*UPDATED*

FOREWORD:

IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH ABOUT BUGS, THIS POST IS NOT FOR YOU!

Continuing from Part One where we looked at some of the crawly things I've discovered. I think you folks will appreciate this one a bit more as it has to do with some of the more beautiful and graceful bugs and insects: those that take wing.

Here then are fifteen photos for your perusal.

All photos are copyright 2008 by Bill Schwartz, all rights reserved. You can contact me here via OS Message, or send an e-mail to billsvt@gmail.com for outside e-mail if you would like to discuss using any of my photos.

This humongous moth landed on my screen door one summer's eve. I had to tickle him a little bit to get him to open his wings up some so that you could see the beautiful colors in there. He was big enough to cover my nose had he landed on my face, which is saying a lot if you've seen my nose. :-D

I was out shooting some local flora when this little monster buzzed right past my face and landed just a few feet away. It took me nearly a week of searching and begging before I got an answer as to what he is: my online expert's best guess is an immature fruit fly based on coloring. The wings, which you can't see very well here (my focus was on that amazing little head) are what got me; they're banded almost like a dragonfly.

The coloring on this fly demanded that I take his pic. The green-blue hues, almost metallic in their sheen, were just awesome. This guy is my heavy metal fly - no idea what the species is, I just love his colors.

"Do these pants make my ass look fat?" A solitary bee collecting pollen on a sunflower. I love how big the pollen sacks are.

I almost killed this one, thinking it was the biggest damn mosquito I'd ever seen. But on close inspection, there was no stinger so I simply shot a bunch of pics and went off to research on the web. This is a crane fly, a pest but relatively harmless to humans (meaning they don't bite). You can find out more about them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly

These ethereal creatures are easy to miss. This is a lacewing, not very large but pretty plentiful around here. You can find out more about lacewings here:

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/predators/chrysoperla.html

Apologies for the focus on this one, but this critter was very finicky and flitting from flower to flower quite quickly. A Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, the only one I've seen around here. The coloring on these creatures is just gorgeous.

I originally mistook this one for a Monarch as it flitted by me and alit in the grass. On closer inspection it was obviously not - this is a Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly, the only one I've seen so far around here.

One of my favorites - a Monarch Butterly that was kind enough to hang around and let me get some shots, yet just mischevious enough to make me take many of them holding the camera (this one was with the Panasonic) over the top of the flowers and shooting the butterfly upside-down.

This alien looking critter is unidentified at this time. Possibly a lacewing variant, I saw this one while out walking the snowmobile trails near work. I'm still waiting for my experts to get back to me, so if any of you out there know what it is, speak up!
*UPDATE*

Positive ID on this alien creature is a leafhopper (family Cicadellidae). I received confirmation from my online expert, and I finally found an entry in the bug guide: http://bugguide.net/node/view/146/bgimage

The beautiful red coloring on this wasp caught my eye as she collected up pollen dust all over her from this Queen Ann's Lace.

This gorgeous wasp had legs that wouldn't quit and one of the longest abdomen's I've ever seen. Still unidentified as to species, I'm waiting for my experts to get back to me.

I thought this was a Christmas Ladybug, the silver and gold coloring were so sweet! My online experts tell me this is a Dogwood Beetle. Taken on glass outside of work.

I forget exactly how ladybugs got introduced into our area, there is one story floating around that Ben & Jerry's introduced them to control other pests. Whatever the reason, there is an annual ladybug infestation in most homes in the area, mine included. I spend a lot of time (along with my daughter) catching them and taking them outside to be free. This one kept flitting from windowpane to windowpane on my back door, so I decided to try and catch her either in flight or landing. This is by far one of my most favorite shots. It should be - I took over forty of her before I found one I liked. :-D

Last, but not least, the best accidental on purpose shot I've taken to date. This wasp is a teeny little critter (the white foreground blobs are Queen Ann's Lace), and I followed her around for a good five minutes trying to catch her in flight.

That will bring Part Two to a conclusion. I'll post Part Three: Dragons, Damsels And Monsters, some time near the beginning of next week. Maybe sooner if you yell real loud at me. :-D

Thanks for coming by everyone, and thanks very much for allowing me to share these photos with you.