WARNING! WARNING! If you are squeamish about insects then this might not be the post for you. I say that because of a fellow blogging friend who I know absolutely abhors the ugly insect part of this post; I told her that when I post this I would put up a warning first. Promise kept…now on to the bugs! Bees – the good – those wonderful insects that make honey for themselves and us; the critters that without them we would be in a world of trouble because they help to pollinate all of the plants in nature and those that we grow.
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera
The bad is the fly. I’ve yet to come upon anyone who like flies and I don’t think I have ever read anything positive about them either in any form of literature. But they surely have some sort of purpose in being else the creator wouldn’t have put them here. While trying to capture images of bees I noticed there were all of these flies on the flowers. That was a first. And unlike the bees that were incredibly fast in their goings about, the flies held rather still many times.
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera
And the worst of the bunch (especially to us who have/had rose gardens) is the Japanese Beetle. They appear out of nowhere in the summer and proceed to have their way with our flowers destroying bushes in their ravenous wake. And they are extremely difficult to get rid of. You can spray and put out boxes but they just keep going! Although not very destructive in Japan where they have natural predators, here in N. America they are a serious pest of about 200 species of plants. Not only was this bunch destroying a beautiful rose they apparently were in the midst of an orgy. Debaucherous beetles!
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera
Images by T.Dashfield Photography 
Nicely done, Teri. Didn’t bother ma bit. Now, had there been a spider lurking about …
He could’ve lurked all alone because I would NOT have gone near him!
Great blog post! I do remember a few years back seeing a few Japanese Beetles in my flower garden. Very pesky little creatures!
Thanks. Destructive little *&^%$!
Nope not at all squeamish – great shots.
Thanks 🙂
I love he fly on yellow. Amazing shot!
Darn thing was plotting something I just know it!
They can’t do much but annoy… When you get them that close, they are kind of beautiful
Annoy is right!
You know that I love to look at insects of all sorts. I agree with the irredeemably pestilential character you attribute to the fly, but I’ve always found flies’ iridescence eye-attracting just the same. Bees, however, have the beauty of both looks and utility. Beetles go back into the fly category for me: trouble in the garden, but fascinating to look upon when I get the chance. Thanks for all of the great views! 😀
xo,
K
Then again in nature many things that are very colorful are also things you do not want to much about with! Nature is interesting like that 🙂