The Next Wave

The katydids seem to be dying out now. Don't get me wrong, they're still around - their calls fill the day and night, but they are definitely reduced in numbers.

No problem - Mother Nature sends the next wave of insect invaders: grasshoppers!

It's almost biblical, one pestilence followed by another, but I don't think there is anything supernatural at play here. On the contrary, what's happening is completely natural and part of a large pattern.

Earlier in the year, we had very timely rain fall. This led to a great wildflower spring and all the plants benefited and thrived. With such a great amount of food available, the insect populations soared. Most noticeable were the katydids, the walking sticks, and now the grasshoppers.

This photo, shows a female standing on our house's exterior rock wall. You can see the ovipositor, or egg-laying organ, sticking out the back. She has tiny wings on top and of course the giant rear legs for leaping. The legs have tiny spikes on them and her body is quite colorful - green, yellow, white, brown, and red.

This one is unique in appearance, which is why I took its photo. There are many out there.

I wonder what the next wave of invaders will be?