Saturday, August 21, 2010

Time for Critters

I forgot to include a photo of a cicada shell last week.  I counted a bunch of them in the general area last Fridayish.


The next 2 photos were taken last Saturday.

I saw this question mark or comma butterfly on a plant first, but the photo of it I quickly took did not turn out.  I was glad it landed back where I could take a photo after I scared it by my presence.


I was glad to see a bee on the kiss me over the garden gate.


The next photos are from the 18th.

Now that I looked this up, and found it is a male black swallowtail, I'm realizing it's the female I've seen several times that disappeared when I came back out with my camera.




I had to include one more, because I love the view of the legs on the flower.


These may be fall webworm adults, but they also look like the photo I saw of an adult satin moth or yellow woolybear caterpillar.  When I first started taking the photos, I didn't realize there were two of them.


It looks like I interrupted something.


I saw another dark colored swallowtail Friday, when I got home from work, but by the time I got my camera it was gone.  I did see some other critters.

The name of this daddy long legs always leaves my brain.


The butterflies have finally noticed the biggest butterfly bush is blooming.  I counted 5 painted ladies on it, and got photos of 2 of them.


There's a skipper staring at us on the right of the painted lady.






The short toothed mountain mint was very active with insects, too.  It was fun to watch them move around and share the feast.


I think this is a huge wasp, but in looking for something else in a book I have about insects, it also looks similar to an adult of a webspinning sawfly.  Do you know?   I don't recall seeing it around before.


I do think it's probably a wasp.  I want to get out to the garden, so  I'll do more checking later.


It looks like I got a bit carried away with putting photos in this post last night.


This wasp looks to be a little larger than half the size of the other one.



I hope you are having a good weekend, and enjoying peace with the critters.  Click on the Camera Critters link in my sidebar to see more critter photos.  Misty Dawn is the host.

18 comments:

  1. You got some amazing pictures of critters. Your garden is alive! I am always running back inside for the camera. LOL

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  2. What a wonderful collection of critters and flowers! Lovely shots!

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  3. Great shots! Isn't it amazing to see how specific critters are attracted to certain plants? Was this the year of cicadas there? Very interesting that you caught a picture of one!

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  4. Your photos are fantastic! I enlarged every one and was impressed with the detail. Thanks for this thoroughly enjoyable walk around your garden.
    What a lovely place it is.
    An English Girl Rambles

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  5. You have a regular insect zoo in your garden! Great shots.

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  6. Sue,
    You have a Question Mark there! Lovely Painted lady photos! The mountain mint photo look great too, ours is nearly done here.

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  7. What a lovely bunch of critters you have there! Your corner garden is alive with them. I know they are in my garden too, but it is too hot to get out to see much. The air quality is so bad, I must do the least amount of watering and care early morning that I can get away with. Looking at your garden was a breath of fresh air! Those gorgeous butterfly bush shots are amazing--the butterflies seemed to be very patient of your picture taking.

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  8. WOW! Stunning shots of winged insects...oh, how I know how patient you need to be to get a good close-up...they do NOT wait around for you to get a good focusing shot! I so enjoyed The Painted Lady against the sky and the black legs capture...oh, they are all excellent and I learned some names, too. We don't have the Painted Ladies here in MS, and I saw that pure white moth a month ago (without my camera, darn) and didn't know what it was. It certainly hasn't learned the art of camoflage has it?!

    Nice to find your blog and your love of nature.

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  9. Wow! so many insects! I bet you really have a big garden. I love the wasp photo ! so big, so many and so creepy! :)

    Amazing Ants Building Bridge

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  10. Great pictures..I would love to be able to take pics like that.....I have been trying to catch up....sounds like everyone has been busy...
    Prayers, Bo

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  11. Your butterfly and beastie identification must keep you busy. And you have so many gorgeous butterflies. We have so few types here now. So sad.

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  12. Love seeing all of the activity in your gardens!!

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  13. Sue, Wonderful critter shots~I love the Mountain Mint~I have a few plants, not sure it's the same, but, it sure does attract the critters. gail

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  14. The things God has created is just beautiful. Thank you for the pictures.

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  15. Lovely butterfly pictures! I love the color of the Mountin Mint. I've never seen this plant. Great critters post. Missed you on Bloomin' Tuesday! Jean

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  16. Really nice photos. The insects look happy and healthy, nature doing its thing.

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  17. The large wasp is the "Great Golden Digger Wasp" (Sphex ichneumoneus). They are truly gorgeous! Nice images on your blog.

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