Tootfinder

Visitor to a #hydrangea. Some type of wood #borer, I think.
#garden #bug

A tiny hymenopteran - I think - extremely interested in sage plants on our balcony in Bochum, Germany. The size of a common fly and very hectic so the pics didn't come out too well, but perhaps good enough to ID this #Insect.

A twelve-spotted skimmer, Libellula pulchella, perched by the patio pond at Amigo Centre, outside Sturgis, Michigan
#naturalist #wildlife #insect

not long got back from lake
#damselfly #insect #nature

This large dragonfly (perched on somebody's inflatable beach equipment) is my new nature friend
#Wildlife #NorthernMichigan #insect

#insect #nature

Egg of a redbud seed weevil (Gibbobruchus mimus) glued to the edge of a seedpod. I've been taking photographs just in case it's possible to see when they are parasitized by fairy wasps (Mymaridae). Likely futile. #bruchidae #beetle #insect #coleoptera #nature #macro #redbud #wasps #macrophotography

While the former images of today's #insect visitor were taken with a cellphone, here are some later shots of the same or another specimen with a real camera and close-up lens - and I (and Google Lens :-) now think it's a species of the #Halictidae #bee genus #Lasioglossum (Schmalbienen in German). There are 1800 species known, though, some 90 of which exist in Germany ...

saw my first stripeys of the year today..
Cinnabar caterpillars
#caterpillar #insect #nature

Here are the Houdini fly traps attached to my insect hotel. The malbec, grape vinegar, and water cups are all attached in a slightly haphazard way, but hopefully will be useful in assessing whether Nicole Kenney's idea (use malbec to attract them) works on the east coast, too. My big concern is that I only saw one Houdini fly today so I might be setting it up too late. #BeeHotel #InsectHole #osmia #flies #science #biology #diptera

Sweat bee collecting pollen from a corn tassel in my garden. The word on the street is that it's not particularly nutritious and spoils faster than pollen from insect-pollinated plants. #corn #maize #anthers #garden #bee #hymenoptera #insects #nature

The rumors are true — Houdini flies are extremely fond of cheap malbec. Blog post forthcoming with tips on trap design, but if you have an insect hotel and want to kill these kleptoparasites, go get yourself a bottle ASAP. #InsectHotel #BeeHotel #bees #flies #osmia #wine #insects #malbec #pollination