Unusual Visitor

Unusual Visitor, a photo by pdecell on Flickr.

Being in a new subdivision I don't get too many unusual insects. But last night a "fish fly" (Megaloptera) came to my house light. This and the other shots in this series were taken on my screened porch just before I released the insect. Bugguide suggests this is Chauliodes rastricornis.

The larvae are aquatic and the adults are nocturnal and have relatively short life spans. This one came to my lights at night and I took this shot just before I released it in the morning. The insect is maybe 3 cm long- roughly an inch and a half. The order Megaloptera was originally considered to be a suborder of the Neuroptera which today includes more familiar insects such as lacewings and antlions.

As if by their own light

Was out in the yard today after school with the sun out for the first time in maybe five days. Ironically though I got more interested in the textures than the color of the flowers in my garden.

Tulip- and the tulip is one of those "black" varieties.

Vinca

Dandelion

Walk in the drizzle

Walk in the drizzle, a photo by pdecell on Flickr.

blue heron's leaving
just a flapping in the eye
maybe one less frog

May 2

We had a late snow today in Kansas. Supposedly this is the latest it has snowed in Eastern Kansas since 1912.

white and pink
petals swirl in cold wind
sky and tree, one bird