Oh yes. When I look out back at night now, there are hundreds of them lighting up the darkness. We have lots of humidity and rain and no problems with them hiding. But June is beetle month around here - the time when most of them emerge, mate, and multiply. Including the Japanese beetles and other that aren't so desirable, of course.

Lol. Just like here but the reverse: it is December for the beetles. That is why so many of them get called Christmas beetles here.

Time for some hot orange dragonfly...



such a good pose love the scale like design of the wings, such big eyes


and just back to hiding along the cane

On fire, Tarev!!!!!!

Very cool - or hot, as the case may be.

Awesome pics, Tarev! New camera? I have macro envy again.

Beautiful pics, tarev! I saw this interesting insect pulling a dead tarantula along the ground. Wonder if anyone has any idea on what it is?

That is interesting, Linda. I wonder if it is some kind of mud-dauber... well that's what we call them? They collect all kinds of spiders. I'll never forget the first time I knocked a mud dauber nest off my front door trim, at least thirty dead spiders fell out!! I don't knock their nests down anymore.

Thanks! Still using my old camera..actually having a hard time using same ol' camera getting old, so took several shots, glad they all came out good

Nice shot Linda! Nature's minions doing its tug of war!

Well, I found out what it is...Tarantula Hawk Wasp. I didn't know that tarantula was still alive...what a terrible fate! And a sting from that wasp would be pretty bad, if you messed with it! I've seen these wasps around many times, just didn't know what it was.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T...

See, that’s what I’m sayin ~ Texas is a mean place to live. All kinds of mean, stinging, poisonous, poking, biting, stickery kinds of things to watch out for ( My Mom moved there in the 1990’s and I can’t get her back to Oregon!

miniature mantis

Lilybound
another small mantis

and a grasshopper

More miniature mantis'

They are cute (if you are bigger than them of course).

Very true. I've seen the fully grown ones take down moths and even Monarchs before. They're pretty ruthless, but they also target bad bugs.

They've even been known to take down hummingbirds.

Yes, they do Tee. Last year I found a preying mantis hanging upside down from one of my hummingbird feeders... he was promptly relocated against his will!

Wheeler bug with June bug


Robberflies

I know mantids are good but they just wig me out. Funny because I'm not too squeamish about bugs except mantids. Shudder.