Insect

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.

Blue Sky Honeybee

A honeybee feeds on a small white aster flower against a blue sky on one of the last days of summer. Asters and goldenrod are important sources of nectars for insects as Autumn settles in.

Mantis Backlight

A beautiful praying mantis has a face to face with my camera lens. I always wonder what they think when a giant glass ‘eye‘ suddenly shows up two inches from their head, moves in closer and closer, and just as suddenly disappears after a few minutes. This mantis was backlit by a strong sun as it sat waiting for prey in some tall grass.

Fourteen Spotted Ladybird on Forget Me Not

What I believe to be a 14 spotted Ladybird, waiting on a Forget Me Not flower. Sometimes referred to as a Yellow Ladybug, they can actually come in a variety of colors. This beetle was tiny, since these flowers can be smaller than a US dime. From this past spring at Bowmans Hill Wildflower Preserve, Bucks County PA

Lava Bug Guardian of the Portal

This is a large milkweed bug which is standing triumphantly on a very colorful flower, which looks to be a straw flower. I thought the lighting and colors gave this miniature scene an interesting look.

After the Rain- Dogbane Leaf Beetle

Dogbane Leaf Beetle right after an intense rain storm, emerging from sheltering under a leaf, covered with water beads and probably looking for a drink. These are fantastically colored beetles which are not to be confused with the slightly duller Japanese beetle. They feed on Dogbane, which is a toxic plant related to milkweed , making these beetles toxic. This is why they are shiny, colorful, and don't seem to have any intention of hiding. Most predators either know, or find out quickly that this beetle is not a good food source. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US

Looking For Food in All the Right Places

An Asian Lady beetle, which is an invasive species often displacing the more charming native Ladybug, gets to work hunting aphids on some unopened milkweed flowers. Milkweed has a tendency to become fertile grounds for aphids, which ants have a symbiotic relationship with, and thus 'tend' to the aphids to harvest honeydew (a sugary waste product of aphids which feed the ants). Ladybugs and Lady Beetles are the best way to deal with these herds of aphids, short of insecticide which will kill and other insects that live on the plant. Newtown, Bucks County, PA

Mantis Love

Mantis love doesn’t always end well, but these two make a cute couple for the moment. It is worth noting that the smaller male mantis does not always 'lose its head' when mating, but it does happen. Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, Bucks County, PA

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.

Cabbage White Closeup

This cabbage white butterfly was sheltering from a slight rain among some long grass. Gave me a perfect opportunity to get nice and close. Newtown, Bucks County, PA.

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.

Hello There

Two skipper butterflies negotiate taking the relationship to the next level on some milkweed, which is great place to meet single insects. Newtown, Bucks County, PA

Hoverfly Navigating Holly Leaf

A hoverfly sits upon a holly leaf, carefully navigating the spiky edges of the plant. I actually doubt the spikes would affect the fly, it being so small. Maybe it keeps larger predators at bay? Either way this hoverfly stayed here for a while, giving me an opportunity to get a nice closeup. Tyler State Park, Bucks County, PA

Skipper Butterfly Feeding on Purple Flower

A small skipper feeds on a wildflower in the garden (which may be a bumble blue flower) on a bright sunny summer day. Some early blooming goldenrod added the highlights in the background. Shot in the garden.

Honeybee on White Aster

A honeybee feeds on a small white aster flower against a blue sky on one of the last days of summer. Asters and goldenrod are important sources of nectars for insects as Autumn settles in.

I'm Not Upside Down, You Are

This mantis hangs in wait for its prey. Upside down or right side up, it's all a matter of perspective, as far as this bug is concerned. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US

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

Eastern Tailed Blue in the Grass

My first Eastern Tailed-blue photo of the 2021 season. This one was flitting around the wet grass as the sun came out. Worth getting soaked for, as I laid on the soaked ground to get this shot. Power Line Trail, Montgomery County, Horsham PA.

Cicada Killer Wasp

A large cicada killer wasp hangs out on the fence of my garden, scanning for other cicada killers, with whom they have relatively harmless wrestling matches with for territorial dominance, or of course their main prize, cicadas. At two inches in length, these wasps invoke fear in most people. But they are actually for the most part harmless to us. The males, which are the ones you see patrolling the yard, have no stinger, and like a male carpenter bee, are all bluff. The females, which can sting, only attack cicadas, and would need to be heavily provoked to sting a person. These wasps don't possess a territorial defense of their nests, and besides the males buzzing around your head for a few seconds, they easily coexist with people. Newtown, Bucks County PA

Mantis Telling Me Off

Looks like this one is about to tell a spooky ghost story. This is the first time in many years of shooting praying mantis that I got a telling off! Never saw their intimidation pose in person before. I was thrilled, she was not (I think it was a female as it was a large mantis). I gave it its space quickly to not disturb it too much, but for me it was a treat. Power Line Trail, Horsham PA

Damselfly Blues

A beautiful blue, and very small, damselfly shows off for the camera. This one allowed me to get fairly close, which can be a challenge in itself. Taken at the pond at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, New Hope, Bucks County, PA.

Eastern Tailed Blue on Blade of Grass

Eastern tailed blue butterfly are tiny, and this one was on the small sized even for them. They range from 3/4 to 1 inch wing span when fully outstretched. They usually stick close to the ground, making photographing them a “laying on your belly” affair. They are one of my favorites to shoot though.

Drone Fly on Black Eyed Susan Flower

A drone fly takes in some nectar from a Black Eyed Susan. These flies look, and sound, very much like a small bee, but have no ability to sting. I have seen more of these this year, or I have just noticed them. Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, New Hope, Bucks County PA.

Mighty Monarch on Milkweed

The mighty monarch, taking in some food on a large patch of milkweed we grew in our backyard (and hopefully also laying some eggs!). This was the third year of the milkweed coming back since being planted, and this season it exploded at nearly five foot tall, and as dense as a bush. Consider growing some milkweed in your garden or yard. It's easy to grow, and the benefits to the declining monarch population, not to mention the benefits for anyone who likes to witness nature, are huge. Bees and many other pollinators will also show up, and you'll have a busy little garden metropolis in no time. Newtown, Bucks County, PA