This week, I’ve been feeling grateful that I have places close to home where I can chase little creatures around with my camera. Of course, insects and spiders live just about everywhere, but between my backyard prairie garden and the small restored prairies on the other side of my small town, I’m set up pretty well. During the last five or six days, I’ve had some really nice light to work with, and have managed to capture quite a few images of tiny prairie animals, either in my yard or across town. Here are three of those:
I’ve been trying to get a good photo of a lynx spider like this one for years, but the little buggers have been too quick for me. For some reason, this one was sitting still on a milkweed leaf at Lincoln Creek Prairie this week, and stayed still while I crept close enough to take its picture.
This stilt bug, and/or others like it, have been hanging around on the black-eyed Susan flowers in our backyard this week. Stilt bugs feed on nectar, and some species may be at least occasionally predatory as well.
A Reakirt’s blue butterfly hides among the flowers of lead plant. Lincoln Creek Prairie, Aurora, Nebraska.
The Prairie Ecologist 
Thank you, once again, for these magnificent glimpses into these smaller creatures. Never heard of a lynx spider – nor seen one, to my knowledge!! Nor have I heard before of the two others featured this week. Thanks for enhancing my world and educating me on more parts of it! With all the awfulness going on in the world today, coming into my email inbox, it’s a refreshing blessing to receive this beauty and information.
Chris, I do love your little critters! Maybe some day I’ll outfit myself with a proper macro lens, and talk myself into using my tripod once in a while. Or maybe I’ll just keep enjoying your close-ups! -Anna
Beautiful shot of the spider!