Photos: Spiders, Insects, Lilies, Roses, Cats... and an Airplane

Stella d'Oro lily

The person who gave me the first small pot of these lilies told me they were Stargazer lilies -- and in fact there was a plastic plant label in it saying just that. But... I've always thought they look more like Asiatic Lilies. What do you think? In the years since they were given to me, I've divided and transplanted them many times, and now I have dozens of them.  

Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetraophthalmus)

The Cerambycidae, or longhorned beetles, get their common name from their antennae. Characteristic of this family is the antennae are inserted in close proximity to the eyes, so that most have an indentation of the eye. Tetraopes carries this to the extreme, so that the antennae base actually splits each eye in two, hence its Latin name: Tetraopes tetraophthalmus = four-eyed four-eye.

Tetraopes is one of the few insects that can safely feed on milkweed (Asclepias spp) Others include the Monarch butterfly caterpillar and the milkweed leaf beetle, Labidomera clivicollis. Plant chemical defenses can be eaten by herbivores, stored, and used in defense against predators. 

Milkweed blossoms just starting to open. Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on just one type of plant, and that's milkweed. For the Monarchs, I let a stand of milkweed grow in a couple of my flower gardens each year.

Clover

Tiger

Old-Fashioned roses

Wolf spider

Stella d'Oro lily

Northern Yellow Sac spider, Cheiracanthium mildei, on Old-Fashioned roses

Milkweed blossoms just starting to open. Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on just one type of plant, and that's milkweed. For the Monarchs, I let a stand of milkweed grow in a couple of my flower gardens each year.

Clover

Tiger lily

Teensy following me around the yard

Daylily

Teensy -- "It's too bright out here!"

Teensy, you're in my chair, and on my sweater!