For The Love of Summer Bugs
Week of August 1 – August 8, 2021
by Anna Stunkel, Nauralist
Have you ever taken a closer look at the world from a bugs’-eye-view? Summer is a great time to pause and marvel at the world of insects and spiders crawling on meadow plants and scuttling along the forest floor. As camp is in full swing, we have enjoyed bringing butterfly nets out into the field to see what we can find. Butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, katydids, spiders, and more have been among our discoveries!
Recently, I went for an adventure into the fens of Baltimore Woods. Fens are a very unique type of habitat, fed by groundwater and rich in minerals. Because of the plant diversity, there are many creepy crawlies hiding among the leaves. It seemed like there was a different species of insect or spider on every plant! Among other things, I was delighted to find my first Monarch caterpillar sighting of the season, a very large click beetle, a curious jumping spider, and a katydid with particularly long antennae.
Try searching for bugs in your own backyard, a local park, or here at Baltimore Woods. You never know what you might find, and the mystery is all part of the fun! To share your own creepy crawly observations, you can email your photos or stories to [email protected]
