Monarch Butterfly
A Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) recently visited my yard, first sharing a meal with a cabbage butterfly dining on the tall purple Liatris (Liatris spicata) and then drinking the nectar of other nearby flowers. It was thrilling to have this
Red Admiral Butterfly
Red Admiral Butterfly – Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758). The Red Admiral loves to dine on the sweet nectar of the coneflower and so has found its way into an abundant patch of these gorgeous orange and pink flowers in the northern
Red Lily Beetle
The red lily beetle, also known as the scarlet lily beetle and the lily leaf beetle (Lilioceris lilii), can wreak a lot of damage upon gardeners’ lily collections. The red lily beetle turned up in 2013 in my yard and
The Beautiful Bumblebee Moth
Bumblebee Moth or Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis). It’s a hummingbird, it’s a bee… well, actually it’s neither. It just likes other creatures to think it is something other than a moth, so it has, in a remarkable fashion, evolved to
Insect Hotels and Condos
What, you may be wondering, are insect hotels and condos? When I first saw a sign for an insect hotel, it certainly caught my eye. What really drew my attention, though, was the gorgeous work of living art nearby that
Chalk-fronted Corporal Dragonfly
Ladonna (Libellula) Julia. Chalk-fronted Corporal Dragonfly. Dragonflies are among my favourite insects, and the chalk-fronted corporal dragonfly is certainly a sturdy and handsome specimen. The word “corporal” suits the look of this compact, agile, and fast flier. This species is
Mourning Cloak Butterfly, Nymphalis antiopa
Nymphalis antiopa. Mourning Cloak. Mourning Cloak butterflies, members of the Nymphalidae Family, are common throughout North America and into northern South America. They are also native and common to Europe and Asia. The species is known in Europe by a variety
Tropical Butterflies
Tropical butterflies are simply gorgeous. Seeing numerous species, in abundance, within an enclosed observation garden, watching them in motion among the tropical flowers and foliage, is a real privilege. We visited the exhibit, Im Reich der Tropischen Schmetterlinge, at Rhododendon
Grasshoppers in the Garden
Above: Differentiated Grasshopper (perhaps) As a result of some clear, dry weather, there were a fair number of grasshoppers in my yard this summer, appearing in August and lasting into October. I can’t say I am particularly fond of grasshoppers.
Gentle garden bumblebees
Bombus. Native Bumblebee. The most wonderful sound in the garden is made by the best of all garden visitors – the “humble” garden bumblebee. Big round bumblebees were a common sight in my youth, and I am grateful to say that
