Bugs and Reptiles
Life – 2
Bugs, Spiders, Animals
Bottle Fly on Sunflower - Spot ColourCommon Green Bottle Fly (scientific name: Lucilia sericata).
Goldenrod Spider CroppedJuly 16/25 - Goldenrod Crab Spider Cropped in sitting on a Dahlia petal
Goldenrod Spider on DahliaJuly 16/25 - Goldenrod Crab Spider Sitting on a Dahlia petal
Goldenrod Crab Spider 2July 13/25 - Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia), a species known for its ability to change color to match its surroundings.
Found in our Dahlia.
Found in our Dahlia.
Goldenrod Crab Spider 3July 13/25 - Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia), a species known for its ability to change color to match its surroundings.
Found in our Dahlia.
Found in our Dahlia.
Spider and the BeeJuly 16/25 - Goldenrod Crab Spider with it's victim in the Dahlia.
The scene of the crimeJuly 16/25 - Goldenrod Crab Spider with it's victim in the Dahlia.
Masked Hunter 1Masked Hunter (Reduvius personatus), a type of assassin bug.
Masked Hunter 2Masked Hunter (Reduvius personatus), a type of assassin bug.
Masked Hunter 3
Metallic Green Sweat Bee - 1Metallic Green Sweat Bee, specifically from the Agapostemon or Augochlora genus. These bees are part of the Halictidae family, known for their attraction to sweat.
Metallic Green Sweat Bee - 2Metallic Green Sweat Bee
Grig or Cricket -1Nov 03/24 - Pat found this bug in the garage last night.
Bugguide.net - It might be a hump-winged Grig - They are most closely related to katydids and crickets, but are in a family all to themselves (Prophalangopsidae). The genus is Cyphoderris
Google Lens says - Mormon cricket, which is actually a type of katydid, not a true cricket, despite its common name.
Bugguide.net - It might be a hump-winged Grig - They are most closely related to katydids and crickets, but are in a family all to themselves (Prophalangopsidae). The genus is Cyphoderris
Google Lens says - Mormon cricket, which is actually a type of katydid, not a true cricket, despite its common name.
Grig or Cricket -2Nov 03/24 - Pat found this bug in the garage last night.
Grig or Cricket - 3Nov 03/24
Poser in the FernsOct 27/24 - Brown Preying Mantis found on the concrete - Moved it to the back flower bed for a photo shoot. Moving slowly in the cooler temperatures so was able to get a couple of decent hand held shots
Morning After MantisOct 28/24 - Found the Mantis from yesterday still sitting on the fence where I saw it before. Moved up to the cedar tree but it didn't like it there. Moved back to the flower pot and it disappeared.
Reaching for home MantisOct 28/24 - Put the Mantis back in the flower pot and it searched around for a safe place. Went inside for a minute and it was gone when I got back.
Mantis Left ProfileOct 27/24 - Brown Preying Mantis
Mantis Right ProfileOct 27/24 - Brown Preying Mantis
Peek-A-Boo MantisOct 27/24 - Brown Preying Mantis
Mantis Side Eye GlanceOct 27/24 - Brown Preying Mantis
Mantis Best side poseOct 27/24 - Brown Preying Mantis
In a field of FernsOct 27/24 - Brown Preying Mantis
Busy Fall Black BeeSept 30/24 - same plant as the next image, but this bee is almost all black. Learning more about bees the longer I do image captures.
Busy Fall BeesSept 30/24 - I have no idea about the species of these bees, but there are differences as you can see.
Spider in Bottle 2Sept 05/24 - Pat caught this little 'Cellar Spider' in a plastic jar in the garage. Where he / it had built a web inside the jar. Not exact on the focus, but he moved on me.
Spring NestApril 2024 - The Catface spider nest is still in place but not sure if anything is going to hatch. Will give it a few weeks and see.
Paper Wasp Nest - 2023Dec 08/23 - Wasp nest from under the deck - Cold weather knocked off the outside so in it came for a portrait session. 21 shots stacked in PS
Rocket Bug 3 - Inverts 2Not sure what the grid is in the background. Seen this a couple of times before in PS
Roadside web at nightAfter playing with the new tools in LR & PS my spiderweb ended up at the edge of a busy hiway caught in oncoming traffic.
Autumn Web 1Before the Catfaced spider decided it was time to plant the orb under the deck it made a web. I was able to capture it in a bit of sun. The colours are from the lens filter I had on at the time and I feel they add a nice touch.
Rocket BugMirror of Cat Faced Spider as a test using the new targeted colour picker in Adobe Camera Raw 16. I have to agree with a reviewer this is almost one of the larger game changers that I have seen in Adobe.
The Long GoodbyeOct 12/23 - I have a feeling that the spider did not survive the night. Was frost this morning on the roofs. Will check over the next few days, but think it is a matter of waiting for spring to see what happens.
Momma Hangin InOct 12/23 - Macro shot of the Cat Faced Spider under our deck. 43 images stacked and processed in LR & PS. 105mm & 1.4 TC
Cat Faced Spider - Ready for winter (1 of 3)The spider has moved over to a corner under the deck and looks like it has made a home for the winter. There is no shortage of silk around it and the egg sack behind the main body.
Cat Faced Spider - Ready for winter (2 of 3)Close-up angle 1 (18 shots stacked together in PS to try and bring out the details).
The spider has moved over to a corner under the deck and looks like it has made a home for the winter. There is no shortage of silk around it and the egg sack behind the main body.
The spider has moved over to a corner under the deck and looks like it has made a home for the winter. There is no shortage of silk around it and the egg sack behind the main body.
Cat Faced Spider - Ready for winter (3 of 3)Close-up angle 2 (35 shots stacked together in PS to try and bring out the details).
The spider has moved over to a corner under the deck and looks like it has made a home for the winter. There is no shortage of silk around it and the egg sack behind the main body.
The spider has moved over to a corner under the deck and looks like it has made a home for the winter. There is no shortage of silk around it and the egg sack behind the main body.
Catch of the dayWe have a decent sized Orb spider (no idea if the name is correct as I am not a real bug person).
It has strung a web across the stairs up to the deck. Have left it there for the educational / entertainment value of seeing what it is catching.
It was just dragging this hopper back to the web when I went outside. Didn't get images of it carrying across but did once it settled in for dinner prep.
It has strung a web across the stairs up to the deck. Have left it there for the educational / entertainment value of seeing what it is catching.
It was just dragging this hopper back to the web when I went outside. Didn't get images of it carrying across but did once it settled in for dinner prep.
King of this domain - Sept 2023Cricket in our backyard on our Butterfly Weed plant.
Mantis 1Preying Mantis - found in the yard Sept 2017 - We kept it in a fish bowl for a few days.
Preying Mantis 2Preying Mantis - found in the yard Sept 2017
Mantis 3Preying Mantis - found in the yard Sept 2017 - We kept it in a fish bowl for a few days.
Sunkissed TurtlesSun Kissed Turtles - St. Annes Road - Vernon BC - June 2021
Garden Spider Aug 2021Aug 02/21 - Garden spider stretched out between our plants.
Rose's Pond Butterfly June 2021 - 1June 2021 - Rose's Pond Vernon BC. After I did the B&W background then I went exploring and found a creative selfie mode that you then downloaded a neural pack for and picked this un-named filter. Looks to be better part of 16 or more filter types you can apply
Rose's Pond Butterfly June 2021 - 3June 2021 - Rose's Pond Vernon BC. Processed using smart actions panel to change background to B&W and leave subject as colour. Surprised how well it actually worked.
Swallowtail June 2021Swallowtail Butterfly - June 2021
Head down - Butt up in workSparrow Grass Field and Flower - Aug10/21 - Head Down - Butt UP in work
Settled in for a snackSparrow Grass Field and Flower - Aug10/21 - Bee settled in for a snack.
Symbiosis sunflower & BeeSparrow Grass Field and Flower - Aug10/21 - Symbiosis 1
Symbiosis II- sunflower & BeeSparrow Grass Field and Flower - Aug10/21 - Symbiosis 2