Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Planthoppers



Citrus Flatid Planthopper - Metcalfa pruinosa are all over the place this time of year. You can see their wax all over wild plants everywhere. I'm not exactly sure what the wax does other than the nymphs (the young) stay covered in it next to the plant.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Southern Yellowjackets



There have been a lot of Southern Yellowjacket queens - Vespula squamosa, lately flying really close to the ground or crawling. The flight appears slow and methodical as if searching for something and they don't seem to pay attention to much else other than the task at hand. They are probably looking for nest sights.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Mosquitoes

Since we've been having all the rain (again this year) the mosquitoes are out in full force. All the standing water, creeks, and overflowing lake and ponds are perfect breeding grounds. Plus, the high humidity is a perfect environment for them to thrive in.
I've noticed though that when I'm in full sunlight they don't bother me. According to BugGuide it's because the full sun dries them out so they prefer to stay in the shade. Which also explains why they are so much worse at night.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Leafhoppers

I've noticed lately that there are a lot of Speckled Sharpshooters - Paraulacizes irrorata around lately. They are fairly large for a leafhopper but I don't remember seeing this many at one time before. Just kind of odd.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Rain

So far this year we have received around 32" of rain. This has caused a lot of flooding and has caused the lake levels to be so high that boat ramps are closed and marinas are not accessible. But, it has also caused the mosquito population to be out of control. I can barely go outside without being swarmed. One solution is to put mosquito deterrent on, preferably that contains Deet. This will keep them off for a while.