She's Got the Whole Weevil in Her Hands

Found this little fellow on a sunflower.

Orange Odonate for Orange

Here's another tiny meadow hawk. The good folks at The Bug Guide identified it for me as Western Meadowhawk (Sympetrum occidentale).

This picture's for Orange who is always so kind and upbeat.

Checkers

Pontia protodice A checkered white, I think. I liked the diamond shapes along the edge of the fore and hind wing.

Lemme Have a Look at You

This dragonfly nearly turned its head upside-down to look at me.

Yet Another Tiger Beetle

Now that I know what to look for, I seem to see one each walk. They're still wicked fast.

Ol' Blue Eyes

It was very windy and dark with threatening rain. I didn't have much of a chance of shooting anything, but I caught a glimpse of an orange something flying away from my tromping feet. I followed it for a while, never getting as close as I would have liked, but got this close.

It wasn't till I got home that I saw the blue eyes. All I did was crop this and add a little contrast.

Wolf on a Rock

Ready to pounce on something just as the sun is setting.

Another Heart Bug

I know I've photographed a "heart bug" before, but I still like their little romantic markings.

Mama Spider

This was taken on the bridge across the South Platte River. The spider had set up her web underneath the guard rails. The spiderlings were nicely backlit.

Surely You're Joking

You can tell an insect a tall tale, but they are very skeptical creatures.

Another Tiger

This one was significantly faster than my first. His (?) wings worked just fine. My new lens setup required me to get pretty close and this isn't a bug that generally seems to like to be so friendly.

Check out the mandibles. I still can't get over those. I really wish I'd managed to get a frontal shot before it vanished. Rowan was wishing for a net.

More First Shots

Now it's pretty obvious how much I need my sensor cleaned.

Showy Bee

Muwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

I still can't stop the evil laugh.

New Equipment

This teeny tiny jumping spider is on a showy milkweed. For a size idea, measuring from the center of the pink flower in the upper right corner diagonally down to the dark pink petal below and to the right of the spider's abdomen is a little over a half an inch.

Here, I'm using my Canon Rebel XT, Sigma 105mm macro lens, Kenko 36mm extension tube, and Sigma Macro Ring Flash. Muahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Stealth LongJaw

I like how they hide.

Mama Spider

I'm still trying to get that good picture of a wolf spider carrying babies.

Pentatomidae

I dunno what kind of stink bug this is, but I really liked it's markings.

I've been submitting photos to Bug Guide and have received some help with identification. It's really an amazing site. It's almost a bugwiki, but more moderated.

I also just got a new book: Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity; With a photographic guide to insects of eastern North America by Stephen A Marshall. It's incredible. I've been addicted to picking it up and reading a few pages here and there or just looking through the photographs like a little kid with a picture book. Marshall trivia for the day: The stink bug family, Pentatomidae, is named after the five-segmented antennae.

I'm expecting my new flash and extension rings today. I hate waiting.

Blue

I don't generally get to photograph the "blue" part of the little blue butterflies I like so much. I suppose they are technically brown. Our own humble little Morpho-like butterflies.

Small Golden Dragonfly

I've still got to look this one up, but it was the first yellow dragonfly I'd seen. Maybe I'd call it orange or golden color. It was significantly smaller than most of my regulars.

Defoliators

These tiny metallic beetles seem to strip weeds to nothing. They come in various shades ranging from green to violet and hang out together.

I'm eagerly awaiting my birthday present. I ordered it on the third and expect it on Monday: ring flash and extension tubes. Muwahahahahahaha! Bugs, your private life is over.

I've also just put together my Butterfly Pavillion Photo Contest Entries. I don't know why this always embarrasses me. I didn't make the deadline for the Eldorado contest this year. The deadline comes up way sooner than I expect.

Polychromatic Damselfly

My current favorite picture I've taken.

Yet Another Damselfly

Sorry if anyone is tired of dragonflies and damselflies. I think they're very neat, especially how clearly I can view the body through the wing. I was also interested in the whitish spots on this female's wings. Did she forget the jet dry?

Damselfly on Cattail

I'm not sure if this is a normal coloration or example of albinism in the blue damselfly its shape resembles. In any case, I thought it was beautiful.

Summer Blue

I like the tuftie bits on the wings.

Red Dragonfly Sunset

I've been seeing a lot of these red dragonflies this season. Rowan spotted this guy who liked this rock enough to keep returning despite the annoying chick with the camera.

Digital Grasshopper

There were many grasshoppers in Trinidad and Rowan became blaise about catching them. This little fellow was notable because he didn't immediately skedaddle.