One of my pals at school has been finding Praying mantises lately. This one was found on a nature trail not far from her house. She "tortured" it by making it pose on her gorgeous dahlias.
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This bold fellow was found in her house! They're not native here so someone in the area must have purchased an egg case earlier in the year.
Also along the nature trail, she, her two very nice children and adorable dog, Link (here he is as a puppy. He's much fluffier now and Christina won't send me any more pictures of him because she's afraid I'll steal him.) found a Banded Alder Borer.
Isn't it beautiful? Wikipedia says that the larvae of Rosalia funebris bore and eat wood but prefer dead trees to living ones so they aren't considered pests. The adults feed on flowers though. This was a new bug for me and I was excited to see the picture. This Banded Alder Borer, we'll call her BABs for short hissed at the humans so they left it alone.
Probably best not to pose this one on a dahlia aka lunch!
Thanks, Christina, for sharing your bug pictures and for all the wonderful things you do for kids! Have you seen any unusual bugs in your gardens lately? Found any around town and brought them home to pose on you posies?