A pair of restless bush crickets,
Hapithus agitator, meet on a milkweed leaf. The female is on the left. Males in northern populations are not known to "sing", and it's unclear how they find females. I was hoping they would mate, but both soon wandered off. During the transfer of the spermatophore during mating, the female will snack on the male's wings, sometimes reducing them to stubs. I was hoping to photo-document their cannibalistic sex, but that's for another day. Warren County, Ohio, yesterday morning.
1 comment:
Dear Mr. McCormac,
I thought you might be interested in knowing that yesterday and two days ago, while sadly bushhogging my very diverse pasture, hoping the butterflies, bees, spiders etc. would find new flowers and homes, I saw a black vulture with a gray head and a white collar of feathers. I got a crummy shot of it with my flip top phone, if I go out again on foot I will take a photo with camera.
Thanks,
Marion Rose Brill
740-507-7718
Also, this past year we had an excellent Yellow Spotted salamander crossing, in big rain. Mike Miller, ex-wildlife guy for Knox County was there with his wife and 2 daughters along with Dave Crow, ODNR Mineral Resources and his wife. Counted 140 salamanders we "helped" on their way. (People drive quite fast down our road, between woods and field.) And one Jefferson, woodfrogs and toads. Vernal pools in my pasture have Wood Frogs, Chorus Frogs, Tree Frogs, Peepers, and Toads besides salamanders. (We have Leopard Frogs, too. I live in a little paradise and this year it became part of the Owl Creek Conservancy Land Trust. I have really cool birds too, that I see occasionally, like the Blue Gray Gnat Catcher, Orchard Oriole, Philadelphia Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, Wood Cock, and hear more often. Lots of birds I hear but can't ID.
Sorry, I forgot to add, if you would like to come see the vulture to verify it's existence, you'd be most welcome.
Thanks,
Marion
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