pictures of the lesser-seen

Lil’ guy, maybe 5mm.

About a week ago I noticed a white bee hanging around the lavender. It’s been kind of hard to photograph since it seems hyper-aware and very skittish. It may be a green-eyed bee, a leaf-cutting variety

Dude you’ve got to lay off the pollen

She grabbed a snack mid-coitus YAAAASSS QUEEN

This intimate moment is currently unfolding in my yard. I find myself weighing my sympathy for the male mantis against my morbid curiosity -- which one will win?

Crab Spider!

Apparently these have a couple different names but locals call them Flame Skimmers. This guy was extraordinarily forgiving when it came to having a macro lens shoved in its face

I couldn't believe I spotted this baby dragonfly it was so small -- maybe an inch and a half.

Lynx spider -- by far the most common spider in my garden. They remind me of Shirow's "Tachikoma" robot

Closer......Closer still.... I'M IN YOUR BRAIN Tried using some extension tubes today...with moderate success I think

Took my little friend here to Sears Portrait Studio to get some headshots

Ever wonder what termite poop looks like under a microscope? No?? Haha made you look!

I've got 96 tears and 96 eyes

Snack time!! Who wants aphid rolls??

The few times a dragonfly has appeared in my yard I’ve never had a camera with me. Today I got lucky. This guy was maybe two inches long and was pretty perfectly camouflaged sitting atop a pile of dead grass

Anybody home? This is a plant referred to as “Jerusalem Sage” – in the summer, these pods are filled with bright yellow petals. After the petals wither and fall away – the pods become condos for spiders and other insects.