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Posts Tagged "bug"

Monarch on Coneflower

Posted on Aug 8, 2016

Monarch on Coneflower

This Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) certainly chose the correct color of coneflower to nectar on as photographed yesterday. It is now egg and caterpillar season! Have you found any on your milkweed?

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Spot-winged Glider

Posted on Aug 5, 2016

Spot-winged Glider

I finally captured a Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) on the wing, and in this case it while the dragonfly was ovipositing – laying eggs in this pool. You can clearly see the basal spots on the inside of the hindwings along with some wear. Flying around the world must get a bit tiring… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator

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Spicebush Swallowtail on Eastern Purple Coneflower

Posted on Aug 3, 2016

Spicebush Swallowtail on Eastern Purple Coneflower

This breathtaking sight was a recent morning surprise for me as once again the wonderful Eastern Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) brought in a special friend in the form of a Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) butterfly. It can be somewhat difficult to identify the Spicebush Swallowtail as the Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) looks very similar. To me, in terms of general and unscientific impressions, the Spicebush Swallowtail is a duller black, flies a little stronger, and seems a little larger with broad wings. One scientific way to tell the species apart if you have a view...

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Grapevine Borer Beetle

Posted on Aug 2, 2016

Grapevine Borer Beetle

This seems to be a Grapevine Borer Beetle (Pelidnota punctata) as I found and photographed on this door screen last week. Their common name betrays their preferred plant and behavior, eating the fruit and even the leaves of grapevines, though apparently not to extreme pest levels. I was also not the only one to think about how it looks like a huge ladybug in some ways. You never know what new sorts of neighbors you will find even at your own door… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator

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Flower Crab Spider (Misumena vatia)

Posted on Aug 1, 2016

Flower Crab Spider (Misumena vatia)

Another one for my recent Queen Anne’s Lace-themed series. Today’s flowers were sprouting cool bugs, the Flower Crab Spider (Misumena vatia), that were handing out free hugs! Twan Leenders RTPI President

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