even when we don't know what they are...

this one likes Blue Balloons:

lots of Blue Balloons flowers for this one:

awwww

other things like pollinators too

I like pollinators too! What kind of butterfly is that? Zebra swallowtail?

Terrene, I hope someone tells us! - hh

Hmmm...I'm gonna guess it's some kind of Fritillary...but I sent an email to my friend who is a lepidopterist to identify...

Oh Wow! Thank you. Beautiful photos.

bk

I was surprised to see a blueish black hornet working the flowers quite a few times this year. And the bumble bees seem to like having the honey bees out of the way.

actually there are over a dozen native bees here in Michigan , I have a poster with pics and ID's of them.

last week we had a hummingbird moth here and my wife saw it when I pointed it out to her , night creatures, and @ first glances seem like baby hummers

the bumble bees and honey bees seem to coexist just fine here

the varieties and numbers of pollinators always amaze me - even the wind itself

bk

many.of us have enjoyed ur garden pics

me 2

Could that be a Rice Paper butterfly??

Beautiful photos of pollinators! Great thread subject! Thank you. :-)
Jo.

...or a Painted Lady butterfly?

I have a butterfly category in my puzzle treasury...Rice Paper and Painted Lady seem the closest of the pics offered. Can't wait for Don's friend to identify it...very beautiful butterfly.

Was that a zoom or did you get close to the butterfly? I had a big dude land on a Palm after it rained, wings spread, think it was drying or warming itself. Lots of b.flies this year...and assassin nymphs too. Some variety might be included in your bug gallery.

today was pollinate all the Sedum Autumn Joy day. they were *swarmed*! Caught these 2 on cam.

my pics r taken with my smarty-pants celery fone cuz it's all i got ^_^

hh

Hostahillbilly,

Was the pic of the butterfly taken at your house in Michigan?

The butterfly in your pic sure looks a lot like the Rice Paper butterfly (Idea leuconoe), but that species apparently inhabits southeast Asia, not North America. See Rice Paper butterfly on Wikipedia.

The Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis and Vanessa cardui) is native to North America. See Painted Lady on Wikipedia.

Sir Don,

I am sooooo busted!

This b-fly pic escaped my folder organization system and upon investigation is from our early spring trip to the Dow Gardens Butterfly House in Midland MI so yes, the pic is from MI, but the butterfly may not be. I hope your expert isn't *too* p-o'd at me...

I try to id location if shot elsewhere, and even ask permission from other garden owners b4 even shooting, ask Tim @ K Gardens , he gladly lets me shoot all the cool new stuff he collects. He'll probably even tell you about the times we stumbled into his 'new stuff' area and Wilma caught us at check out, teehee. This year my wife grabbed a unique one in greenhouse 6 - I told her "wait, that looks waaaay to unique, becha we're in Tim's private stock agin". Shor 'nuff, a cupla moments laterTim cruzed up on the gator, noticed the special Hosta from probably 50' away and sounded the alarm, woop-woop-intruder alert! The special part of the story is that Tim ended up giving us a fine start of 'Margie's Angel', of which he has grown a massive, stunning mature example, and with his permission to foto and publish it on HL, we won some new Hostas (arrived today, Josh Spece sends his plants well !).

Sir Don,

I am sooooo busted!

This b-fly pic escaped my folder organization system and upon investigation is from our early spring trip to the Dow Gardens Butterfly House in Midland MI so yes, the pic is from MI, but the butterfly may not be. I hope your expert isn't *too* p-o'd at me...

I try to id location if shot elsewhere, and even ask permission from other garden owners b4 even shooting, ask Tim @ K Gardens , he gladly lets me shoot all the cool new stuff he collects. He'll probably even tell you about the times we stumbled into his 'new stuff' area and Wilma caught us at check out, teehee. This year my wife grabbed a unique one in greenhouse 6 - I told her "wait, that looks waaaay to unique, becha we're in Tim's private stock agin". Shor 'nuff, a cupla moments laterTim cruzed up on the gator, noticed the special Hosta from probably 50' away and sounded the alarm, woop-woop-intruder alert! The special part of the story is that Tim ended up giving us a fine start of 'Margie's Angel', of which he has grown a massive, stunning mature example, and with his permission to foto and publish it on HL, we won some new Hostas (arrived today, Josh Spece sends his plants well !).

Sir Don,

I am sooooo busted!

This b-fly pic escaped my folder organization system and upon investigation is from our early spring trip to the Dow Gardens Butterfly House in Midland MI so yes, the pic is from MI, but the butterfly may not be. I hope your expert isn't *too* p-o'd at me...

I try to id location if shot elsewhere, and even ask permission from other garden owners b4 even shooting, ask Tim @ K Gardens , he gladly lets me shoot all the cool new stuff he collects. He'll probably even tell you about the times we stumbled into his 'new stuff' area and Wilma caught us at check out, teehee. This year my wife grabbed a unique one in greenhouse 6 - I told her "wait, that looks waaaay to unique, becha we're in Tim's private stock agin". Shor 'nuff, a cupla moments laterTim cruzed up on the gator, noticed the special Hosta from probably 50' away and sounded the alarm, woop-woop-intruder alert! The special part of the story is that Tim ended up giving us a fine start of 'Margie's Angel', of which he has grown a massive, stunning mature example, and with his permission to foto and publish it on HL, we won some new Hostas (arrived today, Josh Spece sends his plants well !).

Today this lil bugger was pollinating some Chamomile flowerz - i like the tea, does he ?

hh

There were so many pollinators working the system today, gotta git the pollen b4 winter, huh?

Sedum Autumn Joy was todays big hit:

sorry about the last post, it was s bumble-bee but dint turn out like it looked here

Honeybee in Spring, pollenating a Tulip.

Don B.

Love these buzzy bee zzz..on Rose of Sharon

It's amazing how focused the bees are on their work when I'm taking photos...I am a mere 4 inches away from them ... they just ignore me and carry on as if I wasn't even there...i can actually deadhead (albeit carefully) on the same plant they're pollinating.... at the same time....now how's that for 'teamwork' ? Lol

This post was edited by josephines67 on Fri, Sep 6, 13 at 2:29

Here's his twin on a dark leafed dahlia. :-)

You have to stretch the pic to see him, middle left, but there is a bee with only his little butt showing. :-) ...I can't believe how he managed to squeeze into that flower! as the funnel is rather narrow...this is Crocosmia 'Lucifer'.
I was entertained watching him wiggle and squirm to get out..he was very busy in and out of the many blooms!

Hostahillbilly,

That is soooo funny! Yes, I heard about that story from Tim when we were over there cooking out a couple weeks ago. I don't know how it came up...but we both just got a big laugh out of it! Yes, Tim's humungous Margie's Angel is a real showstopper, isn't it?! I can see why you grabbed one out of his private stash...

And that butterfly pic...you are soooo busted! Yeh, if you shot that pic inside the butterfly house, it's probably a Rice Paper butterfly...just couldn't figure out why it wasn't in my Audubon Guide to North American Butterflies... Anyway, a real nice pic of a beautiful butterfly! We all enjoy your photos! Keep posting...

Today's pollinators worked my heirloom Marigolds:

they liked *all* varieties

and it wasn't just the beez