Goldenrod Crab Spider on Stem

photograph of a goldenrod crab spider on the stem of a plant

 

Sometimes when I’m hiking I like to stop, at seemingly random places, and look closely at my surroundings.  I might spend 5 or 10 minutes just trying to discover the little things that most people walk right by completely unaware.  If you’ve never done this before I highly recommend it.  Almost anywhere you go you will be amazed at some of the small wonders that present themselves if you just slow down and take a little time to become acquainted with your surroundings.

This Goldenrod Crab Spider was one such secret, hiding right in front of my eyes.  I stepped off the hiking trail into a small meadow just to see what might be there.  I looked around a bit and was about to move along when I noticed this spider sitting motionless, the embodiment of patience and stillness.  Goldenrod Crab Spiders will sit for long periods of time, waiting for an unsuspecting insect to come within reach.  You can frequently find them inside blooms using the flower as natural bait.

Damselfly on Ivy

photograph of a damselfly on a leave

This damselfly was patrolling a small, sunny patch of ivy when I encountered it in late August, near Richmond, VA.  It seems like a common species but I haven’t been able to identify it.

Aphid Nightmare

photograph of a ladybird beetle feeding on aphids

This family of aphids watches helplessly as one of their clan is ruthlessly devoured by their arch enemy, the ladybird beetle (aka ladybug).  When you look at a ladybug it’s easy to forget they are savage predators.

Spider Wasp on Lance-Leaved Goldenrod

photograph of a Spider Wasp on Lance-Leaved Goldenrod

Here’s another wasp I’m not quite sure I correctly identified.  I believe it is a Spider Wasp.  Regardless, it was one of the pollinators that shared their meadow with me in early September.  Like other wasps and bees I’ve photographed, this one didn’t seem to pay any attention to my presence.  Perhaps because I was sitting still and it approached me rather than the other way around.

From what I’ve read Spider Wasps can be aggressive and have quite a painful sting.  I guess it’s a good thing it didn’t mind me being there.

Eastern Carpenter Bee Landing On Thin-Leaved Sunflower

photograph of an Eastern Carpenter Bee landing on a Thin-Leaved Sunflower

During a photo outing to shoot wildflowers I decided to take a few backlit shots.  In the process I began tracking a few Eastern Carpenter Bees as they passed by.  I was lucky enough to capture this one as it prepared to land on a thin-leaved sunflower.

I like the way backlit flowers almost glow but that’s pretty easy to predict, setup and shoot.  After all, except for the wind, the flowers aren’t really moving.  I was really pleased with the lighting of the bee in this photo.

Like most of the photos on my blog, you can click the image to open a larger version of the photo.  Check out all the pollen covering this bee.  This clearly wasn’t its first flower of the day.