Creatures of the Night (part 1)
(click on photos to enlarge)
Most nights I prowl around the outdoor house lights to see what they’ve attracted. You can probably guess moths but a lot of other insects are drawn to the three 40 watt fluorescent bulbs. Thus begins the predator/prey scenario. Smaller insects are eaten by larger ones such as this scorpion devouring a geometrid moth.
Mantids are also commonly found at the lights. The native species are fairly petite and come in tans and greens. The most common around here is the tan Minor Ground Mantis (Lytaneutra minor). This green one was much more attractive so I’m showing it here even though I’m not sure what genus it belongs to. Being carnivores and nocturnal, the light set-up suits them just fine.
Mantis sp.
Minor Ground Mantis (Lytaneutra minor) with a meal
The adult Antlion is out looking for love rather than eats. It’s the larval stage that that give it its name. It voraciously consumes ants and other insects that wander into its trap. I’m sure everyone is familiar with the funnel-shaped depressions in the soil that look innocuous enough but actually house the Antlion larva secreted under the soil. Perhaps you have even sacrificed an ant or two in an attempt to see the larva emerge and capture it at warp speed only to immediately retreat with its prize into its subterranean hideout. The adults are nocturnal so are rarely seen during the day. At night they fly around looking for a mate and are attracted to light. They are weak fliers and dainty-looking. Note the short clubbed antennae.
Antlion (Brachynemurus sackeni), male
Yet another visitor to the lights is the male Desert Cockroach (Arenivaga erratica) which somehow is not as repulsive as the German Cockroach (Blatella germanica), invader of homes and carrier of disease. This petite roach, the color of desert sand, is actually among the many beneficial cockroaches that spend their lives in natural habitats feeding on rotting wood and other debris. The females are wingless and secretive often taking up residence in packrat or squirrel dens.
Desert Cockroach (Arenivaga erratica), male
There’s usually a little hanky-panky going on and these two differently pigmented Stink Bugs (possibly Thyanta sp.) seem to have found each other under one of the lights.
Stink Bugs–ID pending
In my next posting, I’ll introduce you to some local reptiles and amphibians that I’ve found taking advantage of the house lights at night.
August 17th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Hello Ms. Ripley.
I was looking for ID on some glowworms I found up in the Catalina mountains and stumbled across this blog. Just thought I would give you a minor correction…the fireworks on the 5th of July were actually put on by Old Tucson.
You were completely correct about the rain delaying the show…I was running the sound and lights for it and I was pretty much drowned..:)
Anyway, those are some great pictures and I enjoyed your site.
Thanks!
Donovan Wagner
September 29th, 2008 at 3:17 am
Corrigenda: your antlion photo shows male [i]Brachynemurus sackeni[/i], not a [i]Myrmeleon[/i]
July 21st, 2011 at 7:14 am
I’d like to have permission to use the scorpion and prey picture in a classroom presentation.