Jump to content

bugs


Gary_Yngve

Recommended Posts

I climbed Colchuck a few days ago and ran into two surprises along the way:

 

bugsex.jpg

 

Are these two bugs doing what I think they are doing?

 

ladybugs.jpg

 

On the summit, there were thousands of ladybugs... you couldn't sit down without crushing one. They weren't anywhere else around -- just the summit. What's with that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 22
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

The species in your photo is Coccinella novemnotata, otherwise known as the Nine-Spotted Lady Beetle.

 

Yeah, ladybugs hibernate deep in cracks on the southern exposures of rocky summits in the Cascades. In the Fall, once one ladybug finds an appropriate winter nesting site, it emits an aggregating pheromone which attracts other beetles. They swarm together by the tens of thousands and overwinter. When the weather warms, as it has in the last week, they emerge en masse and disperse.

 

So right now, and then again in Fall, you'll see big concentrations of them near the mouths of hibernation sites. They seem to like the granite summits (and associated crack systems) of peaks in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and north to around Washington Pass.

 

Interestingly, they're "reflex bleeders." When disturbed, they bleed from their joints and their blood smells bad. For this reason, they have no natural enemies--even birds won't chow them. Despite their benign appearance, ladybugs are voracious predators and a single one can consume up to 75 aphids per day.

 

[ 06-16-2002, 06:19 AM: Message edited by: Uncle Tricky ]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info Uncle Tricky!

I saw a mass of ladybugs on copper peak a week or so ago...but no one could seem to explain their presence. [Confused]

 

Nice attention to detail with that first photo gary [Wink]

 

[ 06-15-2002, 08:58 PM: Message edited by: carolyn ]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A few years back I approached the summit of Sperry Peak after scrambling up the south ridge. From a distance, I could see a a large swarm of what turned out to be flies. Usually present in such numbers only when utilizing a lump of offal, I was surprised at the size and lack of an adequate reason for their presence. I was not denied the summit, however...sort of a dash up while holding my breath followed by a couple of hops down toward the west ridge decent got me up and over.

I've never seen anything like it before, or since.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ladybugs also seem to love the Marymoor Rock. The bugs seem to swarm the thing some years I just about cratered once when I accidently made a mashed up mess of ladybugs with my hand when blindly reaching over the top.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ladybug aggregation behavior exists in other areas as well. It happens in Oregon and I have seen them also at the top of Rincon Mt (east of Tucson). They seem to pick crags which will become free of snow early. The vertical migration from the valley floor occured in the fall and they have sequestered themselves beneath the snow until now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Scott, Are you sure that what you saw on the top of Sperry were flies. Ants have wings and use the top of the mountains as the meeting place for copulation. (Did anyone think that was an original idea?) They have chased me off the top of more than one mountain. After mating they fly off together and drop off the wings in a flash to start the nest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Collins:

Hey Scott, Are you sure that what you saw on the top of Sperry were flies. Ants have wings and use the top of the mountains as the meeting place for copulation. (Did anyone think that was an original idea?) They have chased me off the top of more than one mountain. After mating they fly off together and drop off the wings in a flash to start the nest.

No, not ants. They were definately some sort of fly-like insect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since we are talking about critters.....

Any bug or arachnid experts out there?

 

Coming out from skiing Little Tahoma Saturday, I got bit by what I think was a spider. I've now got a red circular lump the size of a golf ball on my bicep. The school nurse where I teach thought it was a spider. it looks like I've got two fang marks. What could it be?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the bug info. I witnessed the ladybug swarming thing also this past weekend. I was scrambling Courtney Peak-Buttermilk Ridge-Oval Peak in the Chelan-Sawtooth Ridge area and all the high points had ladybugs crawling over them. Kind of creepy but interesting nonetheless.

 

On another note, anyone else seen Star Peak (same area) from up close? It's an impressive-looking mountain. I'll have to go back to do that one sometime. Star Lake at about 7000' was pretty much totally frozen over though the snow in the nearby meadows was melting fast in the heat of the past week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:

Originally posted by MountainMan:

Jens,

I had the same thing happen to me on the way out of Colchuck Pk. I got bit by something and have a VERY large bump on my leg ... it itches and aches. Spider? Carpenter Ant? Hungry Mosquito?What the hell could it be?

Have either of you developed a Spider Sense or the ability to shoot webs yet?

[laf]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:

Originally posted by Jens:

Since we are talking about critters.....

Any bug or arachnid experts out there?

 

Coming out from skiing Little Tahoma Saturday, I got bit by what I think was a spider. I've now got a red circular lump the size of a golf ball on my bicep. The school nurse where I teach thought it was a spider. it looks like I've got two fang marks. What could it be?

Has it necrotized at all? or is it just a big bruise-like thing? If it starts blistering it could be a hobo spider bite, which is relatively common in the Pac NW. Usually this appears as a bad mosquito bite, then eventually blisters within about 24-36 hours. Did you feel nausea or any other symptoms? The hobo spider is generally an indoor guy, but who knows.

 

link to more information

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...