Passion Butterfly

Up until this year, the usual lineup of flutterers has included the tiger swallowtail, the black swallowtail, and the occasional monarch butterfly. But this year, all of a sudden it seemed, I had a new butterfly in the garden I’d never noticed before. This new...

Bumblebee Moth

When we first saw this huge moth feeding on the butterfly bush, my first thought was, “It looks like a cross between a hummingbird and a bumblebee!” It’s actually a Bumblebee Moth (Hemaris diffinis), also known as a Snowberry Clearwing Moth, to the...

Broad-Headed Skink

I was pleased to get this photo of a broad-headed skink sunning himself on a flagstone in my garden recently. By his coloration (the red head) I could identify it as a male. They have that bright noggin in the spring to attract the ladies. The female broad-headed...

Persimmon Attack

When I was a kid, persimmon attacks were common, particularly among the brothers in my family. Actually, exclusively among the brothers in my family. I’m under a different kind of persimmon attack now. And while the attack of yesteryear (being pelted with...

Cold Winter vs. Insects

Does a hard winter kill off insect pests? Every time there is a particularly cold winter with a lot of below-freezing temperatures, one comment I hear is from folks hoping at least it will kill off the bad bugs. By the same token, when the winter is especially mild,...

Cicada Moult

Never having seen a cicada in mid-moult, I was fascinated to find this one in my yard this weekend. Their sounds are the background music for nearly every summer (“Can you say that again!? I can’t hear you over the cicadas!”) and I’ve often...