I’m a bug and botanical portrait photographer. I love taking portraits of insects and spiders in an attempt to change people’s perception of these amazing creatures. Like many people, I once hated anything creepy crawly. I have vivid memories of running and screaming from spiders and ants. That all changed when I became interested in photography as a young girl and eventually got my first true macro lens at age 20. Today, I LOVE bugs. And I love showcasing their beauty. Here are my favorite bug portraits from the 2018 season.

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Longhorn Bee

This longhorn bee is aptly named for its long antennae. Those beautiful blue eyes are just an added bonus.

Carpenter Bee

Carpenter bees may be a bit destructive around wooden structures, but just look how adorable they are! This little fella is a male (you can tell by it’s yellow face).

Mantid Lacewing

This alien-like creature is a mantid lacewing – a wonderful mix between a praying mantis, a wasp, and a lacewing. Just look at those stained glass wings!

Green Stinkbug

Sure, stinkbugs are stinky (Don’t believe me? Just try squishing one!), but they are awfully adorable up close.

Mason Bee

I have five homemade mason bee houses on my front porch and each is FILLED with mason bee nests!

Gulf Fritillaries

These mating gulf fritillaries look like bikini bottoms hanging out to dry. Hehe.

Jumping Spider

I’ve always thought of jumping spiders as the puppy dogs of the spider world – they cock their heads to the side like a curious puppy when they look at you.

Pink Lady Beetle

Pink lady beetles are named for their pinkish hue (as opposed to the red or orange coloration of other lady beetles). Did you know there are black lady beetles too?

Blue Dasher Dragonfly

This is one of my favorite bug portraits of 2018. This super friendly blue dasher allowed me to take several portraits.

Crab Spider

Crab spiders are so named for the way they hold their legs out like a crab.

Hoverfly

Hoverflies are often mistaken for sweat bees. One of the easiest ways to tell the difference is to count the wings (if you can get close enough, of course!). While bees have four wings (two pairs), flies only have two wings (one pair).

Crab Spider

Crab spider perched on a plant.

Crab Spider

This crab spider is perched in an azalea flower waiting for its next meal. Did you know some crab spiders can change their color to more closely resemble the plant on which they’re hiding?

Sawfly Larva

This sawfly larva might look small, but it’s very destructive, quickly defoliating its host plant. When disturbed, it turns up its rear end as if it’s dancing.

Sawfly Larvae

Six sawfly larvae making quick work of eating a leaf.

Ambush Bugs

Ambush bugs are one of my favorite insects because they remind me of tiny dinosaurs. Ambush bugs are aptly named for the way they ambush their prey before stabbing them with their sword-like mouth part, sucking their juices out while they hold them with their raptorial forelegs. Fun times.

Cicada Emerging from Nymphal Stage

I see empty cicada exoskeletons often during the summer months but this was my first time watching as a cicada adult emerges from its nymphal stage.

Newly Emerged Cicada

This newly emerged adult cicada is resting atop its shed exoskeleton as its wings dry and harden. Cicadas will often emerge during nightfall as they are extremely vulnerable to predators after molting (they cannot fly until their wings fully harden).

Blue Dasher Dragonfly

Portrait of a blue dasher dragonfly. I love its tricolored eyes!

Moth (Saturniidae)

Moths are some of the more adorable insects in my opinion. If I ever develop a line of huggable plush insects and spiders for kids, moths would be my first animal!

Newly Molted Grasshopper

This newly emerged grasshopper had its wings on full display to dry in the morning sunlight. I watched as this beautiful animal stretched and wriggled out of its nymphal exoskeleton, leaving a ghost-like structure behind.

Molting Grasshopper

Unlike mammals that have skin that stretches and grows as they develop, insects and spiders have exoskeletons that they grow out of as they grow larger. This grasshopper nymph is molting into a larger nymphal stage (you can tell it’s a nymph by its underdeveloped wings).

Jumping Spider

Jumping spiders were my gateway spider – only after learning to love and appreciate jumping spiders was I able to crush my fear of all spiders.

Katydid Nymph

Katydid nymphs are handsome little creatures.

Polished Ladybeetle

Someone polished all the spots off this polished lady beetle! Just kidding. Lady beetles come in all kinds of sizes and spot counts!

Blue Dasher Dragonfly

Perfect portrait of a blue dasher dragonfly.

Cricket Nymph

I love the tiny underdeveloped wings of this cricket nymph and the way it holds its antennae down as if it’s super shy.

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