Category Archives: bugs

  Bumble Bees collect nectar (to feed their own activities and make honey) and pollen (to feed their youngins). The nectar is carried back to the hive in the honey sack, and, normally, the pollen is carried on the bumble … Continue reading →

  Flowers produce nectar for one reason: to entice insects to brush against their reproductive organs and, in doing so, to transfer pollen from one flower to the next. To accomplish this, flowers are structured such that the insect must … Continue reading →

  It has become a spring tradition to try to get a shot of the Western Spring Azure in flight. The blue colour is only apparent when the butterfly’s wings are open, and generally that is when it is flying. … Continue reading →

  When I was a child, I remember throwing handfuls of sand at these so as to down them. I now consider the Shadow Darner (this is a male) to be one of the great delights of the late summer. … Continue reading →

  As with the dragonfly emergence, reported earlier, mayflies shed their exoskeleton in late July and early August and take to the air. The arrival of the mayflies makes for happy fish, bats, and birds. 

  While other dragonfly species have been hunting and mating for some time, the Pale Snaketail is just emerging. Usually emergence takes place in the morning. The exuvia, the discarded larval skin, is seen beside the dragonfly. The white thread, to the … Continue reading →

  Wildfire: I have been a tad distracted of late by a threatening wildfire. The danger is declining, but has not passed. Skimmers are a family of dragonflies for which much of the identification involves counting spots. But, there seems … Continue reading →