BLACKLIGHTING FOR BUGS

On Labor Day we again hosted a Blacklight Party.  It’s a rare party at one’s house where you don’t really have to do anything except see that the yard looks halfway decent, but that’s how it is!  

Our good friend Steve teaches an insect class each fall at the college and once a year they all come out to our property to look for bugs.  He has various interesting gee-gaws for insect collection that they can try out, and when it gets dark, they set up a blacklight in front of a white sheet to see what creatures might be attracted there. 

We always find something good to look at and discuss: 

Wooly beech aphids, which gives off waxy wool-like filaments that extrude from their bodies, making them look like bits of fluff

or a very large spider living underneath

 

And when we tire, his wife and I sit by the campfire and chat for the rest of the evening.  Lots of stars, good conversation, a great way to officially end the summer.