Monday, August 22, 2011

Meadowhawk dragonfly, probably White-faced Meadowhawk, Fillmore county, Mn.


Sunday, August 21, 2011

Halloween Pennant Dragonfly, Fillmore county Mn.


BUTTERFLIES(Tiger Swallowtail dark phase female above)

Black Swallowtail(female) on cup plant in our prairie.


Black Swallowtail(female)


Small blue Damsel fly-unsure of species. Beltrami county Mn


Satyr(I think Wood Nymph) Butterfly


Hackberry butterfly on our window. So named for the larva that feeds on the leaves of the Hackberry tree.


Cup Plant against the blue skies of Minnesota in August


Tiger Swallowtail on Bergemot. Notice how the wings appear to be somewhat wrinkled. This is because this butterfly had just emerged and has not had time to totally pump up its wings yet. It only would fly about 4 ft ahead of us because its wings were not yet fully readly to use.




Tiger Swallowtail dark phase female on one of our cup plants.


Darner Family Dragonfly Beltrami County Mn


Variable Darner dragonfly Beltrami County Mn


Walking Sticks are more common than most people realize but they are hard to find because they do indeed look like a twig.

White Admiral butterfly, Beltrami county MN. This one is getting old and somewhat battered by age.




White Cabbage butterflies are a very common species. They seldom land and sit still and this is the best photo I have been able to get because of this behavior.


Commom Blue butterfly


Common Blue butterflies are about 1 inch+ in size. You will seldom see the blue when they are resting.


Buckeye butterflies do not hatch out in Minnesota but they do sometimes migrate from farther south into Minnesota.


Tuesday, August 2, 2011

DRAGONFLIES, FLOWERS, AND BUTTERFLIES PUT ON A SHOW

Male Widow Skimmer dragonfly on Bergamot flower. These preditors of m0squitos are now quite common . Fillmore county Mn.




Ten or possibly 12-spotted dragonfly. Mower county MN.




Saddlebacked dragonfly. Mower county Mn.




This is an adult Cicada. You can hear the high-pitched buzzing sound comming from the trees as the days of July and August heat up-This is the mating call of the Cicada.


Cicada nymph exoskeleton. If you look closely at the back of this dried up exoskeleton you can see where the Cicada adult crawled out.


MANY PRAIRIE FLOWERS ARE NOW BLOOMING




Mud Dabber wasp on Mountain Mint flower. Mud Dabbers look fierce but are not at all aggressive. They come to our bird bath all day long to get water that they then use to make their mud formed homes.

Yellow Coneflowers(or gray-headed) are very common right now.


Bergamont is a common prairie and roadside flower that has is related to mints.


A true plant of the prairies. Called the Compass plant because the leaves tend to face the rising and setting sun and therefore align north and south.


The tall Cup Plant is in bloom, especially in moist prairies


The last of the Turkcap lilies are blooming now


Pale Purple Coneflowers and Butterfly


weed have about run their blooms out by now.

BUTTERFLIES ARE NOW COMMON IN S.E. MINNESOTA

The Monarchs are now mating to produce the 4th, and last, generation that will make the long migration to the wintering grounds in Mexico.






Wood Nymph Saryr Butterflies have eyespots on their wings. This one is feeding on a bergamont flower.


Forester Moth on grape vine. We had never seen this particular moth before this year.







Pearl Cresent butterfly

Anglewing and bottleflies on rotten apples


Anglewing butterflies feed on rotten vegitation and animal scat.


This butterfly is now common. Its larva feeds on nettles.


Great Spangled Fritillary on milkweed plant


Page 1 of milkweed article for the Spring Valley Tribune


Page two of milkweed article


Tiger Swallowtail butterfly feeding on Purple Coneflower.