Archives
A Sample of Pop’s “Bee” Images

Tuliptree Blossom with Guest

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

A Sample of Pop’s “People” Photo Collection

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

Butterflies

Paper Kite

Butterfly, Paper Kite, Black, White, Wings, Idea leuconoe
This beautiful, high-contrast butterfly is known by the name, Paper Kite.  It’s technical name is Idea Leuconoe.  The name game doesn’t stop there, either.  It’s also called a Wood Nymph butterfly, Large Tree Nymph butterfly or simply, Rice Paper butterfly.

The Paper Kite has a weak, fluttery flight interspersed with gliding due to the high ratio of their wing-size to body-size.  You would think, with their bright color and bold  pattern, they would easily fall victim to predators, but like monarch butterflies, they are poisonous or highly unpalatable and are not often attacked.

The Paper Kite’s natural territory is Southeast Asia.  Apparently, it is a common resident in butterfly greenhouses and live butterfly expositions. I found this one at the Butterfly Palace and Rainforest Adventure in Branson, MO.

You can view a larger version of this image by simply clicking on it.

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Monarch Squadron

Butterfly, Butterflies, Monarch, Monarch Butterfly, Purple Aster, Flowers
All three of these monarch butterflies are in flight.  They were circling, and eventually landing and feeding on, the purple asters in a vacant field near the building where I work.

I didn’t see a lot of butterflies this year, but when I did, it was all within a few weeks at the end of the summer. This photo was taken in late September.

In the interest of full disclosure, you should know this is a composite image.  I combined three separate photos – each with one butterfly – to create this image of three butterflies. They were all photographed exactly as you see them…in the location that you see them…just at different moments.

You can view more detail in a larger version of this photo, by clicking on the photo.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

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Exotic Pole Dancer

Butterfly, Monarch, Nature, Colorful
A monarch butterfly clings to a thin twig, displaying its beautiful markings and color.

You can get a better view by clicking on the photo and opening a larger version

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

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Clipper Parthenos Sylvia Blue

Clipper, Blue, Butterfly, Parthenos Sylvia, Butterflies, Macro
This is a Clipper butterfly of the Parthenos Sylvia variety. The clippers, like this blue version, a nymphalid species.

The clipper is a fast flying butterfly whose habit of never fully raising its wings when flapping makes its flight look rather stiff and jerky.  In between spurts of flapping it will gracefully glide.

These butterflies are typically found in South and South-East Asia. This beauty was photographed at The Butterfly Palace in Branson, MO.

You can see more of the detail in these wings when you view the larger version by clicking on the photo.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

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Monarch Flight

Butterfly, Monarch, Flight, Fly, Aster, Purple, Flowers, Wildflowers
A monarch butterfly rises majestically above the patch of purple asters. I snapped this photo in a field next to my workplace. I’d been working on trying to catch the few monarchs I found in flight. Catching one in focus is a formidable challenge because of their erratic motion in flight. This is a view of the butterfly from behind, wings on the downward stroke.

To view a larger, more detailed version of this image, click on the photo.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

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Green-banded Swallowtail

Butterfly, Green-banded Swallowtail, Green Banded Peacock, Emerald Swallowtail, Butterflies
This is the Green-banded Swallowtail butterfly. Some might also refer to this butterfly as a Green Banded Peacock or Emerald Swallowtail. It is common to South Asia, including India and Sri Lanka.

In this image, the bands on the wings seem to be more of a blue color. Apparently the color can vary slightly, depending on the angle of view. From the back, it can seem more blue – from the front it appears more green. As you can see, this butterfly is peppered with green scales either side of the main bands. The coloration is a structural color not a pigmented color. The structure of the scales on this butterfly give it the iridescent green color.

Their main diet is provided by plants in the citrus family. On a sad note, they have a short lifespan. The adult Green-banded Swallowtail butterflies rarely last longer than a week.

I photographed this creature on a recent visit to The Butterfly Palace and Rainforest Adventure in Branson, Missouri.

To view some of the details in this macro photo, click on the image and a larger version will open in a new browser tab.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

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Crepe Wings

Monarch, Butterfly, Butterflies, Wildflowers, Goldenrod, Orange
The early morning light was striking this monarch butterfly at just the right angle to bring out the tiniest details in its wings. Of the many varieties of butterflies I’ve photographed lately, I find the monarch – common to our area of the world – to still be one of the most striking.

This is one of those photos where it really pays to view the larger version.  See the details by clicking on the photo.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

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Leaf Walker

Butterfly, Golden Helicon Heliconius hecale, Orange, Black, White, Leaf
This delicate beauty is a Orange-spotted Tiger Clearwing .  It is also referred to as a Disturbed Tigerwing (Mechanitis polymnia).  It is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. In the wild you will find them from Mexico to the Amazon Rainforest. I happened to find this one at The Butterfly Palace and Amazon Adventure in Branson, MO.

You can get a better view of the detail in this photo by viewing the larger version.  Simply click on the photo.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

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Dead Leaf Butterfly – Open

Dead Leaf Butterfly, Butterfly, Wings, Kallima inachus
This is the colorful side of the Dead Leaf Butterfly. The coloring and marking on the upper side of their wings is dramatically different from the bottom side of the wings.

When the wings are folded up, this butterfly looks just like a brown, dried leaf. Its camouflage is very convincing. (See my previous post – Dead Leaf Butterfly) As you can see in this photo, when the Dead Leaf Butterfly opens its wings, it becomes an attractive, exotic beauty.

The Dead Leaf Butterfly  is a nymphalid butterfly found in tropical Asia from India to Japan.

You can get a better view of the detail in this colorful side of the Dead Leaf by looking at the larger version; available by clicking on the photo.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

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Dead Leaf Butterfly

Dead Leaf Butterfly, Butterfly, Orange Oakleaf, Kallima inachus, camouflage
Look closely or you’ll miss it. At first glance, this appears to be a leaf but, wait…it has legs and antennae! This is the cleverly disguised Dead Leaf Butterfly (Kallima inachus), sometimes called Orange Oakleaf.

When its wings are closed, it looks like a dried leaf. This incredibly effective, natural camouflage helps it avoid predators. When open, its wings are predominately a bluish-black with striking orange markings. In my next post, I’ll give you a view of this same butterfly with it’s wings open.

This cool creature is a nymphalid butterfly found in tropical Asia from India to Japan.

You can get a better view of the detail in this wing by looking at the larger version; available by clicking on the photo.

All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.

Click for Purchase Options