Inverting (insect watching) is being outside, observing, experiencing, the multitude, the diversity, and the daily going ons of LIFE.
- JULS: Jericho / Underhill Life Search.
Here are some of my June observations including photos and links to the iNaturalist post which gives more information about the genus or species, and sometimes more photos of the individual.
All the observations were on our 1.3-acre yard in June with the following one exception.
Mining bee on the abdomen of an American Emerald Dragonfly.
Click here to read the story in the notes section of the iNaturalist post.
Photo taken at the Camels Hump State Park in Starksboro on May 25.
Click Healthy Cuckoo Carder Bee to read how rare of an observation this is.
Narrow-banded Pond Fly Note the similarity to the bee above. You can tell it is a bee in part by the short antennae typical of flies but not of bees.
Mimic Flies Note the similarity to some species of bumblebee.
Northern Amber Bumble Bee Click on the name to see images of the rest of the bee.
Genus Leucanthemum Yes, while observing insects I also take time to take in the flowers and other plants as well. To enjoy their beauty, to watch them grow, and to watch them change from hour to hour as well as by day.
Genus Myopa. This one made it into my Nature-inspired Comics (#80). With a face like that, how could I resist?
Nomad Bees With over 850 species, the genus Nomada is one of the largest genera in the family Apidae, and the largest genus of cuckoo bees. Cuckoo bees are so named because they enter the nests of a host and lay eggs there, stealing resources that the host has already collected. ~Wikipedia
Nessus Sphinx. Yes, I am aware these flowers are Dame's Rocket which is invasive. Soon to be cut down bagged, and disposed of. Dame's Rocket has four petals, and the native Phlox has 5 petals.
Just imagine what species of life is living in your backyard!
Inverting is the new birding and it's going on in your backyard!
Join the JULS - Jericho / Underhill Life Search Program today.
The iNaturalist program maintains a biodiversity database by city and town in Vermont and ranks them for the number of species, observations, and observers at this link.
June updates: Jericho ranks 10th place with 2,070 species and 10th place for the number of observers at 805.
~Bernie
Bernie, these are amazing and make me think about how much must be going on in our garden. Thank you for sharing them on FPF. Cheers, Tom Atkins
ReplyDeleteSo interesting, Bernie! I love the photos!
ReplyDelete