Columbus October 3

Melvin, a female domestic duck with a severe deformity or significant refraction

white cockatoo

I wonder if the sand cats ever get to go outside. Whenever I visit in the same room in the Village.

male African lion, engaging in the most common lion activity

This female African lion was looking at another one.

dromedary camel

I got lucky. When I decided to press the button, the bee was on the flower. By the time the shutter fired, the honey bee was flying (and in focus!).

northern paper wasp, I think

Recent Bugs

A fly? A bee? I put less effort into identifying the types of some insects than I used to because there are flies that look like bees, bees that look like flies, flies that look like wasps, and I don't know what else. As for species, sometimes it seems as though one has to count the hairs on a leg to decide.

eastern yellowjacket wasp on lovage

 A northern paper wasp, maybe. Many photos show them with stripes, but this photo matches one in an ODNR publication which says, "This is our most common native paper wasp, but is highly variable and can be mistaken for several different species. Further, recent studies have revealed two previously unrecognized species nearly identical to the Northern Paper Wasp." Also, an Iowa State U. website says, "... the separation of P. fuscatus from related species remains the greatest taxonomic problem of the northeastern Vespidae fauna." What did I write in the first photo's caption?

cabbage white butterfly, I think. This would have been a fantastic shot if only the butterfly were in focus.

Leaf-footed bug. I focused on the eggs, which look like barrels lined-up end-to-end. The party is on a porch screen.

leaf-footed bug nymphs

black swallowtail caterpillar on dill