Insect

Macro shots of the Insect World

Beauty Shot
A slightly beat up mantis shoots it's best over the shoulder look for a beautiful portrait with some purple Aster flowers in the foreground. I noticed all of the mantis I see this late into October have a range of injuries. This one seems to have a hole in his or her back plate exoskeleton.
Honey Bee on Aster
A honey bee feeds on some New England Aster in late September. Won 1st place in the Annual Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust 2018 photo contest in the Wildlife catergory! The honey bee, along with nearly all insect populations, are in a disturbingly serious decline. Please try and find out what the native plants in your area are, and plant some. They are usually easy to grow, look nice, and may help sustain a local population of insects. You may not personally like bugs, but you'll miss them if they go, and so will your wallet when it comes to the grocery store. Pennypack Trust, Huntingdon Valley PA-US.
Beautiful Larvae of the Monarch
Two monarch caterpillars munch on some milkweed in preparation for entering their pupa stage. I never encountered monarch caterpillars in the wild before, so I was really stoked when I saw these. Beautiful creatures in all stages of their life cycle. Pennypack Trust, PA-USA.
Rest the Weary Wings
An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly with a little less wing than usual feeds on an 8 foot tall thistle, baking in the hot summer sun. Carl Kohler Park, PA-US.
Alien Nymph
A close up of an unknown insect nymph perched atop a small wild flower. It was tiny, and a challenge to get the entirity of its small body in focus, especially with the exceptionally long legs per its size. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US
Grazing Ladybird
An Asian Ladybeetle, or ladybug as we all know them, grazes for aphids and other smaller insects to feast on. Though they look cute, they are a top predator of smaller insects that are usually classified as pests. Shot at the Horsham Powerline Trail in Horsham, PA-US
Surprised Mantis
A beautiful green praying mantis looks startled to see my camera lens looking back at it when it peeks through some purple flowers. Maybe the mantis was surprised I didn't fall over while contorting to get this image. Powerline Trail, Horsham PA-US
Spotted Wing
Macro of small moth or butterfly resting up on a leaf.
Farewell to the Monarch
A male monarch butterfly feeds on a wildflower, back lit by the low evening sun. This monarch was late to leave for warmer air down south, being one of the last I have seen in the area. A week later, I see no more as it is nearing the end of September. We shall meet again next spring. Horsham Powerline Trail, Horsham, PA-US
Pale Wing: Cabbage White Butterfly Perched on Flower
A close up of a small Cabbage White butterfly on a flower. Taken at Sliver Lake Nature Preserve in Bristol, PA US.
Dragon Stalking
Macro of a dragonfly hunting prey as the sun begins to set. It would always return to this spot after catching a fly out of the air for food.
Sun Bather
A tiny Gray Hairstreak Butterfly basks it's wings in the sun. I had to earn this one's trust as it flittered from leaf to stem. There is a world full of such sights to see, if you look closely. This butterfly is about the size of a US quarter.
Shock
A praying mantis is shocked to suddenly see a lens pushing through the leaves to get a shot. The mantis seemed to recover quickly, and continue it's journey to wherever it was going.
Great-spangled Fritillary Butterfly
A Great-spangled Fritillary butterfly feeds in the setting sun at Pennypack Trust, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania USA.
Lazy August- Gray Hairstreak at Rest
A dark, overcast day doesn't usually lead to the best macro photography when you don't have a tripod, but this small Gray Hairstreak butterfly was willing to stay still and entertain me setting up a shot for a few minutes. It was resting in a bunch of goldenrod, maybe trying to shelter from the rain that opened up about ten minutes later. Tyler State Park, Newtown PA-US.
Snail's Pace
After looking for years, I finally ran into my first tiny snail in the wild. Funny thing is I found about twenty this day, which seems to be the way I always find that thing I have been on the look out for when shooting. Horsham Powerline Trail, Horsham PA-US.
Killing Pose Red
Found this tiny yet deadly looking insect on the dark side of a thistle. It looked like it meant business. Shot at Carl Kohler Park, Horsham PA.
Damselfly Hunting in the Evening Sunlight
A damselfly perches on some long grass during sunset, waiting to catch his next meal. This one was much smaller than most of the other damselflies I have seen, which aren't that big to begin with. Horsham Powerline Trail, Horsham PA-US
Guilty Look
A praying mantis looks surprised and maybe a bit guilty as it slowly backs away behind some leaves from my lens. I followed it as it kept reversing back around the leaf for a bit, looking at me the whole time with this expression. It was one of many truly funny interactions I have had with these bugs. Powerline Trail, Horsham, PA-US
Damsel Causing Distress
A damselfly enjoys a bite after catching it's unfortunate prey. An ancient insect, damselflies have existed since at least the Lower Permian, and are found on every continent except Antarctica. Shot at Windlestrae Park, North Wales, PA-USA.
Repentance
The lighting and the pose makes for a serene scene, but in reality the mantis waits to ambush unsuspecting prey by hiding amongst the flowers that attract other insects.
You Shall Not Pass
Macro shot of a damselfly
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
A Spotted Cucumber Beetle walks across a reed of grass, during a full sun after a rain storm which helped produce some nice bokeh in the background. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US. Canon 70D Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Manual
It's a Speck to You but It's a Feast to Me
A tiny Spring Azure butterfly feeds on clover, those little white flowers always in your yard. Sometimes these small flyers settle down long enough for a photo. Usually once I lay flat on the grass, these guys decide its time to move on, but every once in a while I get lucky. Horsham Powerline Trail, Horsham PA-US
Base Jumping Butterfly
An unknown species of butterfly looks like it is about launch off of a cliff. Once in a while you get a butterfly that decides to calmly pose for a minute. I really like that short time spent with a creature in a relaxed state. Everything around you stops, and its just you and the subject removed from the standard hum of reality. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US
Under the Bright Lights
A damselfly sits atop a blade of grass after the rain, waiting to catch dinner. This one would come back to this perch after every attempt, whether successful or not, and paid me little attention. Shot at the Horsham Power Line Trail, Horsham PA-US
Mini Meadow Meal
A closeup of a cloudless sulphur butterfly sampling nectar from some fleabane wildflowers in a meadow at Tyler State Park, PA
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Feeding on Bee Balm
An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly feeds on a patch of wild growing Bee Balm. This patch of flowers had up to 20 butterflies of all different types, a sight I have not seen before. There were plenty of other bees and such, though unfortunately I did not see any honey bees, which is alarming since I have seen very few honey bees so far this entire summer. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US
Big Bee on Milkweed Flowers
This carpenter bee feeds on native milkweed flowers. Bumble bees are different, and better to have around as they are great pollinators. Carpenter bees don't have the same amount of 'fuzz' and aren't very good pollinators in comparison, but besides the trouble of them burrowing holes into wood around the house, they aren't too problematic. You see the males hovering near a wooden fence in a backyard, and while they'll follow, chase or even 'bump' you as you pass, its all for show as they can't sting. The females can sting if seriously provoked, but are usually in the burrowed hole and you don't see them much. Newtown, PA-US
My Leaf - Macro of Damselfly
A close up of the head and eyes of a damselfly on a leaf, getting a good hard look at me and what I'm up to. Occasionally one has a stand off moment with me, which is always a fun photo shoot to be a part of. Horsham Powerline Trail, PA-US

Powered by SmugMug