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Popillia japonica is not considered a pest in its native Japan, but in North America and some regions of Europe, it is a noted pest to roughly 300 species of plants. Some of these plants include rose bushes, grapes, hops, canna, crape myrtles, birch trees, linden trees, and others.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_beetle
Columbia, South Carolina.
This lovely mating pair were seen on a still body of water, resting on native Nymphoides crenata.
40 mm body length.
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Photography in the magical world of plants and bugs captures the intricate beauty and delicate interactions of nature. Macro shots reveal vibrant flowers and the fascinating details of insect anatomy, highlighting the delicate wings of butterflies and the complex eyes of dragonflies. Each image tells a story of symbiosis, resilience, and the breathtaking diversity of life often unnoticed by the naked eye.
A week ago, an intriguing idea struck me. What if each week I came up with a different theme? This notion seemed both exciting and promising, offering a fresh perspective and a constant source of novelty. I imagined diving into a new world every seven days, exploring diverse themes.
Beneath the quiet hush of the forest floor, where the light barely filters through the canopy, a moment of life unfolds in secret. With wings like velvet painted in iridescent blue, the Archduke butterfly descends—not to bask in sunlight, but to feast on decay.
A forgotten fruit, shriveled and blackened, becomes a treasure trove of nutrients. The butterfly unrolls its slender proboscis and drinks deeply, drawing sustenance from what the forest leaves behind. There is elegance in this moment—where beauty meets the cycle of life and death, where even rot plays a vital role.
Here, in the silence, the Archduke reigns—not by grandeur or glory, but by the quiet persistence of life in the shadows.
A blue morpho butterfly captured mid-flight inside Ambar Chapel in Costa Rica. Its iridescent wings contrast beautifully with the lush tropical surroundings.
This wild bee was very calm and didn't care how much close I was. It was stood still for several minutes before moving again, like it was taking a nap.
Hello There!
A pair of Red Milkweed Beetles on a milkweed plant, their main food source. Rather colourful insects, I'd say. I like their long antennae!
Thank you for stopping by and for your comments. I do love hearing from you! Have a delightful weekend ahead!
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Adults measure 8-10 millimeters in length, and can be identified by the yellow triangle on the pronotum, which resembles the defensive coloration of many wasps and has been theorized to act as Batesian mimicry.
Flower chafers on crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), South Carolina.
The Golden Longwings, also known as the Tiger Longwings, are a striking species of butterfly, easily recognized by their bold, golden-yellow wings adorned with intricate black patterns.
#114
straight out of the camera
no edit
Lemon Pansy butterfly (Junonia lemonias).
A delicate dance of sunlight and serenity, as the Lemon Pansy butterfly stretches its vibrant wings on a leaf. A beautiful moment in nature's simplicity.
Augochlora pura, a solitary bee in the Eastern United States. It forages on a number of different plants, and gets its name from the fact that it will land on a sweating person and lick the salt from the sweat.
Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii)
Appearance
Males:
Bright red abdomen with orange to red veins on the wings – the feature that gives the species its name.
Eyes: reddish-brown to red.
Often show a small yellow patch at the base of the hindwing.
Females & Juveniles:
Yellow to light brown body with red wing veins less prominent than in males.
Eyes are more brownish.
The blackish meadow katydid making its way through the lime green foliage of 'Sheena's Gold' Duranta.
Specifically Conocephalus semivittatus ssp. semivittatus. Commonly known as coneheads for obvious reasons.
Small in size compared to other katydids I've come across, around 15 mm body length.
Adult male.
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A delicate yellow butterfly pauses beside a cluster of vivid red flowers, creating a striking little scene of color, movement, and natural beauty. Against the soft, shadowy greens of the background, the butterfly almost seems to float beside the brilliant blooms, its pale wings providing a beautiful contrast to the fiery reds beneath it.
The shallow depth of field gives this photograph a wonderfully dreamy quality. The background melts into soft circles of green, red, and gold, allowing the butterfly and flowers to command nearly all of the viewer’s attention. Every detail of the butterfly’s veined wings becomes part of the story, from the subtle translucent quality of the wings to the delicate antennae extending above its head.
The flowers add another layer of character. Their intense red color and unusual pointed buds create an almost exotic appearance, making the scene feel like a tiny tropical garden hidden away from the rest of the world.
There is also a wonderful sense of balance in the composition. The butterfly occupies the left side of the frame while the flowers rise prominently on the right, creating a natural visual conversation between the two. The butterfly appears to be caught in a quiet moment of discovery, seemingly deciding which bloom will be its next destination.
The combination of the soft background, vivid colors, detailed butterfly wings, and dramatic flowers gives the photograph an almost storybook quality. It could easily be imagined as a scene from an enchanted garden where butterflies and flowers exist in their own little world, completely unaware of everything beyond the frame.
This is more than a close-up of a butterfly on a flower. It captures a fleeting encounter between two of nature's most beautiful creations. The photograph celebrates the small moments that are easy to overlook but become extraordinary when we take the time to stop and notice them.
The rich colors and soft background make this an especially appealing piece for nature lovers, gardeners, butterfly enthusiasts, and anyone looking for artwork that brings a little warmth and life into a room.
My latest photography is now available for purchase at crsimages.pixels.com…
The blue plantain leaf beetle Chrysolina haemoptera is a rather compact leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, usually dull blue to dark blue-black in color with clearly punctured wing covers. The adults reach about 5.5 to 8.5 millimeters in length.
The beetle lives mainly in open and rather dry habitats such as poor grassland, sand dunes, ruderal ground and often also in coastal areas with sparse vegetation. Its food consists mostly of plantains in the genus Plantago, especially Plantago coronopus. Both the adults and the larvae feed on the leaves of these plants.
The species is widespread across much of Europe and belongs to the western Palaearctic fauna. The beetles are mostly nocturnal and can be found from spring into autumn. They produce one generation per year, pause briefly in midsummer and overwinter both as adults and as larvae. Egg laying begins in autumn. A female can lay up to around two hundred eggs at the base of the host plants. It is also interesting that the beetle itself becomes a habitat for other insects since it can be parasitized by a tachinid fly and its eggs can be attacked by a tiny parasitoid wasp.
If you like this photograph as well as some of my other images, I invite you to take a look at my wildlife/birding page, which I try to update every few days, at grenfell.weebly.com and my web page at www.tekfx.ca
As always I am delighted and most appreciative of your your feedback and comments! so feel free to contact me for any reason. I can be reached at billm@tekfx.ca or on Flickrmail
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