The Invasion of the Winter Insects

Today, in upstate NY, it was sunny, very breezy, warmish (upper 40's) and....full of insects.

At least the blue sky wasn't full of tornadoes.  My hearts go out to those in Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and other places hit by the recent unseasonal outbreaks.  I used to live in tornado alley and...well, all I can do at this point is hold you all in my thoughts.  A very small thing.

As far as upstate NY, no severe weather (yet) but another early surprise of our strangest-ever winter?

Winter insects are not unknown here.  Back in the "good old days" of us getting 80-100 inches of snow in a season (well, as late as last year, but never mind that) we used to get insects in February.  They would come out on sunny days and walk right on top of the snow. We called them "snow bugs" and actually, there is such a thing as insects who live during the snowy season.  The ones I remember were probably beetles - I haven't seen them in recent years (maybe I looked harder with a young son I was showing the wonders of Nature to) but I remember them as long and black.

The insects today weren't them.  (For one thing we don't. - once again - have snow.)

No, this is what I saw.  They were winged, and they were flying in an area of the West Side of Binghamton. We saw them while exercise walking.  Later, while shopping in our neighborhood near Johnson City NY, we saw some more.  It's hard to see on the sidewalk, but one is directly to the left of the shriveled up crab apple in the upper left of this photo.

Here is another view.

I suspect these are termites.  And if so, they are just a little early.  I also wonder, with the flooding we got in September, and our mild winter, if we are going to reap a bumper crop of insects.

I'm sorry I couldn't do better but I don't always move well, or quickly, and my camera has a long lag time with the shutter.  Does anyone have a guess as to what these insects could be?

Are you having early insects, too?