Wednesday Potpourri

I decided to do a insect potpourri of photos for today's post.

I am starting out with the dance of the water bugs. They are really some movers and shakers on the water. They are causes the wake with their movement. How many do you see? The little grasshopper was on a golf cart and he was so green with those yellow eyes I wanted a photo. He was about a 1/4" overall in length.

I loved my praying mantis this year. I had the one at home that stayed around until Fall. I captured this one in PA on the side of a building.

I love the way they keep their eyes right on your every movement.

This one had a withered front right leg and it didn't seem to stop him from getting around.

The Cicada was one of my favorite insect captures this year. I told my grand son I could hear it in a pine tree and he spotted it. I was able to get a lot of photos before it left.

Check out those eyes and the neat white underbelly.

This was given me by a friend of a Cicada emerging from its shell.

This was a special capture and was given to me because I had helped him and his friend while fishing.

I hope enjoyed some of the insects from this year.

He's Back

Since the aftermath of Hurricane Ike I didn't see the Praying Mantis. I hoped he hadn't been injured or captured by a snake but he just wasn't around. Today while walking the dog I discovered him back near the Sage plant. Once you find him it's fairly easy to get some shots.
I'm even able to get some macro work done and only disturb him somewhat.
He didn't like me too close so he headed for cover. It wasn't long until he blended into the surroundings.
I also saw a white spot on the green plant and it turned out to be a caterpillar of the Hickory Tussock Moth.

They a a neat white with black decorations.
Luckily I didn't handle him for I found out later it has a toxic poison in those outer hairs.
One final critter on my Sedum from a few weeks back a moth was working along with the bees.
It was fairly co-operative for these shots.
The camera was doing really well for the macro work.

A Post With A Warning # 1

If you read my blog you know I like nature and what occurs in real life. These are not staged photos these come from a true story that happened as posted. If your squeamish about nature pass on this one and tomorrows post. I have given fair warning so the story begins.

I was walking around the house and I see my first yellow butterfly working a Sedum plant. I ran for my camera with hopes that it would still be there. I got one shot and it flitted to a different area of the Sedum flower. The butterfly is a Clouded Sulfur (Colias Philodice) and the first one I remember seeing. This was my seventh butterfly type of the year. I was focusing in when it disappeared. I never saw it take off so where did it go. I moved around the plant and found the Praying Mantis from the other day getting a bite to eat. Why did it pick on my butterfly, why it's part of nature which happens daily.
He definitely was enjoying the Clouded Sulfur so my first capture of one ended up his capture. You now can see the inside of the wing. What a neat butterfly it was.
What was left to do but document what had happened.
So here is a close-up of the Praying Mantis preying on his food source.
I left and walked around the house capturing a very large bee and several small ones. I thought, I'll go back and see if you can see where the Praying Mantis is hiding. This bumblebee was also working the same area as the Praying Mantis.

Instead of finding where it was hiding I got it attacking the Bumblebee.
He is a quick guy and started to fill his stomach with its catch.
He was making quick work of the bee. Check out his back tattoos
Here he is almost done. I hope it wasn't to graphic for you. In a matter of 5 minutes he had eaten a butterfly and a bee. I hope its belly was full for the day. It seems to be bulging from it's treats.
Thank you Praying Mantis for the show. Now, you ask what will be tomorrows nature show. Just you wait and see.

Today I Received Two Gifts

First I liked to talk about the new country artist I have playing. Her name is Crystal Shawanda and she is from Canada and a Native American Indian. She has burst upon the music scene in the last week and was on the Grand Ole Opry this week. I expect this song playing to really climb the charts.

The gift I received were two fold in a new butterfly on the neighbors Sedum. It is a Silver Spotted Skipper (Epargyrews Clarus). A beautiful butterfly in Brown, White and Yellow.

You can really see the body in this view. It was very skittish but I got a few pictures. It flew away but returned for a face on shot.
The second gift today was a Praying Mantis the first of the year. I was walking my dog Jake around the house and saw my Sage plant shaking. There was no wind so something was going on. There he was climbing the Sage. This was next to the Sedum that I got yesterdays butterfly. I ran for the camera and here are the results. This guy was a poser and gave me a lot of chances to get it right.
His brown body which will hide him shortly stood out against the green sage.
I was able to get close for a nice head shot.
I came out after lunch to see if I could find him again and found him on my siding watching the plant he had been patrolling. What does it have hold of to stay like that?
These were two gifts I was happy to share with you.