The Pennyroyal is abundant now in this area and is attracting lots of pollinators and giving off a wonderful fragrance. Last Monday I saw my first Red-shouldered Ctenucha moth by Tollgate Creek, and it was fluttering around in some tall grass, evidently not yet discovering a meal of pollen or nectar. Today I found lots of Ctenuchas, all fluttering from one Pennyroyal bloom to the next. This is the area where I first discovered them two summers ago. Now I love the feeling of anticipating their hatch in a familiar place and learning a bit more about them with each summer's observations.
Lots of Mullein are blooming in this area, too. However, here I'm just posting a photos of a couple of interesting bugs I found on their leaves. Will save the flower photos for my next post.
The Narrow-leaf Milkweed is the last of our five local species to bloom, and now they're attracting lots of the bugs that began their season on other species of wildflowers, particularly daisies. In this photo, the most prominent guest is the Checkered Clerid Beetle, but there are a couple of other guests I couldn't identify. I saw lots of mating pairs, and I aim to find out if they'll mate and lay their eggs on other species. Some of the Narrow-leaf Milkweeds also had beautiful bright yellow aphids and mating pairs of Clerids. I could have spent the entire morning happily among these milkweeds.
Last, a mating pair of bugs on a Currant bush near my home on Boyle. I wonder what they are? So distinct, but not in any of my field guides. Probably a no-brainer for an entomologist.
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