Swineherding with Sasquatch

The family joined me on my chore hike around the property this "morning". We stumbled upon two really interesting critters.

*Identified and described by Grok.

The first was "a Locust Borer (Megacyllene robiniae), a flashy longhorn beetle that’s basically wearing a wasp costume."

"That bold black-and-yellow zigzag pattern (especially the “W” across the wing covers) plus the reddish legs and extra-long antennae is its signature look. It’s a classic example of Batesian mimicry—pretending to be a stinging wasp so birds and other predators give it a wide berth. Adults are out and about in late summer and early fall, which is exactly when you snapped this photo. They love hanging out on flowers (goldenrod is a favorite) to sip pollen, but they don’t eat much as adults. Their real job is finding a black locust tree so the female can lay eggs in bark cracks."

"The larvae are the ones…

We found this mystery bug after chores tonight. No clue what it is . . .

Grok, What is this? It was found around Gales Creek, Oregon. It was very small (that is a child's fingertip in the background). Make your answer entertaining for Sasquatch.

"Hey there, big guy.

Heard you were stomping around the Gales Creek woods again, maybe checking the huckleberry patches or just keeping the trails clear of nosy hikers. Well, one of your tiniest forest neighbors hitchhiked onto a child’s fingertip and got its portrait taken.

This little spiky black-and-yellow critter is a baby ladybug—basically the forest’s own microscopic security detail.