Insects of Alberta 1

This is one of the moths that we saw on a night time Moth Walk. Tree trunks were "painted" with a mixture of something like brown sugar, rum and whisky, which attracted the moths.

I'll be honest and admit that I was able to get a close-up photo of this Darner for one reason only - it was dead! usually, they are flying back and forth rapidly and it is extremely difficult to find one that has landed.

These very small damselflies are very common in Calgary's parks and natural areas. The quick flash of bright blue gets one's attention.

These little blue butterflies are everywhere - very pretty.

For the first and only time, I used someone's magnifying lens and took a photo through it of this moth. I was surprised that it came out as well as it did. Much cheaper than paying hundreds of dollars for a macro lens!

This is the black (nitra) form of the Old World Swallowtail butterfly, seen at Brown Lowery Park, Alberta, mid-July.

This butterfly is a male and the males, like those of many other species of butterfly, exhibit "territoriality". If the butterfly is disturbed, it will fly away, returning a few moments later to the same vicinity. Mourning Cloak adults will usually perch on a high object.