Large Milkweed Bug – Bug Guide Aposematism is when an organism advertises to its predators that it is not worth eating Unsurprisingly this photo of a large milkweed bug was taken on a milkweed plant. Their common name is in fact “large milkweed bug”. The scientific name for this insect is Oncopeltus fasciatus. The geographic […]
Sawfly Larvae – More Info These groups of eggs are referred to as pods or rafts What is a sawfly? Sawflies are a wasp-like creature. However, this photograph shows sawfly larvae, which is the worm-like stage of this animal. This is what a sawfly looks like after hatching from an egg, but before metamorphosis transforms this caterpillar-looking creature into […]
Spined Micrathena – iNaturalist Their webs are tightly woven with a diameter up to about eight inches This spooky spider is called a spined micrathena. Although it produces venom, this venom is harmless to humans. These spiders are in the orb-weaver family of spiders (Araneidae). Wild Boyz Photography has featured a variety of orb weaver spiders over the years. Below […]
Green Sweat Bee – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Green sweat bees will lick the sweat from human skin Check out this metallic green pollinator. As the name suggests, this green colored bee is attracted to human sweat, primarily for its salt content. Male and female green sweat bees will lick the sweat from human skin. These bees are […]
Groundhog – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern Groundhogs are also known as woodchucks This fun little rodent is called a groundhog. I had rented a supertelephoto lens one day, and I was out looking to take photos of birds. Then looking off to the left, I saw a groundhog scurrying about in the woods. With great […]
Lilies – Wildflower Center Lilies can grow to be 1 to 6 feet tall! A common flower encountered in the Midwest is the lily. Lilies have the scientific name of Lilium, is a Latin word which comes from the Greek word leirion. The Greek word comes from the Egyptian word for Flower. Lilies grow in southern […]
American robin – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The scientific name for the America robin is Turdus migratorius Pictured here are several robin eggs sitting in a tree about four feet off the ground. I chose this picture because when I think Midwest bird, I immediately think of the American robin. I wanted to use this […]
Speckle-Winged Rangeland Grasshopper – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data If you look closely, even their eyes are speckled! This interesting looking grasshopper is called a speckle-winged rangeland grasshopper. Its name is a mouthful so for the remainder of this article we will refer to it as the SWRG. This grasshopper is relatively small. The one in this photo is […]
Cabbage White Butterfly – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data There were lots of pollinators amongst the thick vegetation. The last few years I’ve made a concerted effort to visit the few states I have not seen. This summer I made it to Nebraska for the first time. Just south of Omaha is an awesome riverside park called […]
Black Shouldered Drone Fly – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Black shouldered drone flies are a species of hoverfly This month Wild Boyz Photography is highlighting the beauty of Midwest nature. Ben currently lives in the Midwest. Before living in New Hampshire and Florida, I also spent ten years in Indiana. Both Ben and I have shot many […]