On the safe side

When feeding in a large group, caterpillars may be more noticeable to predators -- but they may also be better able to defend themselves.  Groups of tent caterpillars and webworms can consist of hundreds of individuals, which makes them easily spotted (and probably smelled) even from a distance. To thwart their many enemies, these caterpillars surround themselves and their feeding zones with a protective netting of silk.

A nest of fall webworms (Hyphantria cunea) on a mulberry branch.

The caterpillars then proceed to devour nearly everything within their tightly woven nest.  As they move along a branch, all that they leave behind are leaf skeletons wrapped in silk.

The larvae can completely skeletonize large leaves.

Meanwhile, any predators that locate the caterpillars are likely to depart without obtaining a meal. Watch a wasp get foiled by the silk enclosure in the video below:

This place is hopping, part two

The water covering the ground gradually drained and evaporated away, slowly enough that the swarms of tadpoles had a chance to make the transition to a more terrestrial lifestyle.  Many of them still had a lot of growing left to do, though.

A toadling in the leaf litter.

As I walked through the forest, I kept sending waves of tiny toads hopping for cover.

A closer view of the toadling.

They were so small and well camouflaged in the leaf litter that they would easily have been overlooked if they had just remained still.

Another toadling blending in with the leaf litter.

However, the toadlings on the path through the woods faced a different problem.  They could not hop quite enough.  The raised edge of the trail proved too high an obstacle for their small legs, trapping them until they found some place to squeeze through.

A toadling thwarted by the edging of the trail.

This place is hopping, part one

Here in Houston we've been having a bit of rain recently (to put it mildly).  As a result, the woodland near my apartment became more of a wetland.  Not only did puddles appear all around, but so did plenty of frogs and toads ready to take advantage of them.  There isn't much action in the video below, but you can hear the calls of several eastern narrow-mouthed toads (Gastrophryne carolinensis) competing to attract mates.

Many frogs and toads had apparently already been successful in attracting mates, as the puddles were swarming with tadpoles of various shapes and sizes.

The trail through the woodland -- turned into a tadpole spawning ground.

The puddles were also excellent breeding grounds for mosquitoes, so I hoped that the tadpoles were feasting on all the mosquito larvae.

One of the larger tadpoles.

Meanwhile, some other animals proved to be better at coping with the new landscape than might have been expected.

A spider walks across one of the plethoric puddles.