A minor mystery
In the five years I've been putting together this documentation of my corner of the natural world, I've never done what I'm about to do: post a photo of something that utterly baffles me. But there's a first time for everything and here it is. I was out in the night enjoying the relative warmth and while I combed the dry leaves for signs of life, I found this tiny critter among the living. It's certainly an insect—the six legs tell me that—and while at first glance I supposed it to be an aphid, at second glance I was no longer sure. What's galling is that I think I've seen something similar; I just can't put my finger on the right taxonomic neighborhood. I'll keep looking. I'll let everyone know if I come up with anything. Don't hesitate to do the same.