Year End Placeholder

Yep I'm still getting to that bug survey, aka the "Annual 10-Days-Directly-Preceding-Year's-End Bug Count". I have had a crazy month but wouldn't skip the count for the world; the data are collected just need to find time to prepare the pictures and post.

Meanwhile, for your viewing pleasure, consider this katydid (Scudderia furcata) perched on a green milkweed pod. An observation from the count was the abundance of insect (species and numbers) on the milkweed, a plant which produces toxins to protect itself from being used as a resource. I did not actually see this katydid eating the milkweed, though I did see katydid-like chew marks on some pods.