Insect Bonanza

[yourlibrarian]

Never saw a bunch of butterflies clustered together like this before, much less so preoccupied that photos were possible.





I saw this dragonfly buzzing around some plants. It was hard to catch but as it kept circling back to land every time I approached I finally got something relatively close up.





A praying mantis has been hanging out on one of our plants for most of the summer. My partner dubbed her Harriet after Harry in Death in Paradise.

Comments

[pauraque]

Was the area where the butterflies were clustered wet at all? Sometimes they'll congregate in damp areas to replenish fluids and nutrients. The behavior is called puddling. Earlier this year I saw dozens of Tiger Swallowtails puddling in a muddy parking lot!

[yourlibrarian]

Could be but we haven't had rain in a while so I wouldn't have thought so. But it could be the ground was damp beneath the grasses.