Wild Backyard!!

A few years ago, friends inspired me to remove a section of lawn and plant a native garden. I'm always amazed at the life that now comes to the yard!!

The first two photos are from the backyard garden of one of those friends. Annie has been closely watching her New Jersey Tea (Shrub) for Summer Azure caterpillars these past few years. (New Jersey Tea is the host plant for the caterpillar species.) This year, she struck gold! After watching ants on her shrub, she realized that they were standing on well camouflaged caterpillars! (top photo) Summer Azure caterpillars have a symbiotic relationship with ants. The caterpillars excrete honeydew for the ants. In exchange for this sweet treat, the ants protect the caterpillars from predators! The caterpillars have an interesting, flattish appearance at the edges.

Summer Azure, adult (23-29mm across)

Spending time in my own garden reveals lots of life in the summer months!

Peck's Skipper on Dense Blazing Star.

Western Honeybee on Purple Coneflower.

Tiny Grasshopper

Rhyssella nitida: (no common name given). Notice the very long ovipositor extending beyond the abdomen which is used for laying eggs!

Margined calligrapher on Dense Blazing Star

Redbud has been the choice plant species of Leaf-cutter bees in my yard this year. In past years, the leaf circles were cut from Sugar Maple Tree leaves. The cut leaf circles are used to protect the egg and eventual emerging larvae.

Leaf-cutter Bees gather pollen on the lower abdomen, instead of on the legs like most bees. 

A circular green leaf has capped the hole in a piece of wood. The leaf was placed at the hole's edge to keep the egg of the Leaf-cutter Bee safe and dry.

Monarch caterpillar tucked into the flower head of Swamp Milkweed.

Telamona excelsa - a species of Treehopper

Clearwing Moth sp.

Red-banded Leafhopper

Elm Spanworm Moth