Category Archives: bugs

  Here are two more pictures of mating insects — well, it is that time of year. These are robber flies.  A Robber fly, also known as an assassin fly, is large and a powerful flyer. Its name reflects the … Continue reading →

  The sex was good, but quickly things went downhill. Tule bluets are damselflies, the smallish cousins of dragonflies. While we have a number of species of damselflies, the tule bluet is the one I see most frequently along the … Continue reading →

  When encountered in the alpine, Bombus melanopygus was sipping nectar from an Alpine Milk-vetch(?). Farther down the mountain it was seen on the ground, apparently sipping minerals from rocks. This was unusual. The first observation of melanopygus was mundane: … Continue reading →

  Babies are cute. We seem to be hard wired to protect those adorable infants with their rounded, over-sized heads, large eyes, and chubby cheeks, whether they be human or animal. We just adore them.  Well, maybe not all of … Continue reading →

  This is the time of year for visits from swallowtail butterflies — so I watch for them. We have a number of different swallowtail species, and I thought that, on subsequent days, I had spotted two different ones. However, … Continue reading →

  The hummingbird moth has been billed by Nature Canada as one of Canada’s coolest creatures. Although a moth, it is out during the daytime when it sips nectar by hovering over flowers like a tiny hummingbird. Somewhat uncommon, I … Continue reading →