Clinging to the stem of a goldenrod plant, these two ambush bugs make such an adorable couple! True to their name, these strange insects wait, often hidden amidst flowers, for a tiny, hapless bee or butterfly. Photo taken in Bald Eagle State Forest, PA, USA. Prints of this image are not currently available for sale. Please check back for future availability!
On a single beautiful hike, several sacred datura plants were covered in these stunning leafhoppers! Catalina Mountains, AZ.
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Although short-lived, a mass cicada emergence spells a feast for any number of birds and reptiles in the Sonoran Desert.
Cicadas have an unusual generational cycle. Some species emerge every few years, and some wait underground for 17 years before emerging en-masse, then dying shortly after. This Western Cicada was hanging on a gate at the end of my backyard hiking trail.
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The Sonoran Desert may not imply a great place to see dragonflies, but interestingly enough, it is! Find one healthy wetland ecosystem, and it tends to be loaded with them! Tucson, AZ.
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This yellow dragonfly is one of the most striking I have yet to see. Tucson, AZ.
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This dragonfly chose a perch with a beautiful background of duckweed, resulting in the stunning deep green. Tucson, AZ.
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A Chinese Praying Mantis, possibly day-dreaming about what it's like to be a butterfly or some other creature? Who's to say?
Chinese mantises have largely come to replace the native Carolina mantis that once inhabited much of the US. These powerful insects sometimes catch and kill small birds, such as our beautiful hummingbirds.
Garden and farm tenders, should you need to introduce natural insect control, please specifically choose the Carolina species, instead. Photographed in Sunbury, PA, USA.
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In order to pass, this beautiful, green mantis demanded the toll of laying on the ground and snapping some flattering images of her maternity attire! Chinese mantises have largely come to replace the native Carolina mantis that once inhabited much of the US. These powerful insects sometimes catch and kill small birds, such as our beautiful hummingbirds.
Garden and farm tenders, should you need to introduce natural insect control, please specifically choose the Carolina species, instead. Catalina Mountains, AZ.
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It wasn't the X-files that convinced me aliens exist....it was this Chinese Praying Mantis. She's in the process of cleaning her pedipalps (claws), while perched on flowering Russian Sage. Chinese mantises have largely come to replace the native Carolina mantis that once inhabited much of the US. These powerful insects sometimes catch and kill small birds, such as our beautiful hummingbirds.
Garden and farm tenders, should you need to introduce natural insect control, please specifically choose the Carolina species, instead.
Photographed near Selinsgrove, PA, USA.
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What a delightful color scene! I can hardly imagine a visual treat more simplistically enticing than this dragonfly perched in a thick stand of tiger lilies! Overcast weather further enhanced the ambiance. Lake James, NC.
What a delightful color scene! I can hardly imagine a visual treat more simplistically enticing than this dragonfly perched in a thick stand of tiger lilies! Overcast weather further enhanced the ambiance. Lake James, NC.
What a delightful color scene! I can hardly imagine a visual treat more simplistically enticing than this dragonfly perched in a thick stand of tiger lilies! Overcast weather further enhanced the ambiance. Lake James, NC.
A pair of milkweed bugs (not to be confused with milkweed beetles), caught in mid-coitus, atop the flowers of a Common Milkweed. Photo taken in Winfield, PA, USA.
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A scarlet and green leafhopper (whew, that's a mouthful!) rests for a few moments in a beautiful wildflower garden, that was a boring green lawn only a few years before. Upgrading a portion of your grass lawn to a wildflower garden is not only a beautiful change, but provides food and shelter for untold number of pollinators and often birds! Winfield, PA.
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This unusual insect is a common, yet rarely-seen inhabitant of American gardens. Ambush bugs are tiny predators that, true to their name, sit atop flowers, awaiting tiny flying insects. Photo taken in Winfield, PA, USA.
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Hidden in plain sight, a tiny ambush bug nymph eagerly awaits pollinators from his / her flowery perch. Winfield, PA.
In the tropics, mimicry and camouflage are on a whole new level. With so many creatures watching for a meal, while others vigilantly watch to avoid becoming one, survival requires unique attributes. This leaf-mimic mantis is certainly a master of the game! Dos Brazos de Tigre, Costa Rica.
I haven't the faintest idea what species of insects these are. They appear to be true bugs and are accompanied by a lovely color scheme. Cheers! Chiricahua Mountains, AZ.