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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.
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
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
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
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
Ready for Action
A dragonfly perches on a single blade of grass looking for food on a sunny summer day. After not seeing many dragonflies, I'm now on a slight roll. Shot at the pond at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, New Hope, PA-US.
Orange Sulphur Butterfly on Thistle
An Orange Sulphur butterfly feeds in a batch of wild thistle. Though they generally have an orange or yellowish hue on their wings, especially on the inside or top part that is visible when they are flying, they sometimes have a green tint on the outside when that is visible when they are perched. Butterfly wings are way more interesting than they look, if you are up for reading a few paragraphs about ultraviolet reflectance or absorbing patterns. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US
Dragonfly's Watch
A dragonfly keeps watch on the garden. We could use a few predators to keep the mosquitoes at bay, which have been particularly ruthless this year. I have always loved the eyes of dragonflies. Newtown, PA-US
Solar Powered
An orange shield bug (will update if anyone knows this to be incorrect) navigates its way through some tall grass, which is actually the tiny thin fibers of a seed head of some wild grass. The sunlight lit the bug up with a nice glow, making its orange color really pop. Horsham Powerline Trail, Horsham, PA-US
Great-spangled Fritillary Butterfly
A Great-spangled Fritillary butterfly feeds on some Beebalm in the setting sun at Pennypack Trust, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania USA.
Lady Beetle is Hungry
An Asian Lady Beetle is looking for aphids to eat on top of a canopy of tiny white flowers. These are often mistaken with ladybugs, which are much less of a problem to have around than the Asian lady beetle, which can bite, infest homes in winter, and secrete a yellowish smelly fluid if disturbed. Both species are good at pest control in the garden, but the native ladybugs are being overtaken by the Asian lady Beetle. Careful when ordering ladybugs for your garden as many places that sell them often do not distinguish between the two. Horsham Power Line Trail, Horsham, PA-US.
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
Tiny Traveler Rests in the Land of the Small
A tiny Eastern Tailed Blue butterfly rests in between blades of grass. Clover is one of the small plants that the butterflies will leave its eggs on, speaking to how truly small this butterfly is. One of my favorite subjects just because they are tough to shoot. I laid in the grass for this shot. Tyler State Park, Newtown, 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
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.
Mellow Yellow- Orange Sulphur Butterfly
What I think to be an Orange sulphur butterfly nectaring on a yellow wildflower in a meadow. In the high heat of a sunny summer day, the Sulphur butterflies are everywhere in a nice open meadow. This Orange Sulphur (could be a clouded sulphur, they are hard to tell apart when the wings are folded up) had its wings lit from behind by the sun, giving them a glow and slight translucent appearance. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US
Honey Bee Hanging onto Goldenrod
A honey bee drinks nectar from the tiny yet numerous flowers of the native goldenrod wildflower, which is a brilliant shade of yellow this time of year. With the flowers being small, the bees do not spend much time at each one before moving. I caught this one feeding on the last flower of the stem before moving on to the next. Power Line 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
Garden Party
A skipper butterfly is dwarfed by the coneflower it is feeding on. A late day summer sun added brilliance to the garden, and while I often get in close for my insect shots, I thought that the vivid colors were worth showcasing in the shot. Newtown, PA-US
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
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.
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
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.
Nemesis
A praying mantis with an intimidating stance, looking like some kind of ancient god or alien. I really liked the dark eyes on this one, and have seen many color combinations for these predators. This one was hunting in some goldenrod. Power Line Trail, Horsham, PA-US
Bow Down Before the Monarch
A monarch butterfly looks down from his lofty leaf on a hot summer day. I think it was just taking a breather, and getting some sun. I liked the different angle I had on the butterfly, giving it a powerful look. Power Line Trail, Horsham, PA-US
You Shall Not Pass
Macro shot of a damselfly
Grasshopper Nymph on Green Stem
A grasshopper nymph rests on the stem of some long grass after an intense downpour comes to an end. Grasshopper young are basically smaller versions of adults, a bit like humans. Many are bouncing everywhere while I walk through grassy paths this time of year, but they are tough to pin down. Tyler State Park, PA-US

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