Nature Done Wright

Incorporating the Celery Farm and Screech Owl Companion blogs

April 17, 2016

Two Cool Insects from Yesterday’s High Mountain Hike

Mary Kostus writes:

This beetle flew onto Sue Dougherty's pants.

It was identified on the Facebook insect I.D. group of the world as in the family Lycid, most probably a Golden Net Winged beetle. Dictyoptera aurora.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/2815/bgimage

Apparently they lived in mixed coniferous forests feeding on fungi and the nectar of flowers and also contain a chemical compound that makes them distasteful to birds to eat.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2512966/

Tom Mitchell and Sharon Ayling, meanwhile photographed the butterfly below on the walk.

I am thinking it's an American Lady (not a Painted Lady), because of certain spots. http://bugguide.net/node/view/236368.

Other High Mountain posts here.

(Thanks, Mary, Tom and Sharon!)