It’s a Bug’s Life

Milkweed bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus)

Grasshopper (Order Orthoptera, sp?)

Possibly a locust borer (Megacyllene robiniae)

Possibly an Eastern tailed-blue butterfly (Cupido comyntas)

Grasshopper nymph (Order Orthoptera, sp?)

Bumble bee (Bombus sp?)

Aphids (Family Aphididae, sp?)

Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus)

I believe this is a Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) feeding on a butterfly

Metallic green bee (Agapostemon sp?)

Several different insects found in my office’s native plant garden and while visiting our station in Brandywine Creek State Park. My favorite catch was a mantis (I believe Chinese) in the act of feeding on a butterfly, gross, but fascinating. Enjoy!

Aphids

Milkweed bugs

Bumble Bee

Eastern tiger swallowtail

Eastern tailed-blue

Grasshoppers, adult and a nymph

Green metallic bee

Locust borer

Back home for a couple days, see what I found!

Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) on “Lo & Behold®” butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii ‘Blue Chip’)

Silver-spotted Skipper
 (Epargyreus clarus) on “Lo & Behold®” butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii ‘Blue Chip’)

Bee on Mint (Family Lamiaceae)

Family dog Holly (Canis lupus familiaris)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on “Lo & Behold®” butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii ‘Blue Chip’)

Morning glory (family Convolvulaceae)

Funnel web spider’s funnel (Family Agelenidae) with praying matis nearby

Praying mantis (Family Mantidae sp?) in a precarious situation

Bee on “Lo & Behold®” butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii ‘Blue Chip’)

Female common whitetail (Plathemis lydia)

Female common whitetail (Plathemis lydia) view 2

Praying mantis (Family Mantidae sp?) in a precarious situation view 2

Went home for a few days (7/29/2013) before fully moving back to Delaware from NC and here are some things I found around the yard at home. I am now fully returned to Delaware and will post some of my last pictures from NC in a few days.

Trip to Indiana

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on some Thistle

Unknown flower

Red petunia (Petunia sp?)

Best guess is a female widow skimmer dragonfly (Libellula luctuosa)

Floral arrangement

Flower head without petals

Marigold (Tagetes sp?)

Bee (Bombus sp?) on probably eastern purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Female widow skimmer dragonfly (Libellula luctuosa) 2

Yellow lily (Lilium sp?)

Female widow skimmer dragonfly (Libellula luctuosa) 3

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on some Thistle view 2

Snapped some pictures on the University of Southern Indiana campus where I was for a fraternity leadership conference 6/29/2013. Also thought I’d try out the mosaic gallery format over the usual circles.

Day at the NC Arboretum

Redbud in the foreground, unknown white flowering tree

Duskywing butterfly (Erynnis sp?) on redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Bee (Bombus sp?) on redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus )

Kibusa (Stachyurus praecox)

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)

Magnolia ‘Betty’ is a cross between M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ and M. stellata ‘Rosea’

Magnolia ‘Betty’ is a cross between M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ and M. stellata ‘Rosea’

Unknown

Purple anemone (Anemone sp?) flower or peony?

Red, probably an anemone (Anemone sp?) flower or peony?

Pink anemone (Anemone sp?) flower?

Spent a day at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville at their Mountain Science Expo doing outreach for Friends of the Smokies whom I work for. Afterwards I wandered around the arboretum taking pictures of many of the spring flowering plants and their arrangements throughout the grounds. I really want to focus on pollinators thanks to my internship with Pollinator Partnership in 2011 and an interest in butterflies and moths. So I am excited to see some butterflies out an about as well as bees and other insect pollinators. More pictures to come as I go on a Friends’ hike on Tuesday!

Year in Nature Photography – Day 177

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) closed wings

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) open wing

Painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui)

Painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui)

Painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui)

A bunch of painted lady butterflies were visiting our butterfly bush today. An eastern tiger swallowtail also visited long enough for me to take some pictures. This is my last day of living in Delaware at my family’s home, and I will be moving to Waynesville, North Carolina tomorrow to begin my 11 month AmeriCorps Project Conserve service with Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in September. I am looking forward to continuing this blog by photographing nature back in western NC where I went to graduate school and interned at Great Smoky Mountains National Park two years ago.

Year in Nature Photography – Day 170

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) 1. notice the proboscis

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) 2

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) 3

Might be another female common whitetail dragonfly (Plathemis lydia)

Another dragonfly today, still just a guess on the species but based on other pictures from the  Delmarva Dragonflies and Damselflies site I think it’s close to the common whitetail dragonfly. My first eastern tiger swallowtail that actually “posed” for me today. In picture 1 you can clearly see the proboscis which is the straw like mouth part that butterflies and moths use to get at the nectar in flowers.