Garden Macros and Bug IDs

[Suzan J]

Hello All: It has been a very short summer here in Northwestern Ontario. To make matters worse, a tent caterpillar invasion is predicted for next summer.

Here is a series of macros that I recently attempted before everything turns to dust again. C and C is welcome and I'm wondering if anyone can ID the two bugs. The beelike creature does not have any stripes and the rather plain moth does not look familiar to me.

The macros have not been stacked. For now, I just accept what the shallow DOF gives me.

DSC_6703 by Soo J, on Flickr

DSC_6763 by Soo J, on Flickr

DSC_6744 by Soo J, on Flickr

DSC_6356 by Soo J, on Flickr

[FootLoose]

All good images, Suzan, but that 4th is a standout for me. I like the way the shallow DoF makes the stamens(?) appear to be floating against a creamy background.

[deetheturk]

Hi Suzan, sorry I cannot help with the I.D but your images are super, well captured

David

[IzzieK]

Susan...I can'f find a favourite.... they are all beautiful and well shot. I cannot offer and CC either because I cannot nit. #2 and #3 -- I have seen in my backyard but never get the chance to photograph them so I cannot help with the ID either. Sorry...

[Stagecoach]

Well done Suzan a very good series. There is absolutely no reason to consider it would be advantageous to stack these images, they would NOT be improved on.

I love your composition in No 2 and you have captured the unknown bug really well.

No 4 beautiful !

Grahame

[Rita]

I really nice set Suzan. Must say that on #4 I did a double take, I really like the effect that you achieved on it

[John 2]

All sharp with no specular highlights. Not easy to do. Four nice shots. The butterfly looks like a Ringlet - Aphantopus Hyperanthus but I'm no expert (Geoff?). Can't help with the other IDs I'm afraid.

[bnnrcn]

They are all nice but #4 is great

[MarieV]

Lovely images Susan and I think No. 4 is a great creative piece of art.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[wilgk]

Nicely done, I really like the last one.

[Suzan J]

Thank you all for the kind comments. Thanks also to John for attempting to ID the butterfly. I have googled the name and it definitely does resemble that particular species. The web site I was at indicated that Aphantopus Hypoanthus is a Western European butterfly, but my visitor does look similar so perhaps he is a North American sub species of some kind. I still cannot figure out what that bee-like creature may be. On a side note, I have definitely noticed a decline in bees this summer. Local bee keepers lost many colonies due to an extremely harsh winter and some type of mite appears to be reducing populations everywhere. We had best hope for a comeback as we'll be in deep trouble without these pollinators.

[DanK]

very nice photos. I agree with several others: number 4 is my favorite.

I can't help much with the IDs. I would guess the first is some kind of wasp, but I don't know what kind. The head seems clearly the hymenoptera type--check the placement of the eyes and the head shape. Lots of bees, wasps, and ants look a lot like this. The huge mandibles suggest that it is a wasp, not any kind of bee. That's as far as my speculation goes.

The third is hard to make out, but I think it is a butterfly rather than a moth. Butterflies generally have knobs at the ends of the antennae, while moths often have feathery endings.

[Geoff F]

If these were shot in the UK I would be thinking about one of the Leaf Cutter Bees (Megachile family). It has two sub marginal wing cells which would fit. But that is just a suggestion, bees are often tricky.

And yes, the butterfly does rather look like a European Ringlet but there may well be other similar species which you get over there.