Tag Archives: insects

Bugs on Blue

I photographed a number of insects on spiderwort the other day.  I photographed them at a fairly high magnification.  I loved the blue/purple background. This is some kind of geometer (inchworm) caterpillar. An immature froghopper. And a beetle–probably some kind … Continue reading

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Caught in the Spit

This moth seems to have been trapped in the sticky bubbles released by a spittlebug, although it is possible it was killed and eaten by something else.  Spittlebugs drink the sap of plants, and are not considered to be predators. … Continue reading

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Something in the Air

Many of us live in cities, surrounded by closely cropped grass, cement, and asphalt.  I am fortunate enough to live a little ways away from the city. If you live in a good habitat for them, there might be small … Continue reading

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The End of the Butterfly Irruptions?

There have been irruptions–rapid increases in the numbers–of several butterfly species this season. Will irruptions of the natural predators of those butterflies cause a decrease in the numbers?  This is one of those natural predators.  This is a tachnid fly–I … Continue reading

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Spring Happenings

It rained fairly hard in parts of yesterday and today.  You can smell the earthworms–the boy-girl earthworms crawl out of their underground homes to meet up with other boy-girls (or is it girl-boys?) At the forsythia bush, during a light … Continue reading

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Another Critter in the Grass

I think this is a sawfly.  Not sure though.  There are a lot of species of sawflies and I don’t really know them well.  

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More Summer-Like Weather

We are having very warm weather still.  Here is a photo I took a couple of days ago.  I was surprised by the number and diversity of very small insects flying around.  Are they present in the summer, and do I … Continue reading

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First Insect of the Year

We still have snow on the ground in places. I walked around a little bit today, looking for insects.  It is still not warm yet,  just a few degrees above freezing. I hoped to find something–a small fly, perhaps, or … Continue reading

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I Want to Learn About Flies

I know this is an odd goal, but I want to learn more about flies.  As a macro photographer I run across the most magnificant looking creatures, and often times they are flies. The thing is, even the scientists don’t … Continue reading

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Another Bug In the House

If you plant a lot of evergreen trees in your yard, which we have, you might get some of these guys in your house. This is the western conifer seed bug, Leptoglossus oppositus.  It is not native to here–neither are … Continue reading

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