Another Day at Work
Apis Workers' Party
Predator
Some of Your Beeswax
Sedum Bumbler
Look of Defiance
Chicory Bee
Bumbling Bees
Garden Cafe
Buzz By Here - To Infinity and Beyond
Pick Your Poison
Blind Side Attack
On a Mission
Honey Bee on Sedum
Covering the Cosmos
Center of the Cosmos
Three's a Crowd
Popular Spot
On A Pedestal
Big Harry Fireworks Display
To Impress the Girl
Different Perspective
Sweet Ride
Perfect Little Piggies B&W
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Festival of Flights
To the Crowd's Delight
Amish Go Round
Wondersome One
The Stars In Her Eyes
Tuesday's Child
Sleeper Hold
Considering the Next Move
Sugar and Spice
Front Porch Portrait
Caged Competitor
Early Adoration
Child In the Ligtht
Stroll Through the Weeds
Attention Grabbing
Eye Contact
On the Line
Eyes of Wonder
Rounding the Curve
Troubadours of Basin Spring Park
Down by the Creek
Sun Day
Catching Some Light
EAA Fireworks
Hear Me Roar
Bugs
Right at Home
This soldier bug seemed snug as a bug…in a marigold. These flowers are part of a potted arrangement my wife, Sara, put together to brighten up our driveway.
To get a closer view, click on the photo and a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
Bumbling Bees
This is summertime scene that can be found everywhere in the world where flowers bloom. These bees are busy collecting pollen needed for producing honey. This small clump of flowers in the flowerbed on the side of our house seemed to be a popular spot.
You can view a larger version of this photo by clicking on it.
Wild and Woolly
This is one hungry, little dust-mop! Look at how much of that leaf it’s already consumed. It is a Milkweed Tussock Caterpillar.
When I took this picture, I didn’t notice the interesting, synchronized curl to those orange and white tufts of hair. It just looked like your run-of-the-mill fuzzy caterpillar. Enlarging the image, often reveals surprising aspects of the insect world.
By the way, the head is that shiny black part on the edge of the leaf, mostly covered by hair. (He needs to trim his bangs.)
This was actually in a very difficult spot to photograph due to other vegetation being in the way. To try and get a better shot, I slowly, gently bent the leaf he was on. They must not have sticky feet because, at the slightest angel, it immediately slid off the leaf and into the dense weeds below…never to be seen again.
To really see the detail of this creature, click on the photo and a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
Garden Cafe
On a walk though the woods I came upon this crab spider enjoying his freshly caught lunch.
The crab spider will just sit still near the center of the flower, doing it’s best to blend in. When an unsuspecting insect lands to gather pollen, the snatches it and lunch is served.
You can get even closer to the action by clicking on the photo. A larger version will open in a new browser tab.
Hummingbird Moth Caterpillar
This monster caterpillar was found decimating the primrose patch in our flowerbed. It is a Hummingbird Moth Caterpillar.
This bad boy, complete with dangerious looking spike on his tail, was about 4-inches long.
It took a bit of research online by my wife, Sara, to identify this particular species. The hummingbird moth is a large moth that is often mistaken for hummingbirds because they are about the same size and flit from flower to flower like hummingbirds.
To view a larger version of this image, click on the photo.
Technicolor Throne
This skipper moth was overlooking the splendor of his kingdom from the comfort of his technicolor throne, a purple cone flower.
This is a photo taken on our recent vacation. This image came from a flowerbed just outside the gift shop of the Topeka Zoo. While the rest of our party went to look through the shop, I stayed outside to snap more photos.
To view a larger version of the king on his throne, click on the image.
Damsel in Distress
When I walk through the woods with my camera, I walk slowly. I’m being careful to observe all that is around me – eyes attuned to the slightest movement or color or pattern or light that might make an interesting image. On such a walk, I noticed a small, white butterfly moving though the weeds along the path. I decided to try a take a photo of it when it finally found a place to land.
I watched as it fluttered a bit from spot to spot. At one point it was fluttering under a large leaf. With my camera ready, I waited for it to emerge. Despite it’s continued fluttering, it wouldn’t come out in the open. Tired of waiting, I stooped down to get a better look and discovered why it wasn’t flying out into the open.
A spider had snatched it. It wasn’t caught in a web. This spider, hiding on the underside of this leaf, grabbed it as it fluttered by.
This is a close-up view of some tiny critters. Both of them together would not be much bigger than my thumbnail.
To view a larger version of this image, click on the photo.
Tiny Surprise
Danger lurks here! When I took this photo on a walk through the woods, I saw only a nice collection of wild violets. It wasn’t until I viewed this image on my computer that I noticed the tiny crab spider hiding in the bloom on the left.
Crab spiders don’t make webs. They hide, often in flowers, waiting for unsuspecting insects to be drawn by the flower’s nectar or pollen.
I’ve posted photos of crab spiders before – even with a short video of one trying grab lunch – that can be viewed HERE.
To view a larger image of this photo, click on it.
Buzz By Here – To Infinity and Beyond!
This portly bumble bee looks as though he’s heading off past the flowers, into infinity, intent on some important bee mission. No doubt, for his honey. (You’ve got to award style points for that perfect form.)
If you have a decent sized monitor, you can get a better view of Buzz by clicking on the photo.
Pick Your Poison
On a cool fall day, I uncovered my barbecue grill and found a large spider clinging to the grill cover. The moment I spotted it, I ran into the house…to grab my camera, of course. As I was taking photos of the spider, a wasp buzzed into the shot. (An insect photo bomb!)
I took several shots of the pair before the winged one flew off. While together, they seemed to get along just fine; no signs of tension or animosity.
I’m not sure I’ve ever photographed a more unlikely pair…a more menacing pair…a more dangerous duo.
No insects, arachnids or photographers were injured or harmed in the production of this image.
To get view an even larger version, click on the photo.