This next batch of images comes from a small part of our back yard. We had four of those little raised bed garden boxes that are 4' X 4' and 10" high. The weeds have long since taken them over and choked out just about anything we'd want growing there other than a nice patch of Pink Ladies. I had a spare 15 minutes or so the other evening and it was pretty, so I headed out with the camera.
At first, I wasn't seeing a whole lot. So I sat there and just kind of let my focus drift until I started seeing small movements. Then, once my brain keyed in on looking for small movements, I started seeing stuff all over the place!
Spotted Cucumber Beetle
You can see that nailing the focus is REALLY freaking hard!! It is impossible to hold really still while crouching down. Even if I could, the bug is moving constantly and quickly. By the time I was done and heading back inside to import everything into Lightroom, I had close to 350 images!
Bee Mimic-Beetle
I have been unable to identify this guy
I love the slick shiny look as compared to the wild hairy look of so many bugs. It's like this is the dude that is the sharp dressed man!
This series is a Circle of Life thing...
Here are some shots of the same kind of bug as their dinner, of the "Plant Bug" family.
This has to be my favorite bug of the session. I had no idea what it was. Turns out it is a Lady Beetle (Lady Bug) Larva! In contrast to an actual Lady Beetle, these things look ferocious. No doubt, to the little Potato Aphid it devours while I am snapping away, it was ferocious...
Hors d'oeuvres are served?
He ignores the little critter... to small to spend the effort?
Definitely either really brave or stupid...
Found a few others over the course of shooting.
Potato Aphid... It's what's for dinner.
He makes short work of the unfortunate aphid...
Potato Aphid, these were all over the place
No idea what this might be... Maybe a transition from the larva to Lady Beetle?
This guy showed up briefly... a Damsel Fly of some sort
Metallic Flea Beetle
And some actual Lady Beetles
Some kind of mite?
Emerald Lynx Spider - Daniel spotted this guy after I totally missed him.
He also spotted this guy, which was climbing around his arm almost faster than Daniel could twist around to keep it facing me so I could get a shot of it! A Black Tailed Red Sheetweaver.
A Zebra Longhorn - note the red parasite on the back of his neck...
I reached the point where I thought I'd found most of the bugs in the flower patch and decided to head over to a wood pile on the side of the house in search of spiders. I found this guy, which I think might be the same one I found a few weeks prior in the same general area.
Some kind of Orb Weaver
There weren't any other spiders I could find, so I moved on around front to some bushes outside our kitchen window and found these.
I've not been able to identify this one.
And last, bu not least of all, some kind of common fly