Balmy temperatures keep grass green and growing.  Bats fly nearly every night.  Some trees budded as early as the first week of February.  And insects remain active and obvious.  Welcome to the wasn’t winter.

Southern lappet moths (Phyllodesma occidentis) join crane flies and beetles and wasps and bees, along with a laundry list of insects, all of which remain quite active and obvious.

The lack of major freezes this season portends a bad mosquito problem, not to mention other unpleasant critters.  And if it indicates anything about future temperatures—as in regarding this summer—then the news is bad indeed, especially in light of last summer’s record heat and misery.

But luna moths (Actias luna) are always welcome visitors, just like the other unusual winter guests, so I won’t complain.

Well, I won’t complain much I mean, since I love cold temperatures and wintry weather, neither of which we’ve had this year.

As we head into spring, the weather need not change to indicate a new season, and it’s clear insects are more than ready for the end of the wasn’t winter.