Insect Photos! Click the thumbnail to see the photo. Currently in alphabetical order for the most part, except for ones that have be re-identified (it just would take to much to re-shuffle them).
"American Lady - July" Taken up near Echo Lake, on my way out of camp. Just perfect lighting that day. "American Lady - July" The same butterfly but with its wings closed this time. Great colours. "American Lady - June" One of the first times I saw this butterfly. "American Lady - June" My first time Photographing this butterfly, it was a very sunny day. "American Lady Feeding" Taken behind the Halton Conservation office, in the Restoration Area planted there. "American Lady Face on" Same as above but from the front. A very cool shot I thought. "American Lady feeding" Feeding on some Asters in the Restoration Area. October 1st "Arctic Skipper" The only one of this species I saw this summer. Was in a swamp & posed nicely for me. "Arrowhead Spiketail" An amaising find! Has the rarest rating & almost thought expropreated from Ontario. "Ashy Clubtail" Taken in a Silver Maple swamp, cool day which made him sit still & I got this shot. "Baltimore Checkerspot - Wings Closed" Taken neat Lake Medad, in a meadowy thicket swamp. "Baltimore Checkerspot" Taken around Lake Medad. This species does not wander far from its food plant. "Band-Winged Meadowhawk" A unique looking Meadowhawk, resting on some grass by its pond. "Banded Hairstreak" A small sized Butterfly with tame colours except for the brigh bits near its 'Tails'. "Banded Hairstreak" I sighted this guy as I was wandering around the Royal Botanical Gardens. "Beaverpond Baskettail" Taken in Hilton Falls. A very hard species to identify so don't quote me for its accuracy. "Beaverpond Baskettail" Same as the last but more from a back angle. "Black Saddlebags" A cool dragonfly with dark black paterns on its wings close to its body. "Black Swallowtail" A cool black and yellow butterfly. Taken at the Steels access trail at Kelso park. "Black Swallowtail" I staked out the area for over 1/2 hour to get shots of this guy. It kept flying off for some time. "Black Swallowtail - Side" Taken from quite a distance so its not as good as I would like. "Cabbage White" Very common fall butterflies but so darn hard to get a photo of! "Calico Pennant" Taken at Lake Medad, as it started to rain and just befor I got soaked a flood of rain. "Calico Pennant" Lake Medad again, on a much sunnyer (and dryer) day. "Calico Pennant - Side" The same but from a side angle. These guys sure can be skidish. "Female Calico Pennant" Taken at Hilton Falls as she was resting on the grass lawn. Took a while to get a shot. "Chalk-Fronted Corporal" A very cool find. Lake Medad, he flew out of no where & landed on a coworker then me. "Chalk-Fronted Corporal" He sat on my hand for a few minutes alowing me to get shots from different angles. "Columbine Duskywing" Taken up at Echo Lake. It was resting on the road as I took a walk with my mom. "Common Baskettail" Easily identified by the large dark markings at the base of the lower wings. "Common Ringlet" Taken in Mountsberg, the first field over the railway tracks was just packed with them. "Common Ringlet" A very common butterfly of fields, roadsides and forest edges. "Common Ringlet - Feeding" This one was taken on the edge of a golf cource, feeding on a daisy. "Common Whitetail - Female" Taken along the railway, resting on an old railway tie. "Common Whitetail - Female" Taken at Hilton Falls as she rested on a tree by the trail. "Common Whitetail - Male" A mature male with his distinctive dusty white tail that they are known for. "Common Wood Nymph" A beatifully coloured Wood Nymph. Almost always seen with their wings closed. "Common Wood Nymph" I chased this guy around for the better part of an afternoon to get a shot with wings open. "Common Wood Nymph" A lighter coloured individual than the last one. "Comptons Tortoiseshell" Echo Lake on the grassy driveway. A nicely coloured relative of the Comma. "Compton Tortoiseshell" From the side you can see the comma mark on the underside of the wing same as its relative. "Dot-Tailed Whiteface - Female" Taken at my parents place, on what use to be the old road. "Dot-Tailed Whiteface- Male" Near home a trail that goes back through the forest and a field where he was resting. "Dreamy Duskywing" Taken in Mountsberg. Turned out to be a common one that LOOKS like a rare species. :P "Dun Skipper" Taken in one of the wetlands as it feed on Swamp Milkweed. "Dun Skipper" Skippers hold their wings at an odd angle compaired to most butterflies. "Eastern Amberwing - Female" Taken in Lake Medad. A very beaten up female, the only female I saw of this species. "Eastern Amberwings - Male" Lake Medad, there were a few males hanging around the one edge, took a while to get a shot. "Eastern Amberwing" I had to wade fairly deep into the water at times to catch a shot of these guys. They like staying out on the water. "Eastern Comma" Taken at Echo Lake. I was chasing them unsucsesfully all summer then go up there and they pose nicely. "Eastern Comma" This was a great shot chance. I love the contrast of the lichen covered rock. "Eastern Comma" My first good shots of this species. Taken at Mountsburg on the trail. "Eastern Comma - Wings closed" He even posed with his wing closed for me. I was very happy. "Eastern Pondhawk - Female" A striking green dragonfly. The females are totaly diferent from the males. "Eastern Amberwing - Male" A nice blue male resting on a log. "Eastern Pondhawk - Male" Male Pondhawk resting on a strikingly contrasting green lilypad. "Eastern Pondhawk - Male" Another Male resting on a log, in bright sunlight. "Eastern Tailed Blue - Female" A nice chance sighting of this worn female, feeding on a clover flower in Josuas Creek. "Eastern Tailed Blue - Female" This very tiny butterfly was seen in the Restorarion Area behind the Office. "Eastern Tailed Blue - Female" Followed it for as long as I could (not long...) and got a shot with her wings open. "Eastern Tailed Blue - Male" My favoret shot of this species. Taken in the restoration area just one day after the female. "Eastern Tailed Blue - Male" Only managed to follow him for a few miniutes but did get a shot with wings open. "Eastern Tiger Swallowtail" A nice stunning large butterfly, feeding on dames rocket at Hilton Falls. "Eastern Tiger Swallowtail" It looks hard for such a big butterfly to rest while feeding on flowers. "Eastern Tiger Swallowtail" Chased this guy a long time, bearly got a shot befor he flew to the top of a tree & stayed. "Ebony Jewelwing - Female" A fitting name with all black wings, females have small white squares on the wing. "Ebony Jewelwing - Male" There were areas this summer where they were just everywhere. "Ebony Jewelwing" Theses can be found around most cool vegitated rivers, sometimes quite abundantly. "Emerald Spreadwing" Neet little spreadwings with colourfull bodies. "Emerald Spreadwing" These guys almost have metalic looking colour on their bodies. "EuropeanSkipper" A non-native skipper butterfly. Cool thing is their larva only feed on Non Native grasses too. "European Skipper" There were hundreds in areas. Hundreds. Musta been a good year for them. "Appalacian Eyed Brown" It was very hard to get a shot of these guys with their wings open. "Appalacian Eyed Brown" A fairly common little butterfly. "Appalacian Eyed Brown" Often seen on the edges of thickets or woods or in clearings. "Four Spotted Skimmer" Taken in Hilton Falls, the only shot I have of this species so far. "Great Spangled Fritillary" A nice orange butterfly. Taken up at Echo Lake where they are quite common. "Aphrodite Fritillary" Another taken at Echo Lake along the roadside. One of my favorete unusual angles. "Aphrodite Fritillary" Again at Echo Lake, a Fritillary with its wings closed. "Great Spangled Fritillary" Chased this guy while working, taken in Halton region. "Halloween Pennant - Male" A very cool dragonfly. "Halloween Pennant - Male" I only saw a few of these guys, no females tho. "Halloween Pennant - male" Taken around Lake Medad, hope to see and get a photo ofa female this year... "Hickory Hairsteak" Taken on the edge of a forest in Halton ESA 6A...I can't remember its name right now. "Hobomok Skipper" My first encounter with a skipper, the space age airplaine butterfly as I called them. "Hobomok Skipper" Fuzzy little butterflys these guys are. "Hobomok Skipper" They hold their wings at such a unusual angle. "Hobomok Skipper" Hilton Falls agian. Went there alot, its close, has lots of types of habitat & TONES of space. "Hudsonian Whiteface" Taken at home, Grendville region, on the old road base by my house. "Hummingbird Moth" The only one of these I saw this summer, it was around Lake Medad. "Hummingbird Moth" The name is quite appropriate, as you see. "Juvenals Duskywing" A fairly dark butterfly but easily distinguished by the four little silver spots on the top wing. "Juvenals Duskywing" These guys are somewhat common. Again taken at Hilton Falls. "Little Wood Satyr" A fairly common little butterfly of forest clearings and edges. "Little Wood Satyr" You can kinda see how they hold their wings closed and tilt to catch the sun for warmth. "Little Wood Satyr" A better shot of this little species. "Long Dash Skipper" Well at least thats my best idea what it is, I never got a shot from above. "Monarch" I saw very few of these this year. Their numbers are declining quickly due to MANY factors. "Mourning Cloak" A great shot with great lighting, taken up by Echo Lake. I love the blue colour on the wings. "Mourning Cloak" Blabla blablah blablahhhh. "Mourning Cloak" The reason they get there name: the outside of the wings is drab, like a mourning cloak. "Northern Bluet Species" One of the Northern Bluet species, not sure which sub-species it is. "Northern Pearl Crescent" A quite common little butterfly. "Northern Pearl Crescent" You can tell this species by the underside of the wings by the small 'crescent spot'. "Northern Pearl Crescent" There can be quite a variation in the colours of this species. Some are darker, some lighter. "Northern Pearl Crescent" Northern Pearl Crescent again. "Northern Pearl Crescent" And again. "Northern Pearl Crescent" A bit of a worn individual. "Northern Pearl Crescent" First time seeing these guys they were on someones lainway. "Northern Pearl Crescent" Lady came home and was a little shocked at this person paicing in front of her house. "Northern Pearly Eye" Another 'Eyed' brown butterfly found in or around forests. "Northern Pearly Eye" These guys can be hard to get close to. Often sit high in a branch out of reach. "Northern Pearly Eye" The rare event of them opening their wings while siting still. "Painted Lady" Taken right close to where I live, in an old agriculture field. "Painted Lady" Same as the last. He was tilting to catch the very last rays of the sun as it started to set. "Painted Skimmer" A very blury photo but the only one I have. The first record of this species in Halton! "Clouded Sulphur" Taken in the regeneration area behind the office. "Clouded Sulphur" A very common fall butterfly. Very fast too. "Clouded Sulphur" I have yet to get a shot of these guys with their wings open. "Pink Edged Sulphur" Like amny butterflys these guys just LOVE the Asters flowers. "Praying Mantis" Taken at home on the old road base. He would not sit still for me at all. "Red Spotted Purple" The first shots I took of this species. My absolute favorite species so far. "Red Spotted Purple" Each individual has a slightly diferent variation of the blue and red colouring. "Red Spotted Purple" Sunning himself on a sapling on the edge of the roadway. "Red Spotted Purple" They get their name from the red spots on the underside of the wings as seen here. "Red Spotted Purple" These guys are often found on gravel roadways, which sadly often leads to roadkills. "Red Spotted Purple" I just love the irridecent blue on their wings. It shows up so well when the light hits it just right. "Red Spotted Purple" This species has a bit of an odd family. They have a southern (this one) and northern form. "Red Spotted Purple" The southern form is all black with blue & red spots. Farther down the northern race. "Red Spotted Purple" A great capture of the wonderfull colours. "Red Spotted Purple" One of my favorete shots. The gray gravel compliments the blue nicely and great lighting. "Red Spotted Purple" And another of the underside of the wings. "Red Waisted Whiteface" Taken on the old road again. I got some help from dragonfly friends to ID this one. "Red Waisted Whiteface" Another of the same but from the side this time. "Red Waisted Whiteface" Taken in Mountsburg CA. A very mature female that gave me a bit of ID trouble too. "Silver Spotted Skipper" An apropreatly named little butterfly. Actualy quite big for a skipper. "Silver Spotted Skipper" The silver spots are more a golden colour on the top side of the wings. Taken in Hilton Falls. "Silver Spotted Skipper" This is the first time I got saw this species. I was quite excited and managed to get a shot. "Silvery Blue" A really beautifull tiny butterfly, very hard to catch with their wings open. Taken on the edge of a little golf cource. "Silvery Blue" Same individual as the last but you would never know it from the plain gray on the undersides of the wings. "Silvery Blue - female" Taken on the side of the overpass back home. Chased them around all afternoon just for a shot, and it payed off! "Silvery Blue" The male with his wings closed, very plain looking untill they open them. "Silvery Blue - Male" Inside their wings is the most stunning blue colour. This made running all over worth it! "Slaty Skimmer" This female had just emerged from the larva stage and took a few experts to get IDed. "Slaty Skimmer" This is the male, taken up at Echo Lake where they seemed to be much more common. "Spring Azure" My very first butterfly of the season! Sadly didn't get one of its wings open showing blue. "Summer Azure" Closely related to the Spring Azure. Taken in Mountsburg Conservation Area. "Summer Azure" They do have some blue but not nearly as much as the Spring or Silvery. "Twelve Spotted Skimmer - Male" Taken at a bit farther distance than I would have liked. "Twelve Spotted Skimmer" This is an immature male as you can just bearly see the white forming on his wings. "Twelve Spotted Skimmer" Taken at Lake Medad, still not able to get as close as I would have liked. "Twin Spotted Spiketail" A farily common dragonfly tho not often seen dure to its high flying habits. "Variable Dancer" A really cool little purple damselfly. I like the colour of these guys. "Viceroy" Often mistaken for a Monarch, but its not one. "Viceroy" I like this unusual angle as it feeds on the Jo-Pie weed. "Viceroy" Taken at Hilton Falls as it rested breafly by the trail. "White Admiral" A very nice example of the White Admiral, the northern race of the Red spoted Purple. "White Admiral" Note the white band on these. Taken near home as it fed on some choke cherry flowers. "White Admiral" The blue shows up so nicely in light filtered by the clouds. "White Admiral" The undersides of their wings. "Widow Skimmer - Female" A farily common dragonfly often seen around ponds. "Widow Skimmer" The males get the white power on the wings and body as them mature. "Widow Skimmer" These guys can also be a bit skidish but not too too bad.