Insects: spiders, and BIG worms

Fall brings colored leaves and cool breezes, bright blue skies and flashy yellow goldenrod.  It also brings spiders and worms - insects of all kinds. Quite often into the house. Staying ahead of the spider webs forming along the ceiling and window sills is a daily battle.  Let it be said, I'm not a fan.

But morning sun reflecting through the dew drops clinging to a spider web in the garden is sure to cause me to marvel. And this big guy crawling up our steps - how could I not think this is one of the coolest things I've seen this year?

Longer than my index finger and bigger around, this caterpillar crawled all the way up the steps, then turned and crawled down. I don't know what he will become. Maybe a massive Luna moth? If any one reading this knows, please tell me!

The October issue of Smithsonian magazine reports that even though caterpillars appear to walk in a wavelike way that starts at the back and moves forward, in fact research shows that caterpillars actually move by thrusting their innards forward, then the rest of the body catches up. "Gut sliding," they call it.

There you have it. Always something new to learn about and marvel at.