Ridge Redux: Bugs
Our excursion to Lake Wales Ridge State Forest had been typical of past visits. We encountered old friends and were treated to surprises which nature has a way of placing in your path. The quiet of sunrise in the pine forest, the raucous wake-up calls of both Blue and Florida Scrub Jays, abundant floral arrangements just for our eyes, white-tailed deer skulking just inside the tree line, tracks of a Bobcat in the damp clay road – a very special time.
With so much life all around us, it’s all too easy to overlook many of the smaller or less-conspicuous residents. As we admired a big flowering plant, three smaller flowering bushes were between us and the more colorful plant and I only saw them as I stepped closer to the larger subject. I was so focused on getting a photograph of a Brown-headed Nuthatch, I was not aware of a Downy Woodpecker almost at my shoulder until I moved and it flew away. Insects can be like that. Unless they’re biting us or flying around our heads, we are almost unaware of their presence.
The bugs of the ridge are as diverse as the other flora and fauna of this incredibly unique geological remnant. One type of bee was recently sighted here which hasn’t been seen in Florida since 2016. So many different species of flowering plants attracts just as many pollinators. Other specific habitat creates homes for insects not normally seen in other areas of the state.
Many times during the morning, I felt like some cartoon character with a camera as I stalked a bird only to become distracted by a pretty flower only to be distracted by a beautiful butterfly only to be distracted by a fox squirrel only to be – see what I mean? It just wasn’t fair. We loved it.
A sampler of Bugs of The Ridge.
We have only seen a Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata) twice before today. This male obligingly (and surprisingly) held still for his portrait. (The plant he is on is Hairy Indigo (Indigofera hirsuta)).
One of the smallest dragonflies in North America, the Little Blue Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax minuscula) is fairly common to encounter but trying to photograph them near the forest floor where they live is another story. The male is blue and the female is yellow.
It’s not often we see a female Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata). That’s probably due to being distracted by the male with its broad wing bands. I’ll try to pay more attention. This can be a locally common species if the habitat is suitable.
As kids, we would use a stick wrapped with a bit of spider web to stir around funnel-shaped pits in the sand. With luck, we would pull out a “doodlebug” attached to the end of our stick. What we had was the larva of an Antlion (Family Myrmeleontidae). Until recently, I had never noticed the adult form. It resembles a damselfly somewhat. It eats mosquitoes, so I really like it. A lot.
Small flying jewels. Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) females such as this one have more complex wing patterns than males.
Nature succeeds in combining colors we might not think about. Such as gold and lavender. A Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan) on Florida Paintbrush (Carphephorus corymbosus).
Similar to its cousin, the Monarch, a Queen (Danaus gilippus) butterfly adds a lovely shade of orange to the landscape. It looks particularly lovely on a Feay’s Palafox (Palafoxia feayi).
A tiny Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) butterfly took one look my way and disappeared. Sigh.
This Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) is not quite as small as the above Blue, but it figured if I was that scary, it better fly off, also. Which it did.
Our day within the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest was tranquil, exciting, wondrous and extremely satisfying. The combined effect of all the birds, blooms and bugs was to underscore the incredible diversity of nature and to instill within us an internal urge to return. Again and Again. You have been warned.
Enjoy your search for a natural place and come back for a visit!
Our Natural Places 
I’ll admit that I was so fascinated by the beauty and detail of your photos that I skipped the text a few times and had to go back. Although not the most attractive, the Antlion was one I had never seen (or imagined) despite all my youthful play, dropping ants into their sand-pits. Thanks so much for brightening my (dismal cloudy cold foggy wet) day here in Connecticut.
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Don’t feel bad, Ken. It took me a long time, also (seven decades), to see a grown-up Doodlebug!
Happy to send some Sunshine State weather your way any time.
Thank you for taking the time to visit. Hope you’re doing well today.
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Lots of pretty bugs! 🙂
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Their beauty was enhanced by the fact they did not bite.
Thank you, Donna.
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Dear Wally,
I cant get enough of your dragon flies and bugs. Do you know seeing a dragon fly also signifies transformation and change for the better. 🙂
A few months ago I photographed a whole bunch of Cenarus Blues making merry on a short, stout palm, in our condo. Was such a delight to behold and an unforgettable experience to say the least.
The other day we had a visitor – a Red Pierrot, in all possibility laying its eggs. But it seems tad far fetched as December is mostly upon us. Last year an entire family was raised on our terrace. That was early November though.
What an exciting season this. It’s been raining here, since last evening. Finally the November rains have arrived and should help clear the smog. Amen!
I miss the sunshine, but not complaining when I can be cosy and snug with a piping hot mug of coffee in hand. Or, a nice herbal tea.
Wishing you and Ginni wondrous days ahead.
Love and laughter.
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Thank you very much for such kind remarks, Natasha.
That collection of Blues must have been quite special. Happy to hear the rain is clearing the air.
Speaking of coffee, my cup awaits.
We hope your new week is going well with just the right mix of peace and excitement.
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How could I possibly not find this post to be utterly marvellous, Wally, when dragons and butterflies are the stars of the show. That female Band-winged Dragonlet is an absolute beauty, with those subtle wing markings and gorgeously marked abdomen.
Was amused at the ingenuity of that method of extracting the ‘doodlebugs’.
We’ve just had a couple of days with sub-zero temperatures, but today it’s turned cold and wet, giving me time to catch up on photo processing, so not much chance of finding any bugs here!
My very best wishes to you and Gini – – – Richard
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It was a good day. I keep telling myself one day I shall go and only concentrate on insect life. Then, when I arrive, there are so many interesting birds and flowers and beasties.
“Cold and wet” is my least favorite sort of day. We’ll continue to send aperiodic doses of sunshine for you and Lindsay to help keep you warm.
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4c, chucking it down with rain, wintery showers forecast.
Lovely to see these creatures, not going to happen here for a long, long time.
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We’ll keep sending you a dose of sun and odes and butterflies as long as possible Brian.
Dirty job but someone has to do it.
Cheers.
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One look at your Citrine Forktail and I was taken straight back to 1950s Iowa. It was a time of somewhat odd decorating fashions, including odd colors. My mother decreed that our bathroom should be a combination of maroon and a kind of yellow-green that would have provided perfect camouflage for your damselfly.
The Ceraunus Blue photo is a marvel. I found one at the Attwater Preserve last month, but by the time I figured out what I was looking at and tried to get a photo, a combination of wrong settings and hasty shooting left me with only one photo for my files — the rest never will see the light of day.
I finally figured out what the Feay’s Palafox reminds me of. Remember paper beads? Apparently they’re still in vogue, and done a certain way, their shape sort-of resembles the flower.
What a satisfying day — complete with another purple and gold combination to add to my ‘collection.’
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“Avocado Green” was a popular marketing term and our early ’60’s kitchen could have hidden hundreds of those damselflies. Wallpaper, fridge, mixer – perfect camouflage.
I see what you mean about the paper beads. Gini is off to the on-line crafting stores ……
The little blues are tough to get a good angle on and they are especially shy about showing their namesake upper wings. We still chase them and love them.
Purple and gold. Great football team colors. Nature makes the combination special.
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LSU — purple and gold!
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Love your close ups. And delight in the natural world – the one that you see and the one that I see. Mother nature is solace and heart balm.
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We are on the same natural page, EC!
Hope your new week will see a few cool days for you.
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Quite a collection of dragonflies and butterflies. I should have sent you one we found out west for identification. 😉 Nice close-ups Wally.
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Thank you Brad. We love finding all this stuff and trying to get decent images. We’ll keep doing it as long as it stays fun.
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You didn’t hesitate to get hastate on hirsute, nor did you hallucinate those other fine closeups to which you habituate us. Happy adult antlion (which I’ve never found).
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Heavens!
We’ll keep trying to locate more things we (nor you) have never found.
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Warned?! I feel like a puppy dog waiting eagerly at the door, tongue lolling. Walkies? Please? I wonder if the Gray Hairstreak with its wrinkled wings is newly emerged from its chrysalis, or whether it just has ruffles. I wonder how many millions of years it took for the Queen butterfly to evolve the image of a black-eyed red snake’s head on its wings, to frighten away predators. I wonder if Hairy Indigo makes blue dye. I discover so many things to investigate on your walks!
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Welcome to our Wonderland! Where we all find things to wonder about as we wander about.
Happy new week.
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I love the Queen butterfly. Also because it is new to me. Very cute. I will be reading your next posts with interest, as always. Have a nice week ahead!
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Thank you. It’s a beautiful butterfly.
Our week will be great.
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