Some type of shield bug. I just ordered a Peterson's Field Guide to Beetles to be able to better ID this things in the future

An hour later she found a friend.

Just a firefly, but they are on the decline too.

The indigo color of the little wasp's wings is natural, no filters or anything used, just an iPhone 5

I'm not sure what this beetle is either, but it is a male because they have the feathery antennae used as a sense organ to better pick up the pheromones from a female.

I cut some mint to make a Lancaster County favorite- meadow tea and found this little Looper/Inch Worm on the leaves. I put it back right away. Caterpillars are an essential food for our songbirds. One pair of chickadees will need 350 to 570 caterpillars every day while they are feeding their young!

nativeplantlover said:
Some type of shield bug. I just ordered a Peterson's Field Guide to Beetles to be able to better ID this things in the future

Nice pics! I've seen the one above, it's a Twice-Stabbed Stink Bug (Cosmopepla lintneriana). If you don't already have it the "Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America" is a good one too that covers many of the common species of all types of insects. I can usually find something similar enough in there that it points me in the right direction for a more in depth search online. The Peterson's guides are really good too. I have the ones for birds and moths. I think both the Kaufman and the Peterson guides usually use the drawings or enhanced photographs that really highlight the markings to look for better than regular photographs to me.

Thank you, thank you, for both the ID and the tip about Kaufman Guides. I don't own that one so now it's on my Amazon or eBay wish list. I had a pic of a Twice Stabbed Lady Bug but it was too out of focus and not so thrilling to see. Who thinks up these common names for insects I have to wonder?