A matter of time, part 2

Larger, more colorful, and stronger hoppers than earlier,
late-stage Spotted Lanternfly nymphs are nearing adult flight.

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A matter of time

Spotted Lanternfly nymphs, hatched from an overwintered egg mass,
gather upon a black walnut tree branch.

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Native to Asia and reported in growing numbers across southeastern Pennsylvania since 2014, these nymphs are the first I’ve seen on our small patch of Little Crum Creek — first individually in the milkweed garden and grass, and now most frequently together (in the absence of their preferred tree-of-heaven) in this black walnut.

Normally, I’d wait to collect and post images of each life-cycle stage.  But you might be seeing these early nymphs too. If so, posting sooner seems better than later.

The Penn State Extension provides all we might like to know about identification and management of these invasive newcomers.

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flea beetle

The rhythm of their lights still freshly impressing the mind, I thought
I’d discovered a late season firefly. But its sudden spring from sight left
a more telling impression: Disonycha glabrata, the pigweed flea beetle.

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Eight-spotted forester moth (Alypia octomaculata)

A caterpillar, it is said, likes the Virginia creeper inching along our woodland edge.
An adult will fly to flowers plentiful in neighboring gardens.
We met once in May 2015.
Have our paths not crossed since then?

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Leaf eater

Commonly named for eating Asclepias incarnata (not  pictured),

a Swamp milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis)

makes do in our patch of Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca).

 

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Why plant milkweed?

One

more

monarch

headed

in due time

for

Mexico

 

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a nice spot

The fuzzy milkweed leaf — a nice spot to set

for a four-lined plant bug (Poecilocapsus lineatus)

done roaming the catmint

to feed like the young.

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Sown here

Sown here last year for the monarch and her brood
milkweed has grown to host a new visitor —
like this banded net-winged beetle
(calopteron discrepans, I think) —
on nearly every leaf turned

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proves the point

Feeding among clusters of pending white snakeroot blooms,

an orange assassin bug (Pselliopus barberi) proves the point of its name.

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