Beautiful Bugs



Last week I saw this beautiful moth.  It was hardly moving, so I brought it back to the nature center to ID and so it wouldn't get stepped on.  When I opened my hand to look at it again, it flew up high into a tree.  Turns out it is a Giant Leopard Moth.  I didn't know we had such beautiful moths, besides the Luna Moth, which is a bright green. 

Tent Moth Caterpillar

The next day I saw some "bugs" with pretty patterns, so I thought I'd photograph them, too. 

Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Tussock Moth?

That just got me on a  roll, and since I almost always have my phone with me I've been taking photos with it of all of the interesting "bugs" I see.  Then if I don't already know what it is, I try to look up the identification.  Not easy when there are thousands of species in Florida! 


Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle pupa

Eastern Carpenter Bee

possibly Acrea Moth (Salt Marsh Caterpillar)?

Crablike Spiny Orbweaver (crab spider)

Squash Bug laying eggs

You can have fun and learn a lot just by observing the small critters around your neighborhood like these.  Kids love to learn about them, too.  A good idea is to keep a nature journal with drawings or photos and observations.  Good resources I've used are Audubon Guides to Florida Nature (there's an app for that, of course!) and also the website bugguide.net.  Maybe while the kids are looking for Easter eggs, they can see what else spring has brought!