Post your insects

[Geoff F]

Eupeodes corollae - a common UK Hoverfly but this is the first time I've managed to photograph a mating pair.

[Frankie]

I've been chasing a lot of butterflies in the backyard lately. I'm not sure what kind this is but I like the way it turned out. I missed a chance at the Black Swallowtail that I've been raising. The caterpillars are gone and yesterday the butterfly showed up briefly while I was out having a coffee. I was not ready for it and I have not seen it since. I have a feeling it won't be back.



Wendy

Wendy - I haven't read past this post, so I don't know if someone has already Identified this little guy or not, but in case no one has... it's a Red-Spotted Purple (Limenitis a. astyanax).
And a very nice shot of one!
frankie

[Frankie]

What IS this?
Never saw any moths like this one before.

This is an Imperial Moth - in the Giant Silkworm Moth family. They are quite beautiful. But like all others in this family, only live about 3 to 5 days, so consider yourself lucky to have seen one.
frankie

[Frankie]

Poor little moth... got stuck in the spider's web.

[ScoutR]

Wendy - I haven't read past this post, so I don't know if someone has already Identified this little guy or not, but in case no one has... it's a Red-Spotted Purple (Limenitis a. astyanax).
And a very nice shot of one!
frankie

Thanks Frankie, that is what I thought it was, but I wasn't 100% sure. I had trouble IDing it until I got a shot of the other side of the wings which were black with a beautiful bluish colour on the edges where it looks white in this shot. Do the colours change as they mature, because I'm sure the colours are correct on this one but a shot taken a couple days later showed the beautiful otherside of the wings. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I think this is the same type of butterfly as the second shot in post #235

Thanks again
Wendy

[Frankie]

Thanks Frankie, that is what I thought it was, but I wasn't 100% sure. I had trouble IDing it until I got a shot of the other side of the wings which were black with a beautiful bluish colour on the edges where it looks white in this shot. Do the colours change as they mature, because I'm sure the colours are correct on this one but a shot taken a couple days later showed the beautiful otherside of the wings. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I think this is the same type of butterfly as the second shot in post #235

Thanks again
Wendy

Wendy,
Yes, you are correct about that Identification. The Red-Spotted Purples can be hard ID because they can look and act like the swallowtails. I have a few here at my new place and I love watching them fly around.
The third butterfly in that series is a Question Mark Butterfly. It's very similar to the Comma, but a little larger and the wing shape is slightly different from the Comma. And that is a very good capture of that one!
I'm happy to ID any butterflies you come across!
frankie

[lizzy310]

I love this one. The colors are beautiful in contrast with the poor little drab moth.

Peck's Skipper

[lizzy310]

Great photo, but ewwwwww!

I really could have done without seeing this, but once seen it had to be investigated. I believe this is a Yellow and Black Garden spider. It is very large which makes me think it is a female and also makes me wonder if the monstrosity in the web is an egg sac. I read that they can lay up to 1000 eggs which hatch in the fall but the babies stay in the sac till the spring. Not sure how accurate that info is. If anyone that studies bugs has any idea what's in the web, let me know. I've zoomed in on it and I can't make out what it is, but visibly it is plausible that I'm seeing little spider parts in there. I just can't bare to zoom in and look at it for very long.



Wendy

[Evn1ngStar]

Cicada on a stump

[ScoutR]

Wendy,
Yes, you are correct about that Identification. The Red-Spotted Purples can be hard ID because they can look and act like the swallowtails. I have a few here at my new place and I love watching them fly around.
The third butterfly in that series is a Question Mark Butterfly. It's very similar to the Comma, but a little larger and the wing shape is slightly different from the Comma. And that is a very good capture of that one!
I'm happy to ID any butterflies you come across!
frankie

Thanks a lot Frankie. The first few times I saw this one I thought it was the swallowtail that I had been chasing. You are right the behaviour is very similar, except these guys actually landed and stuck around quite a few times. The swallowtail WOULD NEVER LAND, and I know it was a swallowtail because I had the caterpillars, and I also saw them in flight close enought to see the tail. One would just slowly drift by every day or so to tease me. I still loved watching them though, but would have loved to have managed a shot.

All in all though, for me it was a very good summer for butterflies. I've never paid much attention before, and really hadn't noticed anything in this area besides Monarchs, and the little white Cabbage Butterflies, but that heliotrope kept bringing them in. The Question Mark and The Red Spotted Purples were new discoveries for me.

It's getting late in the season up here, but if I see any more, I will certainly be checking with you for IDs. I also look forward to your shots to keep me going for the winter.

Thanks again
Wendy

[Letrow]

Eupeodes corollae - a common UK Hoverfly but this is the first time I've managed to photograph a mating pair.

That is great. And from up close like this. They must have been really busy

[Dave Humphries]

Cicada on a stump

Hi Yvonne,

I've never seen one like that, great capture too.

[Geoff F]

That is great. And from up close like this. They must have been really busy

Thanks for the comment, Peter.

When I first discovered this pair, they were partly hidden by foliage so I struggled to get a clear shot. But when I returned a few minutes later they had decided to 'go public' and were in a perfect position for a number of different angles.

[rhermans]

I've really enjoyed all the images posted in this thread.
To comment on all wouldn't be possible. But really I like'm all.

So I thought why not put some of my stuff here to.







Hope you like'm

Ronny

[Letrow]

I've really enjoyed all the images posted in this thread.
To comment on all wouldn't be possible. But really I like'm all.

So I thought why not put some of my stuff here to.







Hope you like'm

Ronny

Nice detail you're getting Ronny, but that last one is the best for me, playing peekaboo from behind a stalk.

[MiniChris]

Have been capturing a few bugs myself over the last few days...more an exercise in lens use than anything else, but still fun.







Theses are for Frankie to ID

[MiniChris]

I've really enjoyed all the images posted in this thread.
To comment on all wouldn't be possible. But really I like'm all.

So I thought why not put some of my stuff here to.







Hope you like'm

Ronny

What lens and camera did you use for these images? The top dragonfly is in stupendously good focus. I am envious.

[rhermans]

What lens and camera did you use for these images? The top dragonfly is in stupendously good focus. I am envious.

Thanks Chris

these where with a pentax k-5, the 1st with a sigma 100-300 f4 ex, the 2nd and 3rd one with a (manual) kiron 105mm (1:1) macro lens - (about 30years old).

[rhermans]

Have been capturing a few bugs myself over the last few days...more an exercise in lens use than anything else, but still fun.







Theses are for Frankie to ID

That fun part is the most important, but they do look great. Like the second one best.

Ronny

[Arthur Plottier]

I do not have a macro lens so my shots are close-up using a Nikon 70-300 VR with a Nikon T6 diopter.
Here are 2 Orange Potter wasps manting.
Was a bit of a risk having to be close to this wasps which have a very painful sting