This is the time of year when agave attenuata blooms here. When they do, they’re a magnet for bees, which bustle and burrow through the maze of blooms.
Tag Archives: Macro
Balloon plant
I’ve seen balloon plants (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) in local pastures before, but not up close like this. The balloons are the fruit of the plants. The long hairy spines become stiffer and spiky-looking when the balloons inflate prior to releasing their seeds.
Posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Past Squares – Spiky.’ See more responses here.
Pink flowers
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘The Pink Side of Life.’ See more responses here.
The top photo shows a leaf cutter bee on what I think is a zinnia violacea flower. Next we have a ball of Egyptian starcluster (Pentas lanceolata) flowers and Pinkfringe (Arthrostemma ciliatum) flowers.
Next comes the lovely marking of a shell ginger flower and the puffy blooms of a sensitive plant.
Finally, there’s a pink banana hosting a visitor, a gold dust day gecko after a little something to drink.
Also posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Past Squares – In the Pink/Flowers.’ See more responses here.
Metropolitan
A close up of the logo on a Honda Metropolitan scooter.
Posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Past Squares – Circles and Squares/Blue.’ See more responses here.
A spiky passion vine butterfly caterpillar
This is a caterpillar with a message and the message is ‘Back off.’ This is illustrated by the orange and black coloring and black spikes, which in this case conveys that these caterpillars are poisonous. Fortunately, I wasn’t hungry at the time so no harm done. Passion vine butterfly caterpillars, on the other hand, seem to be permanently hungry. Whenever I see them they’re munching leaves like old time video game characters.
Posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Past Squares – Spiky.’ See more responses here.
Alright, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.
The current Friendly Friday challenge theme is ‘Close ups and Macros.’ See more responses here. Here’s a selection of some little creatures up close and personal.
A bee on a clover flower. 
A wandering glider dragonfly rests on a stalk. 
A female Hawaiian garden spider on her web. 
A grasshopper (Schistocerca nitens) sunning itself. 
Run for your life, it’s a giant African land snail! 
Guess who’s coming to dinner?
Incoming
This cabbage butterfly was enjoying a feed on a tree heliotrope, apparently unaware that company was imminent.
Bugs
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Summer Bugs.’ (See more responses here.) To the best of my knowledge, Hawaii’s bugs are pretty much the same year-round. Here are some of them.
The top photo shows a bee showing impressive balance on a maiapilo flower.
Next up, clockwise from top left: Getting down to eye level with a juvenile praying mantis. A painted lady butterfly on a kiawe tree. A katydid wondering what it’s done to deserve this much attention. A seven-spotted lady beetle being watched.
The final gallery: Top left: A mango flower beetle explores a spider lily. Top right: A watchful cane spider wondering if it should run, very fast, away. Bottom left: A Hawaiian carpenter ant (Camponotus variegatus), one of too many that have taken up residence in the house. Bottom right: A rusty millipede deciding that it’s all too much!
Graham's Island 