Baltimore Checkerspot

A new “life butterfly” for me today, thanks to my wife who spotted it first: Euphydryas phaeton, aka the Baltimore Checkerspot. This butterfly was incredibly cooperative and allowed me to take as many pictures as I needed to get a good one.

Baltimore Checkerspot / Bath Nature Preserve / 2022-06-12
Baltimore Checkerspot / Bath Nature Preserve / 2022-06-12

Golden-backed Snipe Fly: Mating Event

I’ve posted photos of this fly in the past, but this is the first time I’ve captured the male & female together, and definitely the first time I have seen a mating event. The mating flies are still capable of flight, and I had to chase this pair across the grass to get the photograph.

Very little is known about the Golden-backed Snipe Fly. Entomologists are not certain about where they lay their eggs, how many molts the fly larvae pass through, or even what they prefer to eat.

Mating Golden-Backed Snipe Flies / The Backyard / 2022-06-05