Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Arthropods

Hey! a) I got close enough to this slender inch-long damselfly to capture some detail, notably the broken stripes on the thorax, and hence b) I declare this to be a male Fragile Forktail (Ishnura posita). The pollen pack on this bumblebee, foraging in cluster of sumac flowers, is going to make some baby bumblebees very happy. There’s a matching one on on the opposite leg.A Harvestman of some kind. Also known as Daddy Longlegs, they’re related to, but are not, spiders, and have their own order, Opilones. Crane Flies swapping genetic data.

2 responses to “Arthropods”

  1. Wow. Up close and personal with the crane flies. Nice shots & info, Matthew.

    1. Kind of voyeuristic of me, but they’re not shy.

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