I’ve photographed a lot of lady bugs but I haven’t seen one move like this before đ
Tag Archives: Insects
FINE RECEPTION
As small as it is, this milkweed beetle stood out nicely on the plant itâs named after. Both milkweed and the beetle are toxic so it neednât worry about being someone’s lunch. It has an impressive set of antennae; it’s a member of the longhorn beetle family.
BEE BREAK
Iâve seen bees this motionless early in the day when it’s cool. I took this photo mid morning so that wasn’t the cause. The bee looked to be in good condition, maybe it was just taking a break from collecting pollen.
BUSY BEE
If I had been asked what I thought of insects before I began in photography I would have probably shrugged my shoulders and wondered if they stung. Now quite a few years on, I have to admire these hardworking and determined little critters. Seeing the bee move along the leafâs surface makes for an interesting glimpse into their world.
ANTICIPATION – 1
With the temperature struggling to get out of the single digits, I thought Iâd retrieve a warm weather scene; perfect for a grey day in late March.
ON THE EDGE
The metallic green sweat bee was working its way along the flower. As small as they are theyâre easy to notice with that dazzling colour. Itâs day one of spring and I impatiently wait for the first flowers and bees to emerge.
IN THE MILKWEED PATCH
This beetle led me on quite a chase through the milkweed. Impressive antennae đ
CABBAGE WHITE
Iâve never seen a cabbage white this shade before. Perhaps its colour changes as the summer moves along.
DRAGONFLY
The dragonfly reminded me of a little bauble hanging on to the green shoot. It rested there for a while before it flew off.
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
I had never seen a mature lady alongside its junior before. The larvae, or instar will moult several times before it is ready to transform to its adult stage. I saw these insects on some bushes on a busy downtown street. A lot going on on this little patch of real estate.
CAN’T WAIT (2)
European Skipper Butterflies are seen in large numbers when the warm weather arrives. This skipper was resting and I was fortunate to see it in this pose.
DRAGONFLY DAYS
A summer scene is the perfect antidote to the weather outside.
SUMMER REWIND
Itâll be a while before we see damselflies so what better time to enjoy a glimpse of summer than when itâs -15C outside!
ON THE EDGE
I like hover flies, pretty cute for an insect; and always a challenge to photograph given their size.
HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
I thought it unusual not to see an ant on the peony buds. But the fly was colourful so I took the photo. In processing, I noticed an ant; itâs upside down on the upper bud.
SKIPPER IN NOVEMBER
With freezing rain in the forecast what better time for a scene like this.
LAST OF THE BEES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I took these photos earlier in the month. Hard to believe as the temperature today is struggling to reach double digits đ.
FALL FASHION (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
In the first photo, I wanted to fill the frame with colour, you can barely see the sky for the leaves. I concentrated on a single leaf in the second shot and didnât notice the crab spider in the lower right of the image until I imported it.
THE BEE MEANS BUSINESS
It didnât look like there was too much goodness left in the flower but the bee had other ideas!
CABBAGE WHITE BUTTERFLY
I took this photo earlier in the summer. Cabbage whites are some of the first butterflies we see in the spring and theyâre still flying well into September. Given how cool the nights are getting you have to marvel at their tenacity.
THE DAHLIA AND THE BEETLE
The Japanese Beetle had a tenuous grip on the dahlia but managed to right itself. They are attractive beetles but are destructive and feed on a large variety of plants. No friend to gardeners!
HONEY BEE
The early bee gets the pollen. One of the first bees I saw this year on a wild rose.
MONARCH
I donât know if monarch butterflies are appearing in significant numbers this year. As I havenât been to our local nature reserve this summer my observations have been limited to what I see in the city. I saw this butterfly in a nearby garden and hope it was one of many.
FLOWERS OR THE BEE
I could have cropped in closer but I thought the flowers and the bee shared the stage.
BEE SEASON
Itâs been a good summer for bees. This sweat bee or halictid bee was one of three different varieties I saw in the space of a few minutes. More to comeâŠ
CABBAGE WHITE
Cabbage White on the fly.
THE DAISY AND THE BEE
A nice pair, they complement each other.
MELLOW YELLOW
I like to watch bees as they fly between the flowers. Unlike other insects, theyâre not scared off easily or bothered by my presence.
SUSPICION
It seems to me that damselflies often look suspicious when their photos are taken. đ
BALANCING BEE
A local business association maintains a small garden on a busy city street. I stop by frequently to see whatâs in bloom. They only plant native species and Iâm always pleased to see the insects they attract.
MID-WEEK DRAGONFLY
Iâve yet to get to the lake where I normally see dragonflies, so I thought Iâd post a photo from a few summers ago.
MAKE WAY!
This was one popular rose patch on a recent sunny day.
MAY BEE
I saw the daisies before I saw the bee but he seemed to have his eye on me as I took the shot. Summer is fast approaching when these two team up.
PAINTED LADY (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Another reason to like dandelions. They attract beauties like these.
SPRING CLEARWING
I took this photograph in May 2019. Itâs the first time Iâd seen a clearwing so early. A pleasant surprise.
HOVERFLY
I believe this is a mimic or hoverfly. Wasps have four wings, while a hoverfly has only two so that would be my best guess.
SKIPPER
Though very small, it’s hard to miss these orange butterflies especially against the green. It wonât be long before the fields are full of skippers.
CONNECT THE SPOTS
After a bit of research I found out that this is a two-spotted grass bug. (The spots are on its back which made it a bit difficult to identify. đ ) When I started out in photography I never thought I would take an interest in insects and enjoy photographing them as much as I do.
DAMSELFLY (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Damselflies are quite comical when you can catch them like this. I wonder what they make of us. đ
LADYBUG
I like to watch ladybugs as they make their way though the greenery. They appear to be hard working beetles. Though attractive to look at their bright colour warns potential predators that they arenât good to eat. The brighter they are the more poisonous.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 