Midewin - 8.15.10, Post 3 (last post for this trip)

Last batch from Midewin, which, if you're curious, is pronounced mih-DAY-win.  I didn't know that until the emergency guy called me back and said it out loud.

Another swallowtail (who's missing a bit of her right wing 'tail'.)  This is the underside of her wings.  It's nice that on this particular species the underside and the topside are pretty similar.  It makes identifying them much easier.  Some species are so different when their wings are up than when their wings are down and most identification pages only show wings-down, so you're hoping and guessing as you try to assign a name to a critter. [Under the Swallowtail]

I love this shot.  You have a great view of the body and the colors on the wings.  You can see her antennae and her feet.

[Swallowtail in Profile]

These Pearl Crescents were out in droves and I loved how they seemed keen on doing that iconic 'butterfly on a flower' thing.

[Feeding Time for Pearl]

This ended up being lit poorly and not as in focus as I'd hoped, but I just love the composition.  This little Pearl Crescent wanted so badly to become one with his flower!

[Becoming One with the Flower]

This poor guy actually has a species name of "Little Yellow Butterfly."  No, really, that's what it's called.  What's really hard to see in this shot unless you blow it up, is that he's sitting there, wings open, basking in the sun, and holding court with a bunch of the little purple butterflies, which I think are Acadian Hairstreaks.  The easiest one to see is in the lower right corner, but they do a pretty good job of blending in and looking like a piece of rock.
[Little Yellow Butterfly Holds Court]

Wild Morning Glories.  I love finding flowers that people plant "on purpose" out in the wild.

[Wild Morning Glories]

Pearl Crescent in the mud and sticks.  Beautiful butterfly in a less than beautiful background.  I like the contradiction.

[Pearl in the Rough]

Little tiny grasshopper!  I believe it's a Red-Legged Grasshopper, but at some point I'll need to research this guy a little more.

[Grasshopper Faces Obstacle]

I cannot find a species name for this beetle.  Anyone?  I like the look of him isolated on the leaf with the blurred background.

 [Shiny Red Wings]

 This huge bush of Black Eyed Susans was found... in the parking lot of one of the sections I didn't explore.  (I went over there, started to sign in and look for the trail, but I was already hot and tired, it was already 5:00 and the insects were so thick that I hung it up.)

[Serious Bunch of Black-Eyed Susans]