Critter Kids

“Bug of the Day - June 18: Luna Moth (Actias Luna)
The last Luna moth that visited my house was in May 2023, and this year lots of people posted sightings in March. Just when I thought it was too late for any possible sighting, this beauty showed up on my sliding glass door this week in broad daylight.
Carl Linnaeus named this moth Actias luna in 1758, honoring Luna, the Roman goddess of the moon. He saw its translucent eyespots as an echo of both the crescent and the full moon, sort of like a living symbol of lunar cycles. This beautiful moth symbolizes transformation, spiritual awakening, intuition, and the ephemeral nature of life.
• In Celtic folklore, Luna moths are closely connected to the fairy world and to the spiritual realm. They have been described as magical messengers or guides between the human world and fairy domains.
• In several Native American folklore traditions, encountering a Luna moth is highly auspicious. It is often regarded as a symbol of spiritual guidance, longevity, and profound personal transition.
• The soft green color of the moth's wings is often connected to the heart chakra, inner wisdom, and divine feminine energy
Every time I see one, it takes my breath away. I think it is simply the most beautiful creature on earth. I gently caught this one, took a couple of pictures, and then let it go. When I released him, he flew in spirals over my head and his shadow danced all around me for a few fun minutes.”

Author HG my Facebook friend

“Bug of the Day June 17: Some Flies are Beautiful
Okay, I know, beautiful isn’t the first word that comes to mind when we think about flies, but if you saw the shimmering Ornate Snipe Fly or the iridescent Golden-backed Snipe Fly, you might be persuaded. The Green-eyed Horsefly is pretty handsome too. But have you ever thought about what good flies are anyway?

One of the thoughts that occurred to me as I have snapped pictures of these tiny critters, is that they must have a purpose in the overall ecology of the planet. Otherwise, they would have not stayed around. So that’s one thing I try to learn about each bug I find. Turns out flies have lots of purposes and actually do lots of good, in spite of their “PR problem.”

Flies are actually little heroes that are essential to waste recycling, plant pollination, and serving as a critical food source for predators. Without them, nature would quickly struggle to decompose organic debris or maintain balance in the food web. They have four main ways to contribute to the planet.
• Pollination: Adult flies feed on flower nectar and are crucial pollinators for over 100 cultivated crops, including apples, strawberries, onions, and cacao trees (meaning they are responsible for chocolate). We tend to focus on bees when we think about pollination, but flies and moths and even some beetles pitch in on that job too. No flies, no chocolate.
• The Food Chain: Flies and maggots are a highly nutritious, protein-rich food source for countless animals, including birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish.
• Pest Suppression: Many fly species are strong predators that naturally hunt other insects. In doing this they help control agricultural pests without the need for human intervention.
• Decomposition/Waste Removal: Fly larvae (maggots) consume rotting carcasses, animal f***s, and decaying plants. Without this cleanup we’d see a buildup of dangerous environmental waste, and when they do this cleanup, it returns vital nutrients to the soil.

And all of that doesn’t even take into consideration the fact that flies are used in the medical arena for wound debridement and for research. So the next time you’re tempted to swat a fly, I hope you’ll take a minute to be thankful that someone bigger doesn’t consider you to be only a pest.
These are many (but not all) of the fly species I’ve found in Virginia over the past five years.”
Written by a friend HG

Here is a Hilarious female behavior which is a very crucial survival tactic. This playing dead behavior has lead to the continuation of the species. 😂💯🐸🏆

https://www.instagram.com/p/DY8anewpt1I/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

European common frogs have a dramatic way of saying “no thanks.” A 2023 study published in Royal Society Open Science found that female Rana temporaria use thanatosis — playing dead — when clasped by males they want to avoid. In lab observations mimicking natural breeding frenzy, 33% of females stiffened, went limp, and floated motionless, often combined with body rotations or release calls to escape aggressive males. The behaviour helps females avoid injury or drowning in chaotic “mating balls” where males heavily outnumber them. Smaller and younger females were especially likely to deploy multiple anti-mating tactics. Researchers say this is an active female choice strategy, highlighting that even in frogs, females are not passive during mating.

Having a rescued large male Green Iguana is an adventure EVERYDAY!! https://share.icloud.com/photos/0b85b6auDRj6r2Aj9DtXVqvIg

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f6QO-mBwHSxi1G2yRpJjWnyA

share.icloud.com 1 Video

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=981273507991900&id=100083277802151&mibextid=wwXIfr

Sorry about the ugly mud tubes on your siding. I am not the wasp you are afraid of.

I know what you think when you see them. Wasp nest. Colony. Swarm. Stings. None of that is me.

I am a mud dauber — a solitary wasp. I have no colony, no workers, no queen to defend. There is one of me. I built these mud tubes alone, one trip at a time, carrying wet mud in my jaws.

Each finished tube is a nursery. Inside, I seal a spider I have caught and a single egg. When my larva hatches, the spider is its first meal. The spiders I hunt are often the ones you would rather not meet yourself.

I am about the least aggressive wasp in your yard. I have no nest of young to guard the way a yellowjacket does, so I almost never sting — it takes real effort to provoke me.

If the empty tubes bother you, knock them down in winter once they are vacant. I will not be there, and I will not defend them. Through the summer, just let me work. I am clearing your walls of spiders for free.

Happy Birthday to my hero Jacques-yves Cousteau! 🕊️🌈🎂🐋🐟🐠🐡👑🧿🎂🕯️

https://www.science.org/content/article/octopuses-may-have-nightmares?utm_campaign=SciMag&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=ownedSocial&fbclid=IwZnRzaASX88ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEevn7zaUnyUtodz5SL6JqlhkYmZye_hsNtngAZA4cqBP4629_aTenRzmjH850_aem_fM_Q1fwXrEXC75hO6ZdMXw

Octopuses may have nightmares Study of single cephalopod suggests the animals may have narrative dreams

Oldie and still relevant. 🐋 https://www.facebook.com//story.php?story_fbid=5716555528445171&id=100002723428747&mibextid=wwXIfr

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