Silver-spotted Skipper
Here is a Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) enjoying some Eastern Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) on a hot August afternoon. How is your garden holding up? Have you been seeing more butterfly species stopping by recently? It is a superb time of year to find a good variety in your yard.
Read MoreAmerican Lady Butterfly
This is the American Lady butterfly (Vanessa virginiensis) using those wings to keep its head and eyes out of the sun while on the hunt for a tasty flower. The very similar Painted Lady would have four eyespots on the lower wing instead of the two seen here. You can also see the white spot inside the orange square patch on the upper wing that the Painted Lady lacks.
Read MoreWorn Black Swallowtail
You can see the wear and tear on this Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) even as it was being battered by the wind and difficult to capture with my camera. It is so gratifying to see individuals like this surviving for so long. Fight on, butterfly! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreAugust Common Buckeye
This Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) posed nicely for me yesterday. It looked a little tattered around the edges, and had lost some of the uniformity of its shades, but still held most of the vibrant colors of its species here in mid-August. They are such beautiful creatures, oh my… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreHarvestman with Mites
This Harvestman had a very large mite problem! Check out all of those parasites…I felt for this creature. It may be why it was hiding in a crevice of the bark of this maple tree. I do not think this ended well for it. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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