After an especially cold week of lows in the single digits, the temperatures suddenly soared into the low 60's today! You gotta love wintertime in the Southeast! I got the urge to go out and see if I could find any insects to photograph. Sometimes on a warm winter day some adult insects will emerge from their winter hiding places. I took a walk in the woods near our house, no insects were to be seen. As I walked behind our house I saw a Ladybug crawling on the siding, that was no surprise. The rear of our house faces the south, so it is much warmer. Suddenly, I saw a large black mass in the corners of the concrete steps leading to the back door. Well, I got my wish, I found some insects... hundreds of them! They were warming themselves
on the wall and steps.Boxelder Bugs
Boisea trivittatus
A single Boxelder Bug
Boxelder Bugs are "true bugs", they have the "bug-eyed" look, crossed wings, and a triangle on the thorax. Fortunately, these insects are harmless. Because they are black and red, I would assume they are distasteful to predators. They do not bite or sting, but they can be very annoying when they get into the house. Here is a website that tells more about them: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG0998.html
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