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 leaf’s surface makes for an interesting glimpse into their world.
With the temperature struggling to get out of the single digits, I thought I’d retrieve a warm weather scene; perfect for a grey day in late March.
The metallic green sweat bee was working its way along the flower. As small as they are they’re easy to notice with that dazzling colour. It’s day one of spring and I impatiently wait for the first flowers and bees to emerge.
This beetle led me on quite a chase through the milkweed. Impressive antennae 😊
I’ve never seen a cabbage white this shade before. Perhaps its colour changes as the summer moves along.
The dragonfly reminded me of a little bauble hanging on to the green shoot. It rested there for a while before it flew off.
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.
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.
A summer scene is the perfect antidote to the weather outside.
It’ll be a while before we see damselflies so what better time to enjoy a glimpse of summer than when it’s -15C outside!
I like hover flies, pretty cute for an insect; and always a challenge to photograph given their size.
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; it’s upside down on the upper bud.
With freezing rain in the forecast what better time for a scene like this.
I took these photos earlier in the month. Hard to believe as the temperature today is struggling to reach double digits 😏.
On a walk last week, hoping to take some landscapes, I noticed this pretty bunch of daisies. As I moved closer I saw this wasp-like insect as well as a number of bees on the flowers. I didn’t have an ideal lens for insects but I took a couple of photos anyway. I imagine one of my last insect photos this year.
It didn’t look like there was too much goodness left in the flower but the bee had other ideas!
I took this photo earlier in the summer. Cabbage whites are some of the first butterflies we see in the spring and they’re still flying well into September. Given how cool the nights are getting you have to marvel at their tenacity.
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!
The early bee gets the pollen. One of the first bees I saw this year on a wild rose.
I don’t know if monarch butterflies are appearing in significant numbers this year. As I haven’t 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.
I could have cropped in closer but I thought the flowers and the bee shared the stage.
It’s 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 come…
Cabbage White on the fly.
A nice pair, they complement each other.
I like to watch bees as they fly between the flowers. Unlike other insects, they’re not scared off easily or bothered by my presence.
It seems to me that damselflies often look suspicious when their photos are taken. 😏
A local business association maintains a small garden on a busy city street. I stop by frequently to see what’s in bloom. They only plant native species and I’m always pleased to see the insects they attract.
I’ve yet to get to the lake where I normally see dragonflies, so I thought I’d post a photo from a few summers ago.
This was one popular rose patch on a recent sunny day.
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.
Another reason to like dandelions. They attract beauties like these.
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.
Though very small, it’s hard to miss these orange butterflies especially against the green. It won’t be long before the fields are full of skippers.
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. 😏 ) 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.
Damselflies are quite comical when you can catch them like this. I wonder what they make of us. 😏
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 aren’t good to eat. The brighter they are the more poisonous.
This is the first time I’d seen an insect with such fancy head gear. It turns out it’s a male non-biting midge. They fly in swarms and can be very annoying on early summer mornings as you walk along. Not sure how I spotted this individual, just lucky I guess.
Damselflies – a sure sign of warm weather. They begin to appear in late spring and remain throughout the summer. Looking at the blue skies and sunshine right now, you can almost imagine it’s warm out, until you step outside that is 😏 .
After photographing certain subjects for a while you begin to anticipate their behaviour. In the case of damselflies (and dragonflies) they tend to return to the same perch you might have startled from as you approached. So if you don’t get the shot the first time your chances are good the second time around.
This pretty little beetle was inching its way along the leaf when I spotted it. I might not have noticed it if it weren’t for its colour. The leaf gives you a good idea of the insect’s size.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 