Last fall we bought a couple of packages of California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) seeds. We spread them around our semi-landscaped front yard, and all over our not-landscaped and wild backyard. We really like California poppies with their bright orange and golden colors. They brighten up the hillsides and roadsides all around California in the springtime. And best of all, they are a drought tolerant native plant that is tough and persistent, even in poor soil.
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We are having some beautiful weather this week after a rather cool and wet spring, which has been good for our nascent garden. So the other morning I was wandering around our front yard with my camera. I saw a bumble bee visiting some of the poppies, but I wasn't quick enough to get a photo of him. As I looked closer, though, I did see a strange looking bug in one of the poppies and took these photos. I was sure surprised when I viewed them on the computer and zoomed in. A little spotted cricket? It is less than an inch long, including the lobster-like antennas.
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A cross between a shrimp and a cricket? |
I found a very similar looking bug on the bugguide.net website. The expert there says it looks like the nymph of a katydid, probably a Scudder's bush katydid, maybe Scudderia furcata. If you are an Orthoptera expert, please let us know if this is correct.
Spotted in So Cal today.
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