Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: true bug

WOW, CHECK OUT THAT FANCY BULBOUS BUTT!! :D In fact, this Milkweed Bug nymph looks like a crawling orange Christmas tree light with decorative red racing stripes! :D If you look closely, you will noticed a bit of BUTT STUBBLE! :D :D I know, I have WAY TOO MUCH FUN with critters, but gee, this one is soooooooooooooo adorable!!

Would you just LOOK at how CUTE this little guy is?!!! Can you say ADORABLE?!!! AWWWWWW, such a sweetie pie! :) This darling baby, which is only the size of a grain of rice, comes festively dressed in orange with red stripes! And, if you look closely, you can see his internal organs because the sun is shining right through his tiny little body! :D Did you know that most insects go through dramatic changes as they grow from egg to adult?! In fact, this is one of the reasons its so difficult to identify many insects! (For example, would you have ever guessed that this little guy wasn't an adult already? And would you ever imagine it would change into a bug so completely different in shape, size and pattern?!) Also, many insects have several names because they were assumed to be adults at the stage they were named! If you would like to see a very nice picture showing the life cycle of a Milkweed Bug, here is a link: Aggie Shuttle: Milkweed Bug Life Cycle

3 more pictures in notes above! :) I just love today's quote! It's so me! :D Honestly, I have been fascinated by nature all my life, and though my interest in tiny creatures waned a bit as an adult, the very moment I picked up a camera that interest came hurtling back and I am delighted when I discover a critter I haven't photographed yet! Yesterday I shared some pictures of Milkweed seeds, but what you don't know is that I went back an hour or so after taking pictures and gathered up all the seeds that I could find. I would like to plant these seeds in my little garden to have these flowers right under my nose next summer. :) When I brought the seeds inside, I sat and separated the seeds from the fluff, and suddenly I noticed a pretty bug crawling across the table! It just happened to be the very species I've been trying to get pictures of but keep failing at, so I gently coaxed him into a plastic bag with plans to take pictures today! Then, when I sat down again to finish my little seed project, I saw an extremely tiny insect crawling on a seed pod. When I say tiny, I mean "grain-of-rice-tiny"! Noticing how adorable it was, I popped the little guy into the bag too. Today I was just about to go out to get my pictures for the day when I remembered my little buddies in the bag! I went out and got a grass stem for a stage and went outside with my camera and the bugs and the stem, and together we all had a great time! I finally got good pictures of this bug and I couldn't be happier! :D After I was done, I brought my models back to the Milkweed bushes and put them onto some leaves where they both crawled away! Edward Osborne "E. O." Wilson (born June 10, 1929) is an American biologist, researcher (sociobiology, biodiversity), theorist (consilience, biophilia), naturalist (conservationist) and author. His biological specialty is myrmecology, the study of ants, on which he is considered to be the world's leading authority. Wilson is known for his scientific career, his role as "the father of sociobiology", his environmental advocacy, and his secular-humanist and deist ideas pertaining to religious and ethical matters. Wikipedia: E. O. Wilson Explored on August 15, 2013. Highest placement, page 2 (#28).

3 more pictures in notes above! I always thought a "bug" was a generic term for an insect, and this is true. However, did you know that there is a type of insect called a "true bug"? In fact, this beautiful insect is a true bug! So, what is the difference between a "bug" and any other kind of insect? Well, Wiki has a really great page explaining this so let me share this with you: Wikipedia: True Bug The true bugs are an order (a group) of insects. Scientists call true bugs the Hemiptera. There are around 80,000 species (different kinds) of true bugs. The word bug by itself can have other meanings. There are many different kinds of true bugs, some of which are aphids, cicadas, planthoppers, shield bugs, and others. All of these are true bugs. Their size is from 1 mm to over 10 cm. All true bugs have similar mouthparts, which is what characterizes the true bugs (the kind of mouth they have makes a true bug a true bug). Features of true bugs The feature that defines the Hemiptera is that they have piercing, sucking mouthparts. They pierce food with their long, tube-like mouth, called a proboscis or a beak. They can not chew. The true bug pumps saliva through this mouth, to partly digest their food. The bug then sucks up the food, which has been turned into a liquid by their saliva. The name "Hemiptera" is from the Greek language and means hemi (half) and pteron (wing). Many true bugs have half of their front wings hardened and have the other half soft. These wings are called hemelytra (singular hemelytron), because they halfway look like the hard wings (elytra) of beetles. The hind wings are totally soft and are shorter than the front wings. The antennae of true bugs usually have five segments. The tarsi (foot parts) of the legs have three or less segments.

When Steve and I went to the emu ranch back in May, I found out instantly that the entire property was covered with wonderful things for me to photograph. I found this Boxelder Bug crawling on a shrub about 5 minutes after I got out of the car! :D Boxelder Bugs are native to North America and got their name from the tree sap they most like to eat, that of the Box Elder tree. However, they also love Maple trees and also Oak trees, which is the predominent tree that we have growing on our property. These bugs are common house pests, and find their way through any cracks in windows and doors, and then congregate on the walls and ceilings during the colder winter months. When disturbed, they release a "pine"-like odor, and also smell that way when squished! (We call them Pine Sap Bugs!) If you would like to know more about these bugs, Wiki has a nice page here: Wiki: Boxelder Bug

Yesterday I showed a picture of a Boxelder Bug larva crawling on the wall in our bathroom. Today I'd like to share a picture of a juvenile that I found crawling on my arm one day. It was so docile that I decided to coax it onto my finger for a picture! Isn't it cute?! :D

Look at this tiny cutie pie!! I've seen these itty-bitty guys on the wall in our bathroom every once in a while, but this is the first time I've actually gotten reasonable pictures. No longer than 1/8" long, this Box Elder Bug larva looks like a dark speck on the wall! As I took pictures, I noticed that he crept very slowly up the wall, at a speed I could barely detect! Amazing!

Steve and I took a break half way through our ride and I wandered around looking for interesting things to take pictures of. I found a beautiful pine tree and when I took a closer look, I discovered that one side was teeming with thousands of emerging adult Box Elder bugs! They were gathered in a sort of river from the base of the trunk and up the tree as far as I could see! It was a truly incredible sight! Here's the picture I liked the most! :) Boxelder Bugs are native to North America and got their name from the tree sap they most like to eat, that of the Box Elder tree. However, they also love Maple trees and also Oak trees, which is the predominent tree that we have growing on our property. These bugs are common house pests, and find their way through any cracks in windows and doors, and then congregate on the walls and ceilings during the colder winter months. When disturbed, they release a "pine"-like odor, and also smell that way when squished! (We call them Pine Sap Bugs!) If you would like to know more about these bugs, Wiki has a nice page here: Wiki: Boxelder Bug