Two big plant sales left with me with full flats and an empty purse 🙂 Excited to be building a native plant garden this year! I can’t wait to shoot all these new-to-me flowers and meet all the insects these plants attract.
155/365: self portrait with purse & plants
I didn’t know grasshoppers ate flower petals until I spied this one happily chomping away. Aware of my gaze, he crept behind the flower and inched down the stem. I love the raised hairs on the back of his neck – fully alert and ready for action…
grasshopper
The green bottle fly is uncommonly green but has a typical fly-like predilection for rotting flesh. Turns out that makes it quite useful – from maggot therapy to forensic science. Perhaps this one was unique among flies; I found him getting herby with our sage plant.
super fly
Thanks to Betsy & David for sharing their time and bees with us. And thanks to the bees for sharing their scrumptious golden honey.
bees
As the waves of prairie plants reach their peak, each is matched by accompanying hordes of insects. Just as the milkweed begins to release its diaphanous seeds, so the carnival of bright orange bugs arrives on the scene, like revelers to the feast.
milkweed bug nymph
We were all drawn to the sunny yellow blossoms of the goldenrod. None more so than the assembly of amorous soldier beetles. Locked in motionless embraces, they were oblivious to everything but their coupling, making them great macro subjects.
soldier beetles in love
The quarry is populated by these funnel web spiders, best found in the shimmer of morning dew. The sheet webs shine like diamonds suspended in mid-air; get close enough and you’ll see the resident spider spying back at you from inside his lair.
i spy a spider
A pond skater is the epitome of grace; nearly weightless, it defies gravity on the glassy water. Only slight depressions break the surface to reveal a hint of weight, a wisp of physicality.
pond skater
It was the gorgeous stands of wild indigo that got my attention, but the bumblebee stole the show. Especially when I noticed his bulging pollen sacs (and managed to contain his fervent activity in a moment of sharp focus).
bumble bee on wild indigo
Looking over the flowers at a local prairie garden, this spot of orange popped out at me. I was thinking ladybug, but this was bigger and the markings seem different. Any ideas?
orange beetle
avant garden 365 