Here Be Dragons
Local dragonfly in Bradford, Massachusetts.
Young Assassin
I shot him before he could shoot me.
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I just found this cool little YouTube video of a colorful assassin bug in Borneo.
And an informative National Geographic video: Assassin Bug vs. Bat.
Flies Are Spies
I have this theory that flies are spies for the insect kingdom. I mean, look at them! Those eyes! They are clearly built for surveillance. They sneak into our homes on recon missions, to monitor the development of swatter and spray technology. And they apparently have trouble getting out! This is a sad and all-but-cliche image of a typical soldier, found dead on the front lines (a window sill). I half-expect to see him clutching a tiny scroll like it’s the plans to the Death Star. RIP, my little friend.
Leafhopper Whee!
I love leafhoppers. There are over 20,000 known species, making them one of the largest families of insects. Don’t click this link unless you want to see a LOT of pictures of leafhoppers.
Spider and Shadow
If you come into my home then I think it’s only fair that you submit to a brief and painless photo session.
Wasp in Johnny’s Backyard
A wasp in my friend Johnny Hardwick’s backyard in Austin, Texas. March 19, 2005.
This is a paper wasp: Polistes exclamans. Female.
I didn’t figure that out myself. I uploaded it to BugGuide to be ID’ed. Later, I was asked by someone who saw it there for permission to include it in the Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification: Polistes exclamans.
Austin Butterfly
What is there to say? Butterflies are the supermodels of the insect world. You know when you touch them and you get powder on your fingers? That’s makeup.