Insect photos (03 August 2017)

This morning I walked into the field behind my office with my camera in hand. I had no specific goals in mind, I just wanted to get away from my desk for a few minutes.  Right away I noticed that the field was full of insect life and birds.  I wasn't fast enough to get a picture of any of the birds, but I did manage to take over one hundred twenty pictures of insects in a little over fifteen minutes - most were multiple images of the same few insects.  Here are five of the best pictures.

Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) on Riverbank Grape leaf surrounded by Spotted Knapweed

Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) on Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia)

Ants nectaring on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) with Japanese Beetles

Red Milkweed Beetles (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus) on Common Milkweed

Swamp Milkweed Beetle (Labidomera clivicollis) and Red Milkweed Beetle on Common Milkweed