Along the Appalachian Trail

The weather was perfect for our hike along 3 miles of the AT today and we were treated to a visual buffet of insects, plants and birds.  Definitely something for everyone.  I decided to go with this rather common longhorn beetle, aptly (if not terribly originally) named Red Milkweed Beetle.  The adult beetles feed on milkweed leaves while the larvae bore into the ground to feed on the roots.  You'd think they'd be a threat to milkweed, but they don't typically do any significant damage.  And, as with all things who feed on milkweed, the "milk" affords them some protection from predators since it is toxic.  Anyhoo... a cool little beetle.  (And, yes, the flower its hanging out on is a Common Milkweed, native to much of the US.)

I also found a Roesel's Katydid, a first for me.  It's a rather interesting looking katydid, quite different than the big green ones I have in the garden.  According to what I found in my insect guide, it is an introduced species from Europe with a fairly wide spread population in the NE US and parts of eastern Canada.


When I returned home, my little caterpillar (yesterday's blip) had transformed himself into a leaf-like chrysalis.  His tiny shed skin was laying in the bottom of the enclosure, like a little cast-off clown suit.  Now we wait ...and in a couple of weeks, out will come a glorious black swallowtail butterfly!

Hubs is feeling better today, thank goodness.  In fact, he's gone over to have a visit with his mother since I couldn't make it today.  

Thanks for the kindness on yesterday's caterpillar, and thank you for stopping by!

xo
Debbi