“Bumble bee on new England aster” by Wendy Gochenaur

Plant(s): Bumble bee and New England aster, symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Photo Story: I have been growing a lot of natives in my yard for the last six years and New England aster is one of them. It flowered for the first time two years ago when this photo was taken. The bees love it.
Equipment: Just my iphone
Photo ID: 32423

“Busy-Busy Bee” by John Hanley

Plant(s): Coneflower
Photo Story: Photographed in my garden
Equipment: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
ƒ/1.7
81/7976.86mm
ISO64
Photo ID: 32428

“Lupine” by Justin Gish

Plant(s): A bumble bee (broadly speaking) on a lupine flower.
Photo Story: I took out my front yard during COVID lockdowns and planted native wild flowers. It’s now 2023 and things are going as planned.
Equipment: iPhone SE
Photo ID: 32435

“Sitting Pretty” by Mary Harris

Plant(s): Purple Coneflower
Photo Story: Sitting in my pollinator bed.
Equipment: iPhone 11
Photo ID: 32441

“Coneflower Pollinators” by Lynda Parker

Plant(s): Coneflower, Eastern Bumblebee, Eastern Tiger Swllowtail
Photo Story: I was typesetting the newsletter for our Wild Ones chapter, inluding an article about native blooms and pollinators. I was wishing I had a photo to include with the article. I took a break to walk my dog and came upon this in a neighor’s front garden bed. I was able to finish laying out our newsletter with the perfect photo!
Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S22
Photo ID: 32443

“Bee on Bergamot” by Lynn Tillson

Plant(s): Bumblebee on wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa).
Photo Story: My very first native plants, in 2021. I was amazed that the Bumblebee was so happy on the flower that it totally ignored the human with the square thing (my phone) in it’s hand!
Equipment: Samsung Galaxy S21 cell phone
Photo ID: 32444

“Monarch Paradise” by Mary Zeise

Plant(s): Asters & Monarchs
Photo Story: While walking the bike path in Saint Francis, Wisconsin, on a sunny fall day, I saw this Aster loaded with Monarchs. It took me a while to believe what I was seeing!
Equipment: Phone
Photo ID: 32455

“If You Plant It, They Will Come…” by Virginia Miller

Plant(s): Swamp Milkweed and Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars
Photo Story: I have 3 large groups of Swamp Milkweed in my backyard. For five years now, I have watched Monarchs lay eggs on the Milkweed, collected the leaves with eggs, and ‘raised’ the little guys from eggs to Butterflies, using my backyard plants to feed their ferocious appetites. When I dreamed of retirement life, never did ‘raising’ butterflies enter the picture…But I planted the Milkweed, and they came! There is an indescribable joy and peace that comes with nurturing the nature around us!
Equipment: Android Cell Phone
Photo ID: 32456

“Brand New Monarch” by Susan Shopland

Plant(s): Monarch on swamp rose mallow
Photo Story: I have a marshy area on my property where I have planted rose milkweed and swamp rose mallow. The Monarchs love it. I came across this one hanging next to its chrysalis on the swamp rose mallow last October.
Equipment: iPhone
Photo ID: 32459

“Monarch on Coreopsis” by Kylie Schedler

Plant(s): Monarch Butterfly, Coreopsis
Photo Story: This photo was taken at my wonderful grandfather’s house. He is committed to providing a natural landscape and habitat for all species. The monarch sat perfectly still just long enough to take a picture!
Equipment: iphone
Photo ID: 32460

“Black Tiger Swallowtail” by Sandy McCreery

Plant(s): Black Swallowtail, Gray Dogwood
Photo Story: I was walking at Scout Lake and spotted the Swallowtail.
Equipment: iPhone 8
Photo ID: 32461

“Nectar Landing Pad” by Suzanne Asaturian

Plant(s): Epalpus signifer fly on Harbinger of Spring flower
Photo Story: Trillium Trail in Giant City Park is full of diversity of flora and fauna. I frequent this trail to take photographs of spring flowers and their pollinators. I sat in the grass for an hour observing and photographing pollinators on the flowers. I love this fly with the iridescent glow from the sun.
Equipment: Canon Camera and 100 mm macro lens
Photo ID: 32466

“Mirabilis & Hornworm” by Jen Bolger

Plant(s): Angels Trumpets, Mirabilis longiflora with Hornworm
Photo Story: Grew Mirabilis longiflora from seed (Select Seeds) and this Sphinx Moth caterpillar enjoyed the buffet.
Equipment: Canon Mark II
Photo ID: 32472

“BB on Lupine” by Steve Schmidt

Plant(s): Lupine
Photo Story: Hiking to where I know will be a beautiful patch of Lupines, I no doubt will find a bee checking them out.
Equipment: Nikon D7200 w/ Tamron 150-600mm.
Photo ID: 32478

“Monarch on BFW” by Steve Schmidt

Plant(s): Butterfly Weed; Monarch
Photo Story: At first I was struggling to find and capture one of the many Monarchs here in Illinois Beach State Park, as they were sure elusive! This one stayed put for a while. I chose this shot because of the back light adding to the wing pattern.
Equipment: Nikon D7200 w/ Tamron 150-600mm.
Photo ID: 32479

“Happy Hour” by Jeff Culp

Plant(s): Fritillary butterfly (Argynnis Cybele); Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Photo Story: Fritillary butterfly (Argynnis Cybele) feasting on our Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Equipment: iphone 11 pro
Photo ID: 32483

“Ken Wellnitz monarch and meadow blazing star” by Ken Wellnitz

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly feeding on Meadow Blazing Star, liatris ligulistylis. The background color is created by Black Eyed Susans.
Photo Story: Photo was taken while the 4th generation monarchs were traveling to Mexico.
Equipment: Canon EOS rebel T2i with a Canon EF-S 60 mm macro lens
Photo ID: 32488

“Time to Unfurl” by Kathy Shafer

Plant(s): A Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe) and the Purple Fringeless Orchid (Platanthera peramoena)
Photo Story: My friend was taking pictures of the orchid when a hummingbird moth started flying around the flower. She called for me to come over but it flew away. I began to take pictures of the orchid when the moth returned. I started clicking away taking several photos! I was ecstatic to see I got an image of it ready to unfurl its proboscis and pollinate the orchid!
Equipment: Nikon Coolpix A900
Photo ID: 32489

“Little One” by Kelly Berg

Plant(s): Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) with monarch caterpillar, 1st instar
Photo Story: Taken in the our front yard native plant garden. All plants were from the MMSD sale in 2022.
Equipment: Iphone
Photo ID: 32491

“Monarch on coneflower” by RAY PINTER

Plant(s): Monarch on purple coneflower, also, Yellow coneflower
Photo Story: Photo taken in my butterfly garden started in 2016, approximately 35 species of plants, 90% native. Also, includes a butterfly puddling bath.
Equipment: Panasonic Lumix
Photo ID: 32492

“Female Regal Fritillary” by Marilyn Hessinger

Plant(s): Female Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia) on Asclepias (milkweed)
Photo Story: This endangered butterfly was seen on a guided tour at Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center in Pennsylvania. This protected grassland site provides the butterfly with its host plant the arrow-leaf violet (Viola sagittata).
Equipment: Cannon EOS R7
Photo ID: 32493

“Glorious rebirth” by Debbie Bunger

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly
Photo Story: After watching the chrysalis for several days, we were delighted to find the newly emerged monarch on Oct. 21, 2022
Equipment: Iphone 7
Photo ID: 32494

“Monarch at Play” by Michile Stoutenburg

Plant(s): Buddleja davidii Butterfly Weed
Photo Story: I am mapping the Older Persons Commission gardens as a volunteer in the Late Bloomers Garden Club. While getting pictures of the flowers in bloom, along came this Monarch Butterfly and landed on the Butterfly Bush.
Equipment: My I phone camera.
Photo ID: 32501

“Swallowtail on Evening Primrose” by J Samuel L Wharton IV

Plant(s): Swallowtail Butterfly on Evening Primrose
Photo Story: The Swallowtails love the Primroses that grow just to the East of my studio.
Equipment: Nikon D70 with 18/200 Zoom lens
Photo ID: 32517

“Cup Plant Cutie” by Mary Ellen Van Slembrouck

Plant(s): Tiger swallowtail female on Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum)
Photo Story: I was trying to photograph the female laying eggs on my neighbor’s Sweet Bay Magnolia and she decided to feed on my Cup plant ! This photo is taken in my front yard which is certified as a Monarch Waystaion and a Butterfly Habitat with NABA.
Equipment: My Apple cell phone
Photo ID: 32520

“Changing Instars” by Vicki Alldritt

Plant(s): Tall milkweed, Asclepias exaltata
Photo Story: The photo was taken on the grounds of the Washburn School District High School.
Equipment: Olympus Tough 6
Photo ID: 32521

“perfect pair” by Brian Killen

Plant(s): Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) and green sweat bee (Augochloropsis metallica)
Photo Story: I started a native garden last year in my yard. I enjoy seeing the native pollinators that I find.
Equipment: iPhone
Photo ID: 32529

“Golden Digger Wasp on Rattlesnake Master” by Jill Anderson

Plant(s): Rattlesnake Master
Photo Story: Rattlesnake Master seems to be a favorite plant for this wasp. Although they are considered ‘solitary’, I watched three of them jockey for position on the “blooms” .
Equipment: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon Macro 100mm lens
Photo ID: 32530

“Lucky shot” by Krista Rakovan

Plant(s): Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) and what I think is a hover fly
Photo Story: I was walking through the ML Red Trabue preserve in Dublin, Ohio, and the buttonbush was in bloom. I just happened to get this photo.
Equipment: iPhone 11
Photo ID: 32535

“Painted Lady feeding on a New England Aster” by Vicki Miller

Plant(s): Painted Lady (vanessa cardui) on New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-anglia)
Photo Story: I love taking photos of insects on my smart phone and don’t always see how beautiful my “photo capture” is until I come home and look at it on my computer. I love how I was able to capture this beautiful painted lady feeding on nectar on one of her favorite flowers – New England Aster.
Equipment: Smart phone – no special equipment.
Photo ID: 32536