We read a great deal about the huge declines in insect populations worldwide, so I am always thrilled to discover a new bug. Most of these I have never seen before: always something new under the sun.
Look at this enormous Stonefly, about 1 1/2 inches long; my finger is there for scale. Its belly was bright orange.
I tried to get an accurate ID, and found, rather excitingly, a photograph of what looks like the same species, labelled by Bugguide as “unknown to science”. I’ve uploaded my photo and am waiting with bated breath for some entomologist to name it after me.
In contrast, here is one of the world’s tiniest grasshoppers, at about 1/4″ long. It rejoices in the modest name of Obscure Pygmy Grasshopper, Tetrix arenosa, in contrast to all those more bombastic Famous Giant Grasshoppers out there. It took some work to ID it, ably assisted by Brandon Woo of Texas A&M.
When I was a child, I had an irrational fear of Daddy Longlegs, not strictly insects since they’re eight-legged arachnids, like spiders. Having long since put aside childish things, I now find them fascinating. More properly called harvestmen, in close up they are intricately put together.
This one is, I think, Leiobunum ventricosum. Unlike spiders, they do not produce silk, have a single pair of eyes, and the thorax and abdomen are almost fused into a single body part. The second pair of legs are extra long and double as antennae; you can see it reaching out with one, exploring its world.
I’ll end with two species of damselfly, both bluets, on the edge of my beaver pond. Although these are not new to me, they are beautiful, and remind me that summer is upon us. These four Azure Bluets, Enallagma aspersum, have all recently emerged, and their wings are spread while they harden .
Right next to them was a pair of amorous Vernal Bluets, Enallagma vernale, the male distinguished from the Azure Bluets by having most of its abdomen blue rather than black. The rather drab female attempting to get into the appropriate position has a greenish head and beige body.
I should note that the male is not trying to strangle his bride. During mating he holds her still while she raises her abdomen to receive his sperm.
Eyes on the Wild 
I immediately thought: a “Yippie fly”…but you probably did, too. That’s a cute little Grasshopper. The Dutch call them: ‘jump-roosters.’ Had a Green darner here, a few days ago…got a photo. Plenty of Harvestmen here…I relocate them to the outdoors, by capturing gently in a Gladwrap tube, with a paper-towel at the bottom…that way I can reach the ceiling, where they usually ‘hang’ out.
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& looks like a cousin to a Dobsonfly
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