This little guy had pieces of Greek Oregano stuck all over him. I'm sure it's a defense tactic, but who is he? He's less than an inch long and moves slowly.
Caterpillar camo
Haha, what a funny guy....probably a Camouflaged Looper:
(Scroll down about halfway)
http://www.duke.edu/~jspippen/naturephotos/caterpillars.htm
I think that's it.
I had an adult moth...the Wavy-lined Emerald...caught it, and put it in a Cool-Whip container, brought it in and cooled it for 15 minutes...opened the lid and it flew off in the house!
Little bitty dude...never did catch it.
Stands to reason I'd have the cats too...it's a Geometrid..of which we have a great number, so this makes perfect sense.
Glad to know that SOMETHING likes the Oregano as a host!
oh how cool Melody
That's a great shot.
P
He was a delightful little guy. If I touched him, he sorta scrunched up and looked for all the world like a piece of the plant. He sat very still for a few minutes and then continued on his way. Now, I need another adult to photograph! He's not in BugFiles!
I think that is the coolest thing I have ever seen. How smart is that little guy? Thanks so much for sharing.
Leslie
Great pic!! Was it you that raved about this oregano last year, what a great nectar plant it was??
Mel~
I see the little looper in the leaves and stuff, lol. Some camo! I had a certain predator that sticks things to its back too, but it was mostly the skeleton trophies it was sporting.
Here's what was under the mess> Still don't know exactly what it is.
looks like an ant lion
http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/KKhp/1insects/antlion.html
Ha! So the sticking stuff to your back idea plays both sides...how funny!
Oh yes...forgot...yep it was me raving about Greek Oregano. Mine has been blooming since May...(despite the horrible drought)... flying critters adore it.
It's just about done, but I still have bunches of Buckeyes trying to drag the last bit of nectar form the last blooms.
It will hang in there and have a few blooms on it for another month or so, but it's technically about done now.
Thanks Red!!!!
And sorry, I jumped so fast... Correction on what was thought to be an Ant Lion is actually an Aphid Lion, see post> http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3869177
This message was edited Aug 17, 2007 7:21 PM
Where did you put them?
Can you give me a link?
Here is where I posted it>
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/2410/
Weird, didn't the link come through in the link?
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3867213
:-)
It's there in your first post now...how weird. Gremlins must be at work today.
Yes, you did good.
Can you add a comment about some of it's habits? That really helps with making BF grow. The comments are very valuable...whether it's a predator...or prey...good guy bug, or bad guy. Where you can find it...that sort of stuff.
Yikes Mel,
My son who loves bugs said it wasn't an ant lion, so it might bear more checking. I need to know how many types there are. DH said the ones he knows are the ones who make sand funnels for ants to fall into.
My critter resembles it a lot physically, but I found it on the Milkweed sporting that garbage pile. I know they have a probascis they stick into their victim and syphon all their life's fluid out leaving a shell skeleton which it promptly takes in the pinchers and skillfully attaches it to it's back.
If it turns out to be in the wrong place it won't hurt my feelings.. I'd just like to know the right name etc.Especially to have it correct in BF.
Red~ Ken~(or anyone else who may know), Is there any other bug that looks like this, and preys on small cats and insects above the ground?
I should first clear this up here because of misinformation I posted in this thread..
My bug turns out to be:
Green Lacewing Larvae, aka Trash Bug, aka Aphid Lion Chrysoperla carnea. Funny how until today I had been calling a Garbage Bug.. go figure..
http://bugguide.net/node/view/55996
Mel~ I suppose the entries I put in the BF under Ant Lion need to be removed. Then shoot me the url for the right place and I can post them there with my comments, now much clearified.
:-Deb
Melody- thats a cool little guy! How did you spot him???? The camo is perfect!
Adrienne
I don't know. Interesting lil critter though.
P
I've alerted Ken to the need for the change....good catch!
This is a prime example of how BugFiles grows....pay attention gang.
Deb had a bug and entered it. But by doing a bit more research, she found that she had incorrectly identified it....and asked for a change.
No sweat. It can be done...and happily. We appreciate the attention to factual information....AND the fact that Deb wasn't afraid to shout for some assistance when she discovered the mistake.
Don't be afraid to add to BugFiles. You will learn as you go....believe me....you haven't seen all of the groveling for assistance that I've done for myself behind the scenes! Once you make a mistake...you rarely make it again.
Well said Mel!
Peggy's suggestion helped me a lot too! I am glad she spoke up too. When I found out the correct name, I could look it up in Ben's "Field Guide to Texas Insects" he checked out from the library a couple days ago. (This looks like a book we will be buying.)
I love to watch how these things pan out!
Thank you Mel, Peggy, and Ken!
Deb
Adrienne....sorry I didn't answer your question before. He was on my Greek Oregano, which grows just outside my office door. I was standing in the doorway and just happened to look down and noticed something 'different'.
Having been intimately aware of my oregano...as so many of my photos take place there, I knew it was an anomaly.
Got down and sat on the concrete and got a closer look...and he moved...dashed for my camera, and the rest was history.
Melody~
I am glad you posted this one. It seems that few-many insects within a species have an individual which uses it's refuse as a camouflage. This is directly related to the individuals diet, surroundings and purpose. In the case of the looper the refuse is plant material, and likewise for the aphid lion larvae using carcasses.
I have a lot of respect for a bug that cleans up after itself. lol! Also seeing the other side of a predator to the benifits they perform keeps a balance void of insanity, hehe.
Marvelous!
Deb
This has been a very good thread for sure...and I didn't have a clue when I posted it.
Actually, it was started out of laziness...thought I'd get a quick i.d. and wouldn't have to work for it....but it's turned into so much more.
I may have saved a few minutes on the 'front end', but the information and discussion on the 'back end' has been extremely enriching.
I was going on it's head. It looked like a ant lion. I had never seen one that decorated it's self with the carcasases(sp) of it's vicitims before but I have made many an i.d in the past by searching for what it(be it critter or plants) looks like to me.
Well done on the correct id.
P
Ta Da!
Here's the adult! I've had 3 get away from me before I got a shot. They're just as shy as a moth as they are a caterpillar.
How cool Mel!!
What a pretty one it is!! So glad you followed up on it, great job!
Now you have a great set of pics for our BFs... Yaay..
Here is the one on Bug guide:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/86415
:-)
debnes
What a beautiful moth Melody...WTG!!!
Oh wow! Who would have thunk that trashy lil critter would turn out to be such a beautiful adult.
P
Thanks ya'll, this has been my 'mission' since I found the cat. Like I said...I missed 3 others before getting this one. Instead of capturing it, cooling it, and setting up the shot, I just snapped it on my garage door first...I then got my handy Cool Whip container and tried to catch it.....again with no luck.
I pride myself on being able to catch about anything....but this guy just won't let me.
Glad I got the shot though...I really wanted the adult after seeing the larvae.
I hear ya Mel!, LOL! Nice try!
I got an interesting cat yesterday, though not as pretty as your green one as an adult.. Still very intricate in it's own way.
debnes
Ahh, love that moth! It's one of the very first ones I saw years ago when I first became interested in them. I fell in love with it because it's green (my fav color) and so delicate. I'm glad to know what the cats do so I can look for them.