Leaf-cutter Ants


Welcome to B3 — Be a Better Beetle!! I’ve been trying to catch one of these guys for 2 years out in Davis Mountains!! Finally nabbed one with a butterfly net. Photographed and released. They are super swift and maneuverable!! I believe it’s called an Emerald Euphoria, which is such a great name for these…
Ok, it’s insect time. Here’s one of my top 3 insects — White-lined Sphinx. Found2 of these beauties at Lake Balmorhea. Interestingly, my camera on pretty high speed seemed to be exactly coordinated with the wingbeats. I always feel that these guys are mimicking hummingbirds to avoid predation.
I enjoyed the sunrise at Cedar point on Lake Buchanan yesterday and with the approaching Festivus season (“the festivus for the rest of us”) it was nice to find many of these beautiful Axarus festivus (as I’m told by iNat) a variety of midge.
2 things bringing me joy on morning walk this morning 1) bees swarming all over a flowering bush, 2) upland sandpipers calling overhead come down from points north (u won’t find then in the pix, it’s just for symbolic purposes)
You gotta love a woman who responds with a huge enthusiastic grin, gets her shoes on, and follows you outside when you say “We have dung beetles!!!!”!! We were delighted to see 3 of these little dudes rolling their business at our place near Fort Davis!!!
Banana slug in Pac NW.