• Friday-What'sUP May 15 - 08:00 am

Taking a walk in the woods here UP North is a great way to unwind and de-stress after a hectic week at work. There are so many things that nature has to offer as "gems" to enjoy, like the trio of photos here, from Melanie Hakala Rossi. All I can tell you about the first photo, is that it's a butterfly, but I have no idea what kind. Can anyone tell us more about this beauty? I don't know much more about the insect in the second photo, except to say that it looks like a ladybug. I'm just a "wealth of information" today, right? :->

I can tell you what the bottom photo is though... that's a morel mushroom, one of the most sought after delicacies in the mushroom world, here in the Keweenaw at least. When a "hunter" finds one of these scrumptious treats, they rarely tell where. I've even heard of folks that clean them (for cooking) over a paper towel and then bury that towel and possible seed spores in the ground, hoping that it might produce more of them at another time. That's dedication to the art of morel picking or maybe I should say, eating!

"Question Mark" or a "Satyr Comma" More likely a "Question Mark" By the
"?" shape in the wings and how the range map shows in my book!

Isn't this the new "Asian Ladybug" one of our latest invasive visitors in the middle pic?

Beautiful pictures Mel! (Tell Emily hi for me!)

I'm betting that top one is a moth and not a butterfly. I've never had morel mushrooms; I'll have to try them.

One thing I do know, the second shot is not a tick :) Thanks to Mary's photos the other day.

The bugs are back. I don't like bugs, but they do beat winter, lol!

Speaking of ticks, there was one crawling up my leg last night and I was never outside because it was cold. That means the animals are carrying them in. Yayyy!!! I hate ticks!

Do lady bugs bite when they land on you? When we lived downstate we had lady bugs that felt like they bit you when they landed on you.

All of today's pics are wonderful....I LOVE ladybugs, always have. Enjoy the day.

I think the butterfly is a gray comma, found in most of the UP. Here is an excellent website for identifying butterflies.

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1762&chosen_state=26*Michigan

Good Morning and yes lady bugs do bite.

I really do not remember ladybugs biting. I use to let them crawl on my arm as I watched them. Somebody once told me that is a different kind of ladybug that bites. Thank You for letting me know. ;O)

The "Asian beetle" that has infested us does bite, and they are more aggressive than the "old" lady bug we grew up with. They can swarm and be a major nuisance.

Good pics. The butterfly reminds me that another season of Mackinac Island's Butterfly House will be starting before too long.
http://www.originalbutterflyhouse.com/

I think that I would rather be getting bite by bugs then being as cold as I am up here.

Maija, I think the 'Asian' beetle is what we have in southern Ohio 'cause they do bite....somebody told us that these bugs were 'imported' to kill other bugs that destroy tobacco leaves.
Thomas, they also have a butterfly 'garden' or 'house' at Mackinaw City, don't they? Beautiful creatures!

Do ladybugs really bite? I've never been bitten by one, but I have been bitten by those orange beetles. When the old siding came off of our house when we were redoing it, the outside of the walls were just infested with those things. It was awful. They come in through the smallest openings and are just a nuisance. And they bite!! But ladybugs?? I just have never been bitten by them.

Shirley: Some years ago, I did visit a butterfly "house" in Mackinaw City, but after doing some checking, I can't find a listing for it, as I seem to recall hearing that a 2nd butterfly place on Mackinac Island (which I visited 1 year) is the 1 originally in Mackinaw City. BTW, here's the website for that 1:
http://www.wingsofmackinac.com/

I'm a 'day late and a dollar short', Thomas, but thank you for the info about the butterfly 'house'. It's been about 10 years since we were in Mack City, so I didn't know it had moved. The one on the Island looks to be a much prettier location and bldg. Thanks again!

Here's a Flickr group having 2 do with the Butterfly House:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/butterflyphotocontest/