The Nature Photography Thread

[ConcinusMan]

Sometimes people mistake a blue swalllowtail for a blue monarch. They look similar but the monarch doesn't have the little "tails" on the wings.

Still, this blue mutation of the monarch does exist.

[guidofatherof5]

Here's a couple other visitors to the backyard.

[ConcinusMan]

Wow, a native mantis. Not something I see very often. Possibly Stagmomantis carolina.

[katach]

Having a mantis is lucky!

[ConcinusMan]

Plenty of them around here but they're European.

Here's one I had last fall. Most are bright green. Only very few are brown around here.

[Mrs N1ntndo]

I love the orange Monarch . There my favorite butterflies and those pics were the coolest Ive ever seen. I think Ive seen the blue ones. Thank you all for showing ur pics.

[ConcinusMan]

I think Ive seen the blue ones.

Anything's possible but you would stand better odds of finding an albino garter snake in the wild next time you go looking. I've seen plenty of monarchs that were very pale yellow or almost no yellow or orange, but out of millions of them roosting, never once saw a blue one.

There are blue swallowtails that look very, very similar to a monarch.

[RedSidedSPR]

We have lots of mantises here! I remember a few years ago, when there was a ton of babies on the bush right near our deck. They're awesome.

[ConcinusMan]

I never find them until this time of year when they're adults. I guess they're just too hard to see when they're younger, plus they are wandering around (and males are flying around) looking for mates now.

Found an egg case on my back fence once though, and put it in a jar so I could watch it hatch. I couldn't believe it. Only ONE nymph came out of the case. What a disappointment. Cute little booger though! I've seen adult females like, around 9 inches long around where I'm moving to in CA. I mean, huge ones. Suckers eat lizards, I'm not kidding.

[RedSidedSPR]

All mine are green.

That's awesome!! 9 inches!! jeez...