Hot Sheets Habitat

A mating pair of NOID Dolichopodidae, long-legged flies, in my backyard, September 2018

My garden is registered as both a National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat and Xerces Society Pollinator Habitat. The insects have certainly gotten the message. During 2021, I’ve been able to document 14 different species of insects mating in my garden.
  1. Acanthoscelidius acephalus, minute seed weevil
  2. Epitrix fuscula
  3. Harmonia axyridis, multi-colored lady beetle (introduced)
  4. Eumerus
  5. Orthonevra nitida, wavy mucksucker
  6. Syritta pipiens, compost fly (introduced)
  7. Toxomerus geminatus, Eastern calligrapher fly
  8. Toxomerus marginatus, margined calligrapher fly
  9. Xenox tigrinus, tiger bee fly
  10. Jalysus, stilt bug
  11. Lygaeus kalmii ssp. angustomarginatus, Eastern small milkweed bug
  12. Hylaeus modestus, modest masked bee
  13. Xylocopa virginica, large Eastern carpenter bee
  14. Danaus plexxipus, monarch butterfly

Coleoptera, beetles

Acanthoscelidius acephalus, minute seed weevil

Mating pair of *Acanthoscelidius acephala* in *Oenothera biennis* in my front yard, July 2021

Epitrix fuscula

Mating pair of leaf beetle on Solanum along my driveway, August 2021

Harmonia axyridis, multi-colored lady beetle

Mating pair of *Harmonia axyridis*, multi-colored lady beetle, on *Asclepias syriaca* in my garden, June 2021

Diptera, flies

Eumerus

Mating pair of *Eumerus*, hoverflies, in my front yard, October 2021

Orthonevra nitida, wavy mucksucker

Mating pair of *Orthonvera nitida*, wavy mudsucker syrphid flies, on *Ageratina altissima* in my front yard, November 2021

Syritta pipiens

Mating pair of Syritta pipiens on Pycnanthemum muticum along my driveway, July 2021

Toxomerus geminatus, Eastern calligrapher fly

Mating pair of *Toxomerus geminatus*, Eastern calligrapher syrphid fly, in my front yard, October 2021

Toxomerus marginatus, margined calligrapher fly

Mating pair of Toxomerus marginatus on Erigeron annuus in my front yard, July 2021

Xenox tigrinus, tiger bee fly

Mating pair of *Xenox tigrinus*, tiger bee fly, outside my porch screen, August 2021

Hemiptera, bugs

Jaylsus, stilt bug

Mating pair of Jalysus on Solanum along my driveway, August 2021

Lygaeus kalmii ssp. angustomarginatus, Eastern small milkweed bug

Mating pair of *Lygaeus kalmii* ssp. *angustomarginatus*, Eastern small milkweed bug, on *Ascelpias syriaca* in my garden, June 2021

Hymenoptera, Epifamily Anthophila, bees

Hylaeus modestus, modest masked bee

Mating pair of *Hylaeus modestus* on *Boltonia asteroides* in my front yard, August 2021

Xylocopa virginica, large Eastern carpenter bee

Mating pair of *Xylocopa vorginica* on *Clethra alnifolia* in my backyard, August 2021

Lepidoptera, butterflies

Danaus plexippus, monarch butterfly

My garden is also registered as a butterfly and monarch habitat, and monarch waystation. It proved its worth this year. I observed multiple couplings, in addition to the usual egg-laying. Pair of monarchs mating in my garden, August 2021

Related Content

Flickr photo album

iNaturalist: Insects mating in my garden during 2021

Links

Annie, 2009-2021

Annie on Daddy's chair

Our dear cat Annie passed away less than an hour ago.

We adopted her from Sean Casey Animal Rescue at the age of 5 or 6 months in September 2009. We brought her into our home to be a companion for our elder rescuer cat Ripley. She was a good little sister to him for several years before he died in 2015.

She had a recent health scare last month for which we took her to veterinary emergency care. She was there for a few days and was stable before we brought her home.

She started having the same symptoms earlier today, but she deterioriated quickly today. John and I discussed it and decided that, if it was her time, she would be better off with us than putting her through that stress again.

It was the right decision.At least one of us was with her all evening so she would not be alone. When she died, both John and I were by her side. She took her last breath while I was petting her.


2021-11-15

This morning I brought her body to the vet for pet cremation. She was always so skinny. But today she was heavy.

She liked to get in bed with me when I went to bed, yelling at me if I stayed up too late. I missed her the past two nights.

Annie under the covers

These nights are the hardest. It’s when I feel her absence the most. She’s not coming to me to tell me to go to bed. She won’t stalk me until I get under the covers, then join me, laying her body against mine, finding her niche beween me and the pillows.

Annie laying on my arm in bed, June 2021

Related Content

All my photos of Annie (Flickr photo album)

Blessing of the Animals, Chelsea Community Church (Annie’s “Coming Out” party after we adopted her), 2009-10-11

Meet Mr. Ripley, 2008-04-14
Ripley, 2000-2015, 2015-05-21

Links

Sean Casey Animal Rescue