Today was warm for us (89F), so the yard was full of sun-loving insects. When I took a turn about the yard, I photographed several of the critters so I could share them with you, starting with this little bumblebee.
This dragonfly was absolutely enormous, sort of a jumbo jet among the regular-sized insects hanging out here.
To give you some perspective: the cluster of roses this guy (gal?) is sitting on is about six inches across!
When I looked among the zinnas and daylilies, I saw a spot of red zipping about. At first I thought it was a damselfly, but now that I can see it “up close” in the photograhs, I’m pretty sure it’s a dragonfly. It’s about a quarter of the size of the other dragonfly.
Here’s the same dragonfly, seen from the side.
This little Asian (or Japanese) Lady Beetle was hiding in the yarrow. They’re a beneficial non-native insect that can become a nuisance in the fall when they gather by the thousands, looking for warm places to over-winter.
The yarrow was also swarming with soldier beetles like this one. They’re related to fireflies, and are very beneficial beetles to have in your garden. These guys love to munch on aphids, grasshopper eggs and all sorts of bugs that are considered pests.
This delicate little creature is a damselfly. Although it looks like a dragonfly, it’s a completely different critter. The end of the tail was a vivid blue, and its entire body shimmered.
There were many more beautiful insects that I just couldn’t get good images of, including several yellow Eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies that were absolutely gorgeous. The black tiger swallowtails were back, too - but instead of snapping photographs I spent my time convincing one to walk onto my hand.
Butterfly feet tickle!
