Downtown Mantis

We stayed over night in downtown Des Monies, Iowa recently. What does a couple in love and with a passion for hiking in nature do when they find they have extra time, good weather and a new place to explore? Of course, we took a nice walk.

The brick and mortar of the city is nothing like where we normally hike, but that did not stop use from photographing a little bit of nature. We saw this Chinese Mantis (Praying Mantis) several times. I mean, we waked by this intersection at least 4 times, and he moved around, but not far. Finally, he climbed the walls of the building.

This is an adult chinese mantis. I read a second site with some interesting information. I wanted to confirm some details, including how to identify one. The "adult Chinese mantis is brown in color with brown wings with a green edge" See also this info

Get out and take a walk .. you may be surprised at the variety nature can reveal regardless of where you are.

~ Rick

---

Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. Contact Rick for more information.

©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright

Bald-faced?

Welcome to the home of the Bald-Faced Hornet. This hornet is a relative of the yellowjacket. They can be very agressive so I recommend not provoking them.

A few facts from Wikipedia:

Bald-faced hornets are omnivorous, and considered to be beneficial due to their predation of flies, caterpillars, and spiders. Their aggressive defensive nature, though, makes them a threat to humans who wander too close to a nest or when a nest is constructed too close to human habitation. They vigorously defend the nest, with workers stinging repeatedly, as is common among social bees and wasps. The bald-faced hornet has a unique defense in that it can squirt or spray venom from the stinger into the eyes of vertebrate nest intruders. The venom causes immediate watering of the eyes and temporary blindness. wikipedia.

And a bonus: I think this is a Persimmon tree.

~ Rick

---

Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. Contact Rick for more information.

©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright

Big Hunter

This is the second time this year for me to capture a photo of a Dragonhunter. They are really very cool. From the link provided above:

Their long, strong wings allow them to chase fast-flying prey (they can hit about 25 mph) and their legs are equipped with stout spines so they can hang onto it. Legler, in Dragonflies of Wisconsin, says, “When feeding it perches on dirt roads waiting for other dragonflies, including darners, to fly down the road. The Dragonhunter then swoops up after the darner from behind. Or it may perch on branches high in treetops. It then swoops down on passing dragonflies and back up to the treetop to eat.” Dragonflies (sometimes even other Dragonhunters), make up a respectable proportion of their menu...

They even eat large butterflies. A real hunter.

~ Rick

---

Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. Contact Rick for more information.

©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright

What if

Halloween

This beautiful dragonfly is a Halloween Pennant. I love the colors and the detail is just amazing. I shot the second shot looking toward it's back. That is very different.

~ Rick

---

Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. Contact Rick for more information.

©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright

A Flying Carnivore

Check out this cool looking Widow Skimmer. They are one of the group of dragonflies, also known as King Skimmers (Wikipedia).

I love this photo for other reasons too. This guy is having lunch. It looks like a fly but it certainly is an insect. I guess like me, he is a carnovore, or at leat protein based. Part of the circle of life.

~ Rick

---

Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. Contact Rick for more information.

©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright