The sloth moth is a generic term used to refer to coprophagous moths which have evolved to exclusively inhabit the fur of sloths and to use sloth dung as a substrate for the early stages of reproduction.  Adult female moths leave the fur of the sloth to lay eggs in the sloth droppings when the sloth descends, once a week, to the forest floor to defecate. The larvae live in the dung and newly emerged moths later fly from the dung pile into the forest canopy to find a host sloth. Sloth moths are considered to get nutrients from the secretions of the sloths’ skin and/or the algae present on the fur as well as protection from avian predators. Some three-toed sloths have been recorded carrying more than 120 moths in the fur of an individual sloth. Two-toed sloths are recorded as harbouring lower populations. Several different moth species may coexist on the same animal. (Wikipedia)

Photo by CarmenOhio

I found these in Ellicott City, MD. Photo by Andrea Staros

Backyard Creature Of The Week:

Hopper or Phrictus quinqueparitus

Brindled Beauty Caterpillar

According to The Telegraph:

Adventurer Mark Moffett has found the world’s biggest insect - which is so huge it can eat carrots. The renowned entomologist discovered the giant weta up a tree and his real life Bugs Bunny has now been declared the largest ever found. He came across the cricket-like creature, which has a wing span of seven inches, after two days of searching on a tiny island. The creepy crawly is only found on Little Barrier Island, in New Zealand. The species was wiped off the mainland by rats accidentally introduced by Europeans. (The Telegraph)

The wheel bug (Arilus cristatus) is one of the largest terrestrial true bugs in North America, being up to 1.5 inches, or 38 mm, in length; it is the only member of its genus. A characteristic structure is the wheel-shaped pronotal armor. They are predators upon soft-bodied insects such as caterpillars, Japanese beetles, etc., which they pierce with their beak to inject salivary fluids that dissolve soft tissue. Because most of their prey are pests, wheel bugs are considered beneficial insects, although they can inflict a painful bite if handled carelessly.

Beetle In Desert

A spider caught a Praying Mantis in its web, only to be eaten by it.

Red Banded Crab Spider

The harlequin beetle (Acrocinus longimanus) is a large tropical longhorned beetle native to the Americas, especially from southern Mexico to Brazil in South America. The harlequin beetle feeds on sap and is given this name because of its elaborate pattern of black, red and greenish yellow markings on the wing covers of both sexes. Adult Acrocinus longimanus are very large insects with bodies that can measure nearly 76 mm (3 inches) in length. (Wiki.)

Junebug

Northern Crab Spider

Junebug

Giant Prickly Stick Insect (Extatosoma tiatratum)