“Peeking Passion” by Janine Kharey

Plant(s): Passiflora lutea and Agralis vanilae
Photo Story: At the intersection of art and nature. I labelled my host plants with photo tiles. I was getting a photo of the blossoms when the butterfly photobombed.
Equipment: iPhone 8
Photo ID: 33485

“Monarch on Joe Pye” by NANCY KUSCH

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly on Sweet Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)
Photo Story: I just stood still in my back yard for 10 minutes near the creek and let the pollinators do their thing. This particular Monarch let me get in for a close up.
Equipment: Google phone camera
Photo ID: 33487

“Spicebush Butterfly on Cardinal flower” by Karen Hegedus

Plant(s): Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinals) & Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
Photo Story: I, Karen Hegedus, Wild Ones member & a Master Gardener of Fayette Co, have tried to focus more on planting native trees, shrubs & flowers for pollinators & wildlife.
Equipment: Apple iPhone XR – rear camera
Photo ID: 33489

“Spicebush caterpillar” by Karen Hegedus

Plant(s): Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio troilus)
Photo Story: I, Karen Hegedus, a member of Wild Ones of W PA & also a Penn State Ext. Master Gardener, am interested in planting more native trees, shrubs & flowers to better support pollinators & wildlife. A butterfly used my native spicebush as a nursery!
Equipment: Apple iPhone XR – rear camera
Photo ID: 33493

“Monarch Feeding” by Antonette Needham

Plant(s): Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Monarch Butterfly (Danus plexippus)
Photo Story: A few weekends ago, I had to opportunity to visit the native garden of oneof our members, and took a few photos with the member’s permission. I am new to the organization and learned a lot about the plants he has and which ones would work well in my own garden.
Equipment: iPhone 12
Photo ID: 33497

“Bee Passionate” by Janine Kharey

Plant(s): May Pop ( Passiflora incarnata) and carpenter bee (xylocopa violacea)
Photo Story: The flowers of passiflora incarnata are designed just right for the bee to pass under the stamens and collect pollen. I often find bees napping in flowers, or is it that they are intoxicated?
Equipment: iPhone 8
Photo ID: 33504

“a welcome rest stop for refueling” by Melissa Warner

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus
Joe-pye weed. Eupatorium likely E. purpureum
Brown-eyed susan. Rudbeckia.
Photo Story: Joe-Pye Weed is one of several native plants in this Biorention Cell, designed to capture and filter runoff from a large parking lot downtown. As such, it is an oasis for monarchs and other insects in the city.
Equipment: Apple iPhone6
Photo ID: 33509

“End of Season Harvest” by Antonette Needham

Plant(s): Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Common Eastern Bumblebee (Bombus impatiens)
Photo Story: This photo was taking in downtown South Bend at the resurrected Leeper Park Rose Garden. Most of this volunteer-run garden is composed of roses, but the center of the garden is planted with various native flowers to attract pollinators.
Equipment: iPhone 12
Photo ID: 33510

“The Happy Monarch Caterpillar” by Allison Hausladen

Plant(s): Monarch caterpillar on Common Milkweed with Butterflyweed in background.
Photo Story: One day I saw four monarch caterpillars in our yard. After 3 years of being here with no sightings, this was so exciting. I felt like a monarch farmer. They were very hungry and loved common milkweed the most.
Equipment: iPhone 13 mini
Photo ID: 33511

“The Joy of Swamp Milkweed” by Patricia Flowers Jacobina

Plant(s): Swamp Milkweed with Monarch Butterfly and Bumblebee.
Photo Story: I have a mostly native pollinator garden and so enjoy seeing who comes to visit! I caught this image in summer 2022 and it just made me smile. Entitled The Joy of Swamp Milkweed.
Equipment: Nikon
Photo ID: 33528

“Get a Room” by Patricia Flowers Jacobina

Plant(s): Sulphur butterflies mating on native Rose Mallow
Photo Story: Invading the privacy of these 2, I was able to catch them ‘in action’. Just noticing the beauty around me on native plants
Equipment: Apple iPhone 13
Photo ID: 33535

“Bee on Bergamot” by Macey Brown

Plant(s): Monarda fistulosa – Wild Bergamot is the plant. The bee is a type of bumble bee.
Photo Story: This was a beautiful day in the wildlife garden in my urban quarter acre around my home. The wild bergamot was in full bloom, and the bees were visiting flower after flower. This particular photo is one of my favorites because the bee was in motion, on its way to the next bloom right as I took the image. I love how you can see the hairs on its legs and the detail on the antennae. Its wings almost disappear as it takes flight.
Equipment: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300
Photo ID: 33565

“Four Banded Stink Bug Hunter Wasp on Boneset” by Patricia Pflaumer

Plant(s): Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus (four-banded stinkbug hunter wasp) on Eupatorium perfoliatum (boneset).
Photo Story: Saw this wasp at a local native plant nursery and bought the boneset (sans wasp) because it was so cool to see.
Equipment: IPhone XR
Photo ID: 33567

“Symbiosis” by Cathleen Rendon

Plant(s): Danaus plexippus-caterpillar stage
Asclepsia tuberosa
Photo Story: Taken from my backyard patio. Butterfly weed was planted in a pot and we were happy to find this caterpillar on the bush.
Equipment: Apple IPhone
Photo ID: 33569

“Ultimate B & B” by Susan Nesemann

Plant(s): Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) on Liatris ligulistylis (Meadow Blazing Star) with Asclepius syriaca (common milkweed) nearby.
Photo Story: We’ve been adding native plants to our perennial gardens and have been delighted at the enthusiasm the monarchs have shown for the Liatris ligulistylis.
Equipment: Apple I-phone 14 pro
Photo ID: 33580

“Happy Hour” by Anne Bernhard

Plant(s): Sunflower, sweat bees.
Photo Story: Photo taken in my mostly native wildflower garden that I started about 3 years ago.
Equipment: iPhone 12 mini
Photo ID: 33587

“The Hungry Caterpillar” by Anne Bernhard

Plant(s): Common milkweed, monarch caterpillar, aphids.
Photo Story: Taken in our garden that has been converted to mostly native plants over the last 3 years.
Equipment: iPhone 12 mini
Photo ID: 33588

“Monarch on Purple Coneflower” by Nancy Shevel

Plant(s): Purple coneflower Echinacea.
Photo Story: Pollinators love our native gardens.
Equipment: iPhone SE
Photo ID: 33594

“monarch on Joe Pye Weed” by Cathy Streett

Plant(s): Monarch, Joe Pye Weed Eutrochium purpureum.
Photo Story: Lovely stop at the Joe Pye at St. John Lutheran Butterfly Garden is maintained by our garden club. The habitat is a parking lot island!
Equipment: Galaxy S22
Photo ID: 33608

“monarch on a cup plant” by Cathy Streett

Plant(s): Monarch, cup plant silphium perfoliatum.
Photo Story: LOVE my cup plant in the rain garden for attracting all types of pollinators.
Equipment: Galaxy S22
Photo ID: 33611

“Drone fly resting on sunflower” by Mary Urban

Plant(s): Bee Mimic (Drone Fly) (Eristalis)
Photo Story: After seeing a profusion of pollinators this year, I started photographing them, and am seeing and learning about pollinators I’ve never seen before. Photography makes you aware of how many different kinds of pollinators there are! It’s also a practice in patience!
Equipment: SLR Nikon with macro lens
Photo ID: 33624

“Monarch Peaking” by Karen Eckman

Plant(s): Meadow Blazing Star (Liatris Lingulistylis)
Photo Story: The perfect light, along with a unique angle, came together to take this Monarch/Liatris shot in my rain garden.
Meadow Blazing Star is a magnet for lots of pollinators, especially Monarchs.
Equipment: iPhone 13 Pro
Photo ID: 33625

“Sue-Diamantoni-Coneflower-Monarch-2023” by SUE DIAMANTONI

Plant(s): Purple Coneflower, (Echinacea purpurea)
& Monarch Butterfly
Photo Story: Captured the picture of the purple coneflower, and the monarch butterfly in my new garden by my driveway. The purple coneflower was given to me by my daughter. She grew the purple coneflower from seed that had been planted in a milk jug and cold stratified outside over winter – using the winter sow method.
Equipment: iphone 13
Photo ID: 33629

“Sue-Diamantoni-Joe-Pye-and-Swallowtale-2023” by SUE DIAMANTONI

Plant(s): Sweet Joe Pye,
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Photo Story: I had been trying to get a picture of a butterfly in my new pollinator garden ‘West Wing’ for several days. Finally, I was able to capture this picture of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on the Sweet Joe Pye. I loved the look of this butterfly, but had to lookup the name. I continue to see more of them! I have found that I have their host trees in my yard. I love the learning experience that was involved in capturing this photo!
Equipment: iphone 13
Photo ID: 33632

“Snowberry Clearwing” by Karen Eckman

Plant(s): Meadow Blazing Star (Liatris ligulistylis)
Snowberry Clearwing moth (Hermaris diffinis)
Photo Story: I was working in our chapter service project School Pollinator Garden when I discovered this Clearwing moth darting around the Meadow Blazing Star blossoms. It is so small it was not much bigger than the Bumble Bees on the same plant. I have seen this moth before, but NOT when I had my cell phone handy.
Equipment: iPhone 13 Pro
Photo ID: 33635

“Sweat bee on ironweed” by Jenn Pipp

Plant(s): Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee (Agapostemon virescens) on New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis).
Photo Story: This sweat bee was seen in the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary pollinator garden.
Equipment: Canon RC5 camera, 100 mm macro lens, and lightroom.
Photo ID: 33636

“Perplexing Bee” by Jenn Pipp

Plant(s): Perplexing Bumble Bee (Bombus perplexus) on Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum)
Photo Story: The Perplexing Bumble bees really loved the Cluver’s root growing in my front yard garden.
Equipment: Canon EOS R5 C, 100 mm macro lens, and lightroom.
Photo ID: 33642

“Bumble-Bergamot” by Michael Nofz

Plant(s): Bumble Bee on Wild Bergamot (monada fistulosa)
Photo Story: Last year we planted a patch of native prairie plants. It was amazing how many blossoms came forth the next summer, as well as bees, bumblebees in particular.
Equipment: Canon Rebel TSi6 and Canon 18-55mm lens.
Photo ID: 33643

“Bee on Milkweed” by Adrian Knowles

Plant(s): Bee on common milkweed
Photo Story: We’re in the process of converting our garden to native plants. Very excited this year to see so many bees enjoying all the work we’ve put in!
Equipment: Nikon z9 with 105mm MC lens
Photo ID: 33645

“Monarch on milkweed” by Adrian Knowles

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly on White milkweed (Geum triflorum)
Photo Story: We’re in the process of converting our garden to native plants. Very excited this year to see so many pollinators enjoying all the hard work we’ve put in!
Equipment: Nikon z9 with 105mm MC lens
Photo ID: 33648