This little dragonfly seemed as small and ethereal as the air in which they flew. I am not sure the exact species of Dragonfly but this one was one of the smallest I have seen this year. Perhaps a juvenile?
They were hovering about then occasionally landing on the fall grasses out in a field where we take a walk. This one had what looked to be eggs attached to their body. Do Dragonflies or Damselflies do that?
Barely as long as a few grains on the grass.
Heading out for a morning walk we were greeted by this little guy soaking up the morning sun on a milkweed plant. Good Morning Grasshopper.
This guy was found crawling about on a group prickly pear cactus where we take a daily walk. It always leaves me in amazement that so many animals have evolved to look so much like their environment.
And what a lovely environment it is.
A few weeks ago one of the plants in our garden seemed to become infested with aphids of all sizes and shapes seemingly overnight. Also hidden within the plant and well camouflaged was a wonderful Aphid eating spider.
Once their prey was sighted the spider quickly moved in and made quick work of an medium sized green Aphid.
Given the number of Aphids present this guy will have quite a feast.
We also noticed numerous lady bugs and damselflies feasting away on the smaller aphids as well. Natural pest control at work.
It’s always nice to have these bess buzzing about and who doesn’t like saying Bombus Ternarius.
From Wikipedia “Bombus ternarius, commonly known as the orange-belted bumblebee or tricoloured bumblebee,[2] is a yellow, orange and black bumblebee. It is a ground-nesting social insect whose colony cycle lasts only one season, common throughout the northeastern United States and parts of Canada.[3] The orange-belted bumblebee forages on Rubus, goldenrods, Vaccinium, and milkweeds found throughout the colony’s range. Like many other members of the genus, Bombus ternarius exhibits complex social structure with a reproductive queen caste and a multitude of sister workers with labor such as foraging, nursing, and nest maintenance divided among the subordinates.”
To read more:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombus_ternarius
Just for fun ….Bombus!
As summer comes to a close a Lorquins Admirals wings tell the tale of a summer passed.
It’s safe to say those scared and faed wings have served them well. Flying strong with colors bright to find a mate and produce a new generation of butterflies we can look upon with wonder when summer returns again.
It’s always nice to have a little company while out on a hike and this day it seemed we always had one of these beautiful Pink Edged Sulfur butterflies fluttering about either in front or along side of us as we made our way along the trail.
They seldom seemed to take a break from their flight. Luckily one did and that gave us a chance for a close up look before they lifted off fluttered way.
The other day I saw a yellow flash land in a nice cedar tree. Thinking it was an unusual insect I quickly went over to get a look. Alas, it was not a new insect but a Honey Bee and to say this one was covered in pollen might be an understatement. This little bee could hard fly with the load they had acquired. After a few minutes of rest they slowly lifted off and headed back to the hive. A job well done.
We typically see only a few Preying Mantis each summer either while out hiking or in our garden. Last week, while out on a hike, we saw numerous Mantids and each one matched the specific grasses they resided in. The Mantid above was in grasses that were a mix of green and brown and the Mantid was green and brown.
While the Mantid above resided in fresh green grass.
This Mantids above were right at home in a field of brown.
We even got a look at one Mantid hanging upside down.
Photographed in Denver, CO
I watched this Thread Waisted Wasp (Ammophilia Proceia) buzzing around in the Golden Rod. That Thin connection between the thorax and the abdomen is really something to wonder over. Does it allow the abdomen to move freely and lay eggs or perhaps sting others independent of the rest of the body?
Need to get an Entomology book and brush up on the fundamentals.
Denver, CO.
nature has no boss 
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