It’s not a vegetable, it’s not a mineral.. it’s a beetle. And it brought a friend, and it wants to eat my petunias. Every time I get near, it does a few fly-by’s – it sounds like a Cicada (that’s what I thought it was, at first).
Catybug, my forward thinking little nature lover, tried to catch them with her bare hands. That didn’t work out so well (because her mom was distracting her, holding her hair back and squealing like a little girl). We had to run some errands so we stopped at the dollar store and she located a butterfly net – that worked. Now I’m hosting these two big buzzing metallic looking creatures in a little plastic habitat and I have no idea what they are, other than beetles. All I know is that she’ll find out (and if you know, do tell), and she’ll pin them to an exhibit board with the others she’s collected, for her 8th grade science project – still over a year away. And then she’ll be #1 – because #2 isn’t good enough for her. (Little overachiever. I’m so proud.)
Here’s a Cecropia Moth she acquired last month – can you see the pride in her eyes?
The Cecropia is the largest known North American moth, and it’s quite a beautiful creature. The wingspan is 5-6 inches, and considering their adult life only lasts 2 weeks, having the opportunity to even see one is really a unique experience. The adult Cecropia lives only to reproduce – and can smell a mate up to a mile away. They don’t even eat, they have no mouth or proboscis.
Just a couple of buggy facts for the weekend. You can thank me later, after the heebie-jeebies subside.
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check out http://www.whatsthatbug.com they have tons of buggy pictures and you might find out what you’ve got there.
and I grew up with 3 brothers…bugs don’t scare me! 😉
That little metallic guy is *so* funny, clutching that twig like his life depends on it!!
Catybug is a double threat: pretty and smart! Way to go!!!
:thumbsup:
looks like a june bug to me!! they STINK literally. lol but they are gorgeous! we used to catch them all summer long when i was a kid, then our hands would stink to high heaven.
http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/KKHP/1insects/junebeetle.html
there’s a link about the beetle. and i forgot to say : “THAT MOTH IS GORGEOUS!!!” and more importantly that’s a gorgeous pic of Miss Caity with the moth. Lora has that bugville netty thing too, that’s what our dried up caterpillar/cocoon possibly? is living in.
That is a beautiful photo. The moth and catybug.
Definitely a June-Bug…and I gotta tell ya…I ain’t too happy when people call me June-Bug since coming to know these critters first hand. They are definitely in the “pest” category for me! 😡
i love my cool little beetles! right now my cecropia is pinned
to a board with a black swallowtail……. I’m going to be #1!!!
When I was a kid I loved playing with those beetles. Now they kinda freak me out. Love the moth your daughter found!
First thing I noticed when I popped over here today was that you changed your image up ther eat the top! Cute pup, when did you change into a puppy face? 😉
Lisa – you’re so observant! Yes, I did change it – just yesterday! Catybug took the photo.
:friends:
I was gonna say…looks like a June bug to me. Glad someone else identified it for you. I recently had a ten-lined june beetle in my home. Scared me at first when I realized it wasn’t a little plastic toy. (I have a boy. He has such things!)
Great shot of the moth! I need to go out looking for critters soon. I miss them.
Oh, and just because we’re on the subject, Little Dude had a very close encounter with a butterfly a couple years ago. Had to repeatedly remove the thing from his face.
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