Backyard Hikin'

"Issues" have kept me from hiking during the early morning hours the past 2 days, but I found somewhat noteworthy things in the backyard.

Teeny assassin bug nymphs (probably of the wheelbug) were all over the asiatic leaves and fence at the retaining wall. As far as I could tell there were two ages of them--the one in front was a bit larger than the others in this group

These 3 were playing "Follow the Leader" along a fence brace. There were other small groupings as well as singletons who somehow got separated in various areas. I was watching a couple in the leaves when I noticed a couple of rogue ants running around on the prowl. Sure enough, one ant made it over and around several leaves, like a child hopping on boulders, and ran smack into one of the nymphs. They each jumped in shock then turned and scurried in opposite directions... until the ant realized what he missed. The ant turned back around and began feverishly searching for the nymph, but the nymph had high-tailed it over far and wide to temporary safety. I went out several times later in the day, and the next, never seeing another nymph.

The asiatic day flowers finally started blooming this weekend. This one isn't crying or peeing, the drop of water just happened to be there

And the leaf beetles are back, both oulema and neolema. But what I really like is the ancient cave drawing of an animal over there on the other leaf!