swells's Journal

Spizella passerina

I heard chipping sparrows throughout the day, but couldn't get a picture - until I cheated and called one in with Merlin.

Typical Aphid Wasp

On ninebark leaf.

A soldier fly (Stratiomyidae)

On spirea bush

A cuckoo bee (Cyrsididae)

On ninebark bush.

Eumenes sp.

On snow berry leaf.

Observed on May 17

A soft-winged flower beetle (Melyridae)

On the wall of the shed.

(Misumena vatia) Male

Looks like this guy lost one of his long pairs of legs.

(Eristalis arbustorum)

Front garden

Epalpus signifer

The early tachinid flies (Epalpus signifer) are a lot later than usual this year. This is the first one I've seen this spring.

Likely Mossy Rose Gall Wasp

I've reared many mossy rose gall wasps from galls that I've collected nearby, but never found one in the yard before. Until today. I'm not sure that it's Diplolepis rosae, but looks right. (#509 for the yard)