Now just another link in the food chain. The black #swallowtail #caterpillar, #Papilio #polyxenes, feeding for >1 wk on my golden alexanders, #Zizia aurea, met its demise in the clutches of a crab #spider this evening. Caterpillars are “kibble” for many #predators.

They’re back! An assistant caught the 1st western #corn #rootworm of the season today on a Univ. of Illinois’ farm in Urbana, IL. Also saw 1st Japanese beetle. We were exploring an efficacy trial planted on a 2024 trap crop to enhance rootworm pressure. An early start? #WCR #UI

#Lucky Shot! I've chased #fireflies in my yard for days. W/ the camera held in front, I ran behind an airborne #firefly, & clicked the shutter whenit seemed they were in focus. After many failures (kudos to zero depth perception), I got one that is close to being in good focus!

I had the good fortune to stumble upon a wheel #bug nymph that was stalking an #earwig, with predictable results! #Predation #Reduviidae #Dermaptera

Western #corn #rootworm adults & pupa from #Illinois #CropSciences #Entomology research plots. #Beetles have been out for ca. 2 weeks. #WCR larval pressure looks very good at present. Great conditions to evaluate products. #Diabrotica #virgifera #Chrysomelidae #Coleoptera

When you walk through a dark #Illinois woods at night, expect to find killers, the dead, and/or the infected! #Insect #Spider #Fly #Fungus #macrophotography

Three’s a crowd. Old fields surround #Illinois woods have been alive w/ the amorous blinking of #fireflies for weeks! I’m giving firefly #3 an “A” for enthusiasm, but there is inevitable disappointment in his future! #Lampyridae #macrophotography

Join us for a weekly series of conversations with Dr. Joseph L. Spencer Joseph Lee Spencer, Principal Insect Behaviorist with the Illinois Natural History Survey and part of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois. Each episode delves into corn rootworm and the

These boy #bees are catching ZZZs! #Melissodes bimaculata is in the same family as the honeybee, #Apidae. The males roost together overnight on vegetation, while females stay in their individual nest holes in the ground.

#Spider #mating or a midnight snack? There's both a male & a female orbweaver (perhaps #Neoscona crucifera) in there. I think it's more #marriage than mealtime mayhem as they were suspended from a single silken strand.

As our conversation comes to a close, Dr. Joseph Spencer reflects on the future of managing corn rootworm pressure. Now it’s your turn to reflect on the best approach for your fields. Take our quiz to see which Bayer trait fits your needs next season. bit.ly/48haswH A

“Who’s in charge now?” If asked, I’d affirm the wheel #bug, #Arilus cristatus, as the top predator in my yard. A recent encounter w/ one of many cross #orbweavers, #Neoscona crucifera, in my yard reminded me that the tables can, and do, turn. #Arachtober #spider #arachnid

“Girl with kaleidoscope eyes” #Coelioxys sp. #Cuckoo #leafcutter #bees parasitize the nests of leafcutter bees by invading & laying their eggs inside that will kill the leafcutter larvae & then eat their store of nectar & pollen. This female was chilling on an aster in my garden.