Today is International Rock-Flipping Day. I really wanted to go somewhere cool and find some great things under rocks, but I only had time to hunt under rocks at home. I found a lot of Sowbugs. Did you know that Sowbugs and Pillbugs are different species? I just read in my new Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America that Pillbugs roll up into little balls and Sowbugs don't. I know this is a Sowbug because it has two short "tails" on the posterior end. Both Pillbugs and Sowbugs were introduced from the Old World.
A big worm!
Next to the pond, a slug...spotted and slimy.
More Pillbugs and Sowbugs and some kind of spider egg sack?? I'm not sure what the round white cottony ball is.
I found a bunch of ants and eggs under this rock. They were moving so fast that I couldn't photograph them very well.
A shiny snail and MORE Sowbugs.
I also found a big black ground beetle, but he was very fast and got away before I could take his picture. This is a fun project and I look forward to reading about what others find under their rocks.What is under your rocks?
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4 comments:
I didn't know that about pillbugs and sowbugs - that they were different, and that they were introduced (by accident, I presume?). Very informative post.
Lots of goodies here; very intriguing flip!
Very interesting critters you up-turned. It's amazing how similar, and different, our findings were. And how many introduced species abound. Thanks for sharing!
Hmm. I did not know that sowbugs and pillbugs were different species. I wish I had read your post before replying to someone on my IRFD post that they sounded like they were the same thing! Anyway, we found some similar critters, only my fuzzball was oragne instead of white.
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