Ceratulus spectabilis

The larvae of this sawfly occur on Cissus incisa, known to the vulgar as cow itch.  These fornicating adults are also on cow itch.  However,  unlike the voracious larvae, they only are around a day or two.  Maybe they die after they fornicate and lay eggs.  These particular sawflies lack modesty and practice group sex. A short life and a merry?

The Longest Day

Today, pagans of the northern hemisphere celebrate the longest day.  Pagans of the southern hemisphere celebrate the shortest day.  Pagans situated on the equator don't get to celebrate.  They need to go to work like usual.  Mercy!

However,  yesterday, Summer Solstice Eve was not an official Druid holiday.  So Crumby and Ray were hard at work photographing more insects on Ratibida.  The below is troubling on several levels.  Typocerus octonatus.  Magnify and scan around for more information than you wanted.

The Insects are Back

All of a sudden, almost to Summer Solstice, the insects have returned to the CB.  That's because we have plenty of Ratibida at the CB, and some insects love Ratibida.  So Ratibida is good for those particular insects.  Here are three kinds of those insects we are now discussing.

Mecas cineracea, small longhorn beetle.

Zonitis vitigera maybe.  Crumby and Ray do not feel like this is actually Zonitis vitigera.

Calocoris barberi, a small, yet colorful bug.

Rear View

There are too many people and most of them are no damn good.  That's why modern Druids are generally unwilling to help out the masses of no account individuals seeking succor. Plus, if you help them, they just hoard more wealth or breed more.  They're no damn good.

However,  some among the throngs of evil doers wear spectacles and ride a bicycle.   And among those there may occur one or two decent, upright, Goddess fearing specimens.  This advice is for them.

Crumby's rear view mirror that rides on his spectacles was fixing to play out. The ball in the joint would not say put, jostled out of position by the vagaries of wind or bump in the road.  Aggravating and dangerous.  So Crumby was fixing to go buy a new rear view mirror.

But then Crumby recalled that Plumber's Heat Proof Grease fixes suchlike.  Sure enough,  a little grease applied with a q-tip stove up the ball joint just enough.  Now the rear view works good as new.

  

Gecko Annihilates HVAC

Here it is (Hemidactylus turcicus), electrocuted by the condenser.   Once that happened, the compressor went south too.  So no AC at the CB Saturday night through Monday afternoon.  Mercy!

Rayetta's Butterflies

A new species for the yard list is this Texas powdered skipper.  I really do need to sum up the butterflies though. Must be 90 something.

Later.  No.  The total for the RGVECB butterfly list is only 80 species after several years now.  Where the heck is Julia's skipper?

Young Tit with Moth Larva

Crumby is pretty sure that the caterpillar was air mailed to this juvenile bc tit by a parent.  The youngster did the right thing; beat the crap out of the bug before eating it.

Switching to Bugs

The neotropical migrants have passed through at last, alas.  So Crumby and Ray are fixing to switch to bugs.  Like this bug, an unnamed Griburius sp.  We  were lucky to get this picture as the bugs are scarce and wary at this nonce.