Mason Wasps – BugGuide The abdomen is noted by three thin stripes The wasp pictured here is a pitted mason wasp. This is a solitary wasp that is found across the United States and southern Canada. It’s most common east of the Great Plains. Within the Euodynerus genus, it is the most common species. The […]
Swift Feather-Legged Fly – Bug Guide Look in grasslands, hedge rows, and crops, which they are likely to inhabit This photo of a swift feather-legged fly was taken in my backyard. The fly was staying around as I was cutting zucchini off the vine. There were a few in the garden, but this one was […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Virginian Tiger Moth – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data It seemed to be amorphous with no defined front or back Sometimes nature does 95% of the work for you and taking a great photo. I was sitting on my front porch one evening with my wife and donor when suddenly, I looked down and saw […]
Dark-Legged Grass Spider – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Dark-legged grass spiders are a species of funnel weavers Slowing down can be one of the fastest ways to spot beauty in nature. I took this photo of a dark-legged grass spider while on a hike with my brother. He has an incredible knack for spotting […]
Fall Webworm Moth – iNaturalist The fall webworm moth can now be found in many parts of the world I saw this brightly colored caterpillar while I was hiking at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis. This fuzzy fellow will grow up to be a white moth known as a fall webworm. It is primarily known […]