July 18 Bugsit Video

I have decided to free myself from restrictions and simply make  videos without rules. Commenters have freed me. I thank you. Today is another iPhone memory video I made of today's finds. 

00:01:14

• Margined Calligrapher (Toxomerus marginatus): a flower fly
• Butterfly: Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris)
• Yellow fly: Hystricia abrupta, a tachinid (bristle) fly. The larvae of these flies parasitize other insects and arthropods. Many of the adults feed on nectar. I am not a fan.
• Tiny crab spider (Tribe Misumenini)
• One of the indistinguishable Looper moths (Genus Caenurgina)
• Leaf beetle (Genus Plagiodera)
• One-striped Deer Fly (Chrysops univittatus)
• Macquart's Deer Fly (Chrysops macquarti)

We are finally having normal, awesome weather today. I have great plans for Sunday with Jody. 

If you like birds, please look at the new addition of bird song on the sidebar. I got the Merlin Bird ID phone app, made by Cornell University. It is free and it changed my life. Now all my family and friends are using it. I just stick my arm out (so that the phone does not hear me breath) and record bird song. 

Have a great weekend! 

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Almost the Last Bug Hunt

Soldier beetle (Cantharis livida)

Last week we had what I thought would be our last bug hunt at school (it wasn't). The kids found some interesting things in just a few minutes. Each photo is labeled.

I am so proud of what good caretakers of bugs the kids have become. They are not scared. They handle them correctly. They report quickly what they find. Finally, they release properly to the same spot that they found the creature.

On Steve's arm with a happy face.

We have a lot of fun with the kids and the bugs. I never expected Steve, the classroom counselor, to allow a soldier beetle on his arm, but he did and was very careful. There were a lot of jokes and laughter about man-eating bugs! In the end, though, the beetle threw Steve back, probably because he didn't taste good enough. 

Flying away

A slug. I have to do my slug and snail unit next year.

A crane fly

Unknown spider on student's finger

I still won't handle a spider in my hand, but this child did! I know of only one other student (in the high school) who will also hold spiders. In Vermont, there are no dangerous spiders, so there are no worries.

Asian Lady Beetle

I will miss having my little bug hunters gathering wonderful bugs and learning and constantly asking questions. I'm looking forward to next year.

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A Bee and a Spider

I began taking video outside this morning. Many. But this one had a bit of drama in it that I never saw outside. I hope you can see it well here. It is a furrow bee and a flower crab spider. You really should view full screen. There is no audio.

_/\_/\_