Monthly Archives: July 2018

More Butterflies from Saturday

Posted on July 24, 2018 by the roused bear

Last Saturday I visited Waubonsie State Park.  My post from Sunday shows some of the critters I saw.  Here are some more of the butterflies I saw. Hackberry emperors were common throughout the wooded areas. I got some help with … Continue reading →

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More Big Bug Adventures

Posted on July 22, 2018 by the roused bear

I went to Waubonsie State Park yesterday, taking pictures of the small wildlife.  Waubonsie State Park is a very diverse natural area in Iowa.  Prairies, woodlands, and loess hills are all part of the park. Red-spotted purples are fairly common … Continue reading →

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The Coolest Fly Ever!

Posted on July 14, 2018 by the roused bear

Today I did a little bit of walking around with my camera, and came across what is probably my favorite fly.  These flies are pretty impressive. Mydas flies are huge.  This one is probably Mydas tibialis, the golden-legged mydas fly. For … Continue reading →

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More Bugs

Posted on July 10, 2018 by the roused bear

I spent a little bit of time yesterday at Big Creek State Park. This is a sand wasp, a Bembix species.  This was a very noisy, active wasp.  It was hard to photograph because it was so active. Another wasp–smaller, not … Continue reading →

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Two Bees or Not Two Bees

Posted on July 8, 2018 by the roused bear

I made a brief stop in the I-35 Huxley-Slater interchange today to see what insects were flying. This bee, probably a leaf cutter bee, was on purple coneflower. Wild bergamot also had an insect visitor.  I am pretty sure it … Continue reading →

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A Nice Summer Day

Posted on July 7, 2018 by the roused bear

We had a really nice day today–warm but not too hot.  I took advantage and visited Big Creek Park near one of the backwater areas.  Swamp milkweed was in bloom and attracting lots of visitors. This unusual fly is common … Continue reading →

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