
Goldenrod Watch redux
Howdy, BugFans, It’s the start of December – and of meteorological winter – and it’s cold out, and the BugLady is still wondering what, exactly, happened to August. Here’s a little slice of August, from 15 years ago. The BugLady’s advice …
Speed-dating the Spiders – Bowl and Doily spider
Howdy, BugFans, This small spider is in the Sheetweb spider family Linyphiidae, which we have met before in the form of the Splendid Dwarf spider Bug o’the week – Splendid Dwarf Spider – Riveredge Nature Center. In some parts of …