Insect Safari 2
August 19, 2007 by fosco
A few more shots from in and around the basil plant.
I had thought this was a lacewing or some kind of beetle, but it’s an Ailanthus Webworm Moth. Go figure!
A much more cooperative Gray Hairstreak. I had mis-identified this as a Banded Hairstreak yesterday, but it stayed put long enough today for a positive ID.
Here are the Skippers again. I’m fairly certain that these are a female and male (below). I think the male is engaging in some sort of mating display. This wing-spread pose was usually followed by frantic attempts to get a little closer, if you catch my drift.
A cicada killer has been hanging around, but never seems to land close enough for a picture. It may be the largest hornet/wasp insect I’ve ever seen. The pictures here don’t do it justice - the one I”ve seen looks like a flying moose. Nevertheless, they are said to be generally harmless and quite interesting to observe.
