Category Archives: bugs

  Villa is a genus in the bee-fly family (Bombyliidae). Like its bee-fly kin, adult Villa feed on nectar and pollen, so are pollinators. Unlike many of its bee-fly kin, the Villa species are characterized by having clear wings. This one (possibly … Continue reading →

  Yesterday’s posting about an Orgy in Nelson speculated that the participants were mayflies, and that, owing to their short lives, it was a one-night event. The pictures from the next evening showed I was wrong on the second point, and … Continue reading →

  I suspect that Saturday’s orgy in Nelson is an annual event. The participants are almost certainly mayflies. In the comments to a subsequent posting, Orgy swarm redux, it was finally settled that these insects are caddisflies. Mayflies live as … Continue reading →

  This is the first Twelve-spotted Skimmer I have ever seen. However, I did not diligently seek it out; rather, it came to me—right through an open door into my house. The southern interior of British Columbia is at the … Continue reading →

  Around here, up to one percent of the daisies play host to a crab spider (Misumena vatia). These spiders will hunt from other flowers, but daisies seem to be a local favourite. Camouflaged to the colour of the petals, they … Continue reading →

  Name calling This particular species appears to be Hemaris thetis. Historically it went by the names H. senta and H. diffinis. It has had the common names of Rocky Mountain Clearwing, Snowberry Clearwing, and California Clearwing. As a group (genus), … Continue reading →

  Two Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies make love on a bed of lilacs.  

  A bumble bee (unknown species) was working the flowers of the deer brush and produced three interesting shots. The anthers and stigmas of the flowers extend well above the rest of the flower, so as this bee inserts its … Continue reading →