The Desert Botanical Garden Butterfly Pavilion

Apr8

Naturally, once all the desert plants begin producing bright flowers, the first to be aware of them are the various types of pollinators. This is a small sample of the many beautiful butterflies housed in the spacious Butterfly Pavilion within the Desert Botanical Garden.

Agraulis vanillae, Gulf Fritillary

Anartia jatrophae, White Peacock

Battus philenor, Pipevine Swallowtail

Buckeye, Vanessa cardui_

Zebra Longwing

Male Papillio troilus, Spicebush Swallowtail

Zebra Longwing, Heliconius charitonius

A Zebra Longwing, Heliconius charitonius

Always in a Hurry

Jul26

In the mountains, the Hummingbird moths and White-lined Sphinx moths are out and about. They never seem to sit still, but flit from flower to flower, always in a hurry.

Macro Monday

Jul21

Many insects mimic others in their appearance. This bee-like fly is at high elevation near the Arizona Snow Bowl ski area.

You never know what you might find once you start taking macro photos. Sometimes tiny insects pop out in flower photos that surprise you, or the detail on a beetle might be so much more elegant than imagined. Sometimes the play of light inside a delicate flower is amazing, yet unappreciated in the normal view. Here is a selection of recent macro photos from around northern Arizona.