Bugs and such

This is an unremarkable little butterfly of the sort that sits with its wings vertical and together when it lands, but it was a slightly chilly day for the time of year and it seemed to want to sun itself a bit. What caught my attention is that it is a hirsute little insect! Look at the fur!

We are so over-run with the Asian ladybug (another trick played on us by the U.S. Departmenr of Agriculture), we seldom see the real thing anymore. Looking at the little yellowish eruptions on the ladybug's shell, I wonder if this one might be hosting some sort of parasite.

This guy is really tiny -- the flower is less than an inch across -- but he presented the opportunity to show the strange construction of weevil antennae. Sometimes the antennae are seen extended near the base of the snout but sometimes they are far longer and extend from the tip of the snout. What's going on here? As you can see, their antennae have a kind of elbow. Added to that is the fact that their legs are uniquely attached, by a screw fitting rather than the ball-and-socket of other creatures. You can look it up.

This one has caught and mostly devoured one of those tiny, shiny clover beetles.