ROBERT WAS PHOTOGRAPHING THE AJO LILY (IT'S A VERY RARE BLOOMER IN THE DESERT) WHEN THE SPHYNX MOTH SUDDENLY LANDED ON THE LILY AND APPEARED IN HIS CAMERA VIEWFINDER! WHAT A KICK!
SPHINX MOTH PROBING A BLOSSOM
WHITE-LINED SPHINX MOTH
EVENTUALLY EVERYTHING YOU GET TO SEE IN YOUR GARDEN SEEMS BEAUTIFUL IN ITS OWN WAY . . . TRUE EVEN OF THE GARDEN S-L-U-G . . .
GIANT GARDEN-SLUGS MATING
CLOSE-UP OF GIANT GARDEN-SLUGS MATING
SHORT-HORNED GRASSHOPPER
GIANT SWALLOWTAIL SHOWING HINDWING 'TAILS'
A NEON SKIMMER, BRIGHT, BEAUTIFUL AND SO APTLY NAMED
MATING DRAGONFLIES - PERHAPS "NEON" DRAGONFLIES . . .
A DELICATE BLUE DARNER
WE SPENT QUITE A FEW HOURS WORKING TO CAPTURE THE MANY DRAGONFLIES ZIPPING AROUND US IN ERRATIC FLIGHT BESIDE A POND - HERE'S ONE OF THEM . . . A BLUE DARNER DRAGONFLY
BLACK AND WHITE DRAGONFLY
DRAGONFLY, SKIMMER? The only thing we know for sure is that the leaves were starting to turn color . . . WHICH dragonfly do you believe this one is?
ORANGETIP BUTTERFLY
ANOLE, QUIET BUT SO COLORFUL WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT CLOSELY
FLY ON A WOOD FROG'S EYE ONE OF THE LEOPARD FROGS BUT NO IDEA WHICH FLY THAT IS . . .
SPOTTED LADYBIRD BEETLE THAT WE SPOTTED (HA!) WHILE WANDERING IN A WEEDY FIELD
A VERY LARGE (AND VERY NOISY) SWARM OF BEES IN THE DESERT. WE DIDN'T SPEND LONG AT THIS SPOT! HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A SWARM IN FLIGHT SEARCHING FOR ANOTHER HOME?
VEINED WHITE BUTTERFLY
A COMMA BUTTERFLY - uhhh, right? LOOKS LIKE A COMMA TO ME . . . WHAT DO YOU THINK?
THE LOVELY PIPEVINE SWALLOWTAIL. HAD TO PHOTOGRAPH THIS OVERHEAD - NOT EASY. IT WAS SO PRETTY, THOUGH!
PERCHED FRITILLARY, JUST A NICE COMBO OF COLORS
PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY. THE NAME SAYS IT ALL, DOESN'T IT?
SOUTHERN DOGFACE BUTTERFLY. SILLY NAME FOR SUCH A PRETTY CREATURE.
ZEBRA HELACONIAN LONG-WING BUTTERFLY. THIS WAS DOWN IN FLORIDA - SO EXOTIC!
Mating Flies
UNWELCOME VISITOR IN OUR GARDEN - A NORWAY RAT!
Perhaps a 'Neon' Dragonfly?
THE DRAGONFLY CAME TO REST FOR A MOMENT ON ONE OF LOVELY FUCHSIAS ON THE SIDE DECK.
SWALLOWTAIL ON OUR RHODENDRON
DRAGONFLY ON LAVENDER BLOSSOM
A LITTLE CRAB SPIDER APPEARED ON THE BOTTOM OF ONE OF OUR HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS . . .
IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE THE CRAB SPIDER NABBED A MOTH USING ITS LONG, STRONG FRONT LEGS AND IMMOBILIZED IT WITH A BITE INJECTING A LETHAL DOSE OF VENOM
THE CRAB SPIDER SPENT SOME TIME REARRANGING THE MOTH WITH ITS FANGS INSERTED INTO THE MOTH'S BODY (PERHAPS THE DIGESTION/REGURGITATION PROCESS? MAYBE . . . )
WE QUESTIONED THE DIGESTION REMARK BECAUSE SOME CRAB SPIDER MOTHS EVIDENTLY DO NOT 'EAT' THE PREY BUT CARRY IT OFF TO A NEST. PERHAPS THAT'S TRUE HERE BECAUSE THE NEXT TIME WE CHECKED, BOTH THE SPIDER AND MOTH HAD DISAPPEARED!
UNIDENTIFIED WHITE MOTH - A COUPLE DOZEN OF THESE MOTHS APPEARED ON THE OUTSIDE WALLS OF OUR HOME FOR SEVERAL DAYS . . . ANYONE OUT THERE WHO CAN ID THEM FOR US?
A BEAUTIFUL BLUE-EYED DARNER ON THE THYME PLANT ON THE DECK
ANOTHER VERSION OF GARDEN ORB SPIDERS TO SPIN IT'S WEB IN OUR GARDEN - BEAUTIFUL, NON-POISONOUS AND BENEFICIAL . . . BUT BIG!!
WHOAAA! If you think this image gets your attention you should see this whopper Cross Garden Orb Spider in real life !
Cabbage White Butterfly on the leaf of a Red Currant
Cabbage White Butterfly on a marigold blossom
HARVESTER BUTTLEFLY? If you don't agree, give me your guess . . . please
GARDEN SPIDER HATCHLINGS
GARDEN SPIDER HATCHINGS
BLACK SWALLOWTAIL ON THISTLE
