Tag Archives: Macro

Bee on a ribwort plantain

When I saw this bee I thought, I know that plant, but what’s the name of it? Well, it’s ribwort plantain, but my knowledge of it stems from many years ago when, as kids, we used to pick them, loop the stem around just below the head of the plant, and then jerk that loop forward to send the head of the plant zinging in the direction of the intended victim. It was amazing how far those heads would travel.

This bee is using the plant for more beneficial purposes.

Posted in response to Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Perspective.’ See more responses here.

Bees on mamane flowers

This week’s Friendly Friday challenge theme is ‘Yellow.’ See more responses here.

This is a good excuse to post more photos of bees foraging on bright yellow māmane flowers. Māmane (Sophora chrysophylla) is endemic to Hawaii, but while its flowers attract many insects, the seeds are highly toxic. The endangered palila, one of the last endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers, is a bird that feeds mostly on the māmane’s immature seed pods without any ill effect.

Green anole

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Green Macro or Close-Up.’ See more offerings here.

Here’s a green anole (Anolis carolinensis) perched on a green ti leaf so that I could take its photo (possibly). Light greens in the sun, dark greens in the shadow. With all this, I can forgive the anole its powder blue eye-shadow.

Passion vine butterfly at rest

I saw this passion vine butterfly resting one windy late-afternoon. It didn’t seem in any rush to head off into the wind again so I got some decent photos. What I like about the photos is that I was close enough to get clear images of the butterfly’s labial palps, the white appendages sticking up on either side of the proboscis. These palps are covered with hairs that are believed to allow the butterfly to sense whether something is edible or not.

Sheep Bot Fly

The sheep bot fly (Oestrus ovis) is also known as the sheep nose bot fly or sheep nostril fly. That’s because larval stages of this fly move into the nasal passages of sheep and goats. So not only is it good looking, but it also resides in the best of neighborhoods.

I like how, in the top image, the fly appears to be bigger than the fair-sized town of Waimea, on the map, though it’s actually about half-an-inch long. Then, in the lower image, the large eye casts a quizzical look.

There were no sheep for miles where these photos were taken, but there’s no shortage of goats in the vicinity, so that probably accounts for the presence of the fly.

Black saddlebags skimmer dragonfly

I’d noticed this dragonfly returning to the same twig a few times so I positioned myself to take photos if it continued to do so. Luckily it did and I got a few shots before it took off for good.

The black saddlebags dragonfly (Tramea lacerata) gets its name from the distinctive markings on the wings. It’s found in most places in the U.S. and is one of those good bugs because both naiads and adults help control mosquitos by consuming their larvae.