I’m a reptile guy at heart but I am often shocked by the beauty of other creatures that live around me.

Each night before bed I take my dog outside.  Providing light to my deck and back yard is a pair of 500 watt flood lights.  And each night while my dog takes care of her business I sit and stare in complete wonder at the unbelievable array of insects that congregate around the light.  On a very regular basis I see insects I have never seen before (and I have lived here in Virginia with this deck and this flood light for many, many years).  Where have they been?  How come I have never seen them before?  Are they rare or just rare in my back yard?  I don’t know a lot about insects but I am blown away by their diversity and beauty.  They are often amazing and exquisite.

Every now and then I see insects that I never dreamed existed.  Tonight, for the first time, I saw this rather large guy (girl?) floating about.  He actually has four wings but every time he lands he folds them in and you can’t quite tell.  I have no idea what he is called but I was awed.  It’s stick of a body is about 3 inches long and the tips of its wings are straight out of a Monet painting.  I spent a full 15 minutes trying to get a good photo of it before it flittered off into the darkness.  Fantastic.

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