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Praying Mantis
Interesting facts about the praying Mantis: There are about 2000 species of Praying Mantis but only 18 species live in North America. The remainder live in tropical climates. In 1977 the State of Connecticut named the European Praying Mantis the state insect. It is not native to North America but fairly proflific. They have approximately a 1 year lifespan and females will typically lay their eggs in fall as they develop through winter. Females will frequently cannibalize their male counterpart during the reproductive process. The large majority of Preying Mantis have two eyes but only one ear located on their underside just forward of the hind legs. This ear comes…
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Swallowtail Butterfly
This butterfly was busy jumping from flower to flower. I believe in belongs to the Swallowtail family of which there are over 550 species but I’m no butterfly expert. Fun Facts: Butterflies taste with their feet allowing them to quickly identify food sources. They only consume liquids which are typically nectar. Butterflies cannot fly below 55 deg. F. Their ideal temperatures for thriving and flying are between 85-100 deg. F. On cold days they are forced to either shiver or bask in the sunshine to warm up their body temperatures. The lifespan of a butterfly consists of the caterpillar stage, the pupa stage and the adult butterfly stage. Depending…
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Bumble Bee Closeup
This bumble bee was very busy today making his way from flower to flower. I felt he created a striking image as he contrasted with the purples and greens. Photographed with a Nikon D7100 APS-C, 24.1 MP camera and a Nikon 105 mm, f/2.8 MACRO lens. 1/1000th, f9, ISO 1600
