I love the poem Summer by Walter Dean Myers.
The line “Bugs buzzing from cousin to cousin” puts a smile on my overheated face. Hot summer days and nights are perfect for studying all kinds of insects.
Since I take steps to make myself inedible to insects (see my article How to Enjoy a Tick-Free Nature Experience) it is much easier to observe and meet those who crawl or fly in my path.
Here’s a list of insects you’re likely to see in northeastern North America and some interesting facts about each one as spring turns into summer:
Anti-Lion: The larval stage of the lacewing fly, this million-year-old insect is distinguished by digging conical pits in sandy soil. When an ant crosses the edge of this hole, the ground sinks like a funnel, sending the ant into the waiting antlion.
Ant: This insect uses a chemical scent (pheromone) to mark the path from a food source to its nest. The ants’ nestmates will follow this trail to the food source. This is why ants travel in single file.
bees: Bees also use pheromones to alert hive members to a food source. Bees have an internal “clock” tuned to the 24-hour solar day, so they can maximize nectar collection while flowers are blooming. Bee hives are usually found in the rotting core of a living deciduous tree, such as an oak or maple.
butterflies: These winged beauties are active during the day, usually keeping their wings folded when resting, and have long, slender antennae with knobby ends. Beyond that, each species is different. The deep purple mourning cloak winters in northeastern North America. The nonvenomous viceroy butterfly looks so much like the poisonous monarch butterfly that it fools predators.
Daddy long legs: This harmless insect has a one-piece body; a spider’s body has two segments. I love the delicate feel of a Daddy Longlegs walking up my arm. The longest legs are the sense organs of this insect. If I touch my hand to launch Daddy Longlegs into the air, his body becomes a parachute, guiding this skydiver to the ground. This is one of my favorite summer memories.
Earthworms: These worms plow the soil, leaving behind humus rich in nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. A good place to see earthworms is any soil rich in moisture, such as an open forest, a grassy lawn, a garden, especially after rain. See how they move their muscular and segmented bodies. If you see a robin pull a worm out of the ground, you will see that the worm sometimes hangs on until it breaks. The bristles with which it is attached are called mushrooms. Scientists say that if the worm breaks, new segments will grow.
Fireflies: The higher the temperature, the shorter the period between the flashes this insect makes. When attracting fireflies, note that each different species of firefly has a different pattern of flashing light.
Hornets/Wasps: There are more of these flying stinging insects in late summer, once workers are no longer needed to forage for food to feed the larvae. Unlike yellow jackets, which build their nests underground, hornets and wasps build hanging nests that look like paper.
mosquitoes: Entomologists say that mosquito larvae live harmlessly in water, adult mosquitoes feast on nectar from flowers, and when the egg-laying female mosquito bites, it’s usually species-specific. Most mosquitoes prefer the blood of other species to that of humans, but thanks to habitat destruction, we are often all on the menu.
moths: These winged insects are typically nocturnal, resting with their wings outstretched, and have short, feathery antennae. They are generally subdued in color and flock to a light source, making them another fun species to study at night. Bats eat moths, so the moths have evolved ways to “hear” bat sonar and avoid capture, either by flying gracefully or by folding their wings and dropping to the ground.
Spiders: This is another group with a variety of different members. Wolf spiders do not spin webs at all, but instead roam in search of prey. Some spiders spin different web patterns, others spin different shapes. Orb spiders typically live outdoors, while brown recluse spiders can live indoors or outdoors. In addition to making web art, it is fascinating to watch a spider spin a web. Could you weave as efficiently with yarn?
Water striders: These insects use their short front legs to grab onto prey, their middle legs as oars, and their hind legs as rudders. They can balance themselves on the surface of the water without making ripples. Other insects, including moths, that touch the surface of the water, form ripples. Those waves tell the water strider where its food is. Water striders move by pushing backwards with their central legs, which creates small ripples, but does not break the surface tension of the water.