Goldenrod was in full bloom on Wednesday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, attracting all kinds of insects, including a little Skipper butterfly and a colorfully-patterned Ailanthus Webworm moth (Atteva aurea). I believe that the butterfly is a Sachem Skipper (Atalopedes campestris), although it is hard to be confident when identifying skipper butterflies—there are quite a number of similar looking species.
I love the intricate orange, black, and white pattern on the body of the Ailanthus Webworm moth, a type of ermine moth. This moth looks quite a bit like a beetle when it is at rest with its wings tucked in, but reportedly it looks like a wasp when in flight. I encourage you to click on the image to get a better look at the wonderful details of the two insects.
When I composed this image, I was conscious of the fact that my primary subject, which was initially the skipper, filled only a small part of the frame. However, I really liked the brilliant yellow of the goldenrod and framed the shot to focus viewers’ attention as much on the sweeping curve and color of the goldenrod as on the insects. The goldenrod became the co-star of the photo and therefore has equal billing in the title of this blog posting.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I can’t believe you’re seeing goldenrod already. We may have some blooming, somewhere, but I’ve yet to see it. Of course, I don’t think goldenrod enjoys 90 degree temperatures any more than we do.
This has sure been a hot summer for you, for sure. We were in the 80’s most of last week, but I think we are forecast to be in the 90’s this week.
Very nice Mike! Very colorful against the background!
Lovely composition, Mike!
Thanks, Ellen. When I first saw the image on my computer, I liked the composition so much that I decided not to crop in closer. 🙂