Monday, September 15, 2008

The I20 Amateur Count (Part II, Debi's Bugs)

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As I was going through pictures to prepare the next group of living things to post, I discovered I had missed three four bugs! That last one looks darn mad about being overlooked.

So that brings my personal bug tally to 13 14.

Nelda commented that I miscounted before, but there were two pictures of the same butterfly. It's amazing how butterflies can be marked so different with their wings open and their wings closed. Also I don't mind her calling that moth a Hummingbird Moth at all -- other people do too. That's why the scientists came up with unique Latin names for everything. But Hyles lineata doesn't roll off the tongue quite as easy as either Sphinx or Hummingbird moth, does it?

Irene commented that she could imagine the lengths to which I must have went to photograph such tiny creatures. It's true. I did contort myself and my camera in unlady-like ways. I only wish I hadn't been wearing white that day, else I would have really got down on their level. And I definitely like Irene's idea of seeing how many critters are in a field in her part of the world. We bloggers should start a World Amateur Count Day.

Mom, I'm so glad your electricty and Internet are back. And that site you sent, The Bug Guide, is awesome. You always find the best resources.

Frances suggested that I could include names as well if I can. I will mention to Mr. Williams at the Sibley Nature Center the posts I'm doing here and see if he can identify any. But upon reading this statement, "There are 1,017,018 species of insects in the world with some experts estimating that there just might be as many as 10 million species out there" I feel a little -- just a little -- overwhelmed.

Bev noted how the bugs have such clever ways of working within their environment. Which makes you wonder about some, like the bigger red one above. He was conspicuous as he could be. But fast! And oddly very aware of me. I thought I had garnered only a dozen blurry pictures of him for all my hard work. I was pleased when I looked closer at a picture I took of something else, after giving up on him, and there he was.

I haven't made it back to commenting on your blogs quite yet, but I did drop by today and see what everyone is up to. I love it that this group is still here, still blogging, still sharing, and kindly still visiting me.

4 comments:

Irene said...

Now Debi, the Exfactor took the digital camera, so you'll have to wait until I have one of my own before I can tiptoe through a field to shoot my own wildlife.

Bev said...

I may do it as I have just bought a brand new casio camera which is a little improvement on my old one.

We have bugs closer to home, though, as my daughter and her friend have taken to keeping pet caterpillars out of the garden and keeping them in jam jars by her bed. Though I think it is now a tiny baby snail, and there is a flurry of activity in the morning when the jar is cleaned out and the leaf bedding is changed. Eleanor took her snail outside for exercise on an ice cream carton lid and my husband said 'We're off out now' and she said 'What about the snail?'and he said 'No danger of that snail moving very far while we're out'LOL

That last bug does look a little peeved to be missed out LOL Some of these bugs actually look quite scary, as befits the predators they are.

Great evocative names. That moth manages to look like a hummingbird and a sphinx at the same time.

Bobbie said...

More cool bugs! I meant to mention last time that I love finding bugs that match their environment, like the pink fuzzy one on the pink flower. I've seen a very few. Now you make me want to get down on my creaky knees and take some pictures of bugs.

nelda said...

Oh well, I was just counting pictures - failed to notice the butterfly was the same. It's color is darker in one, but I should have noticed the plant was the same. Here I was thinking I had caught you in another "carat top"! LOL