18-JUL-2013
Eastern pondhawk , female (Erythemis simplicollis)
Barry took this beautiful shot of the brilliant green female pondhawk. The male looks very different, being mainly a chalky blue with green on the thorax. I first saw these years back in the Arboretum and eventually began finding them around FWG.
18-JUL-2013
Great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
This is the time of year to see the big fritillaries. Barry photographed this one on common milkweed. They are large, about 3 inches, and thus very visible. I saw one hanging around near the pond a few days ago.
Song sparrow
Barry caught this song sparrow grooming itself, probably taking a breather from feeding ever-hungry young.
Crab spider and japanese beetle
Barry photographed this image. This lovely queen anne's lace flower is host to a goldenrod crab spider in the centre, and a japanese beetle on the bottom. The crab spider has probably not been on there long enough to change colour to white, thus it stands out much more than it should.
Hover flies
While I can't say for sure what the species facing the camera is, because I can't see enough details, the other one, with its abdomen sideways to camera, is Allograpta obliqua. They are on a sow-thistle.
Hover fly, probably (Syrphus sp.)
Barry photographed this little hover fly on a queen anne's lace, a plant that is a magnet for so many insect species. Syrphus and Epistrophe species look quite similar, but I think this is probably a Syrphus.
July 2013
Virginia creeper clearwing moth (Albuna fraxini), #2532
This most un-moth-like creature really is a moth. It is in the Sesiidae family, the clear-winged moths. The larvae of this species bore into the roots of virginia creeper, of which we have an abundance. Given that, it is rather surprising that this is a first record for the FWG. I've seen them before in the Arboretum, but not for some years. Thanks to Barry who photographed this lovely moth and thereby added a new species to our moth list!
Sweat bee (Lasioglossum sp.)
Another sweat bee photographed by Barry. This makes a very effective image I think, with the bee on the yellowing leaf. Many sweat bees are so small that we barely notice them.
Sweat bee (Agapostemon sp.)
Barry photographed this beautiful little sweat bee with its metallic green thorax. Did you know that the name 'sweat bee' comes from the habit some of the species in this family have of lapping the sweat from your hands?
Bumblebees (Bombus)
Barry photographed these bumblebees all clustered together. He said they were mating for over an hour. You will often find when a pair of insects mates, others are attracted to the scene and a third or even a fourth will try to jump in! No privacy!
11-JUL-2013
Red milkweed beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus)
These vividly red long-horned beetles are really beautiful I think. This one was photographed by Barry on a common milkweed plant, which is, as the name suggest, the host plant of this species.
Bee fly (Hemipenthes webberi)
Barry photographed this medium-size beefly in good light. I find these flies are very easily spooked and don't sit still long. Many beeflies are difficult to tell apart and difficult to tell from other species unless you have spent time looking at them, and even then... There is even a beefly species that looks very much like an Ichneumonid wasp.