I saw this pair of Lixus weevils yesterday clinging to a plant stalk. They look like anteaters crossed with grasshoppers, only twice as ridiculous. They appear to be black yet covered with an orange or rust-colored powder. They continued to mate as I pointed the camera at them. The lower one, however, would slide around the stalk to hide from me.
A few shadows turn these weevils into the clowns of the insect world. The lower one now appears to have a smile that expresses its enjoyment of the mating experience, while the upper one appears embarrased to get caught.
I found quite a few butterflies near Bussey Brook. My sightings yesterday included the eastern pine elfin (Callophrys niphon), black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), Peck’s skipper (Polites peckius), and American copper (Lycaena phlaeas).
Earlier in the week, I saw what I believe to be a tawny-edged skipper (Polites themistocles) sipping from a star-of-bethlehem flower (Ornithogalum umbellatum).
Thanks to Blaine Mathison for help identifying the weevils on BugGuide.