Eastern Red Damsels are a Treat... 

One of my unexpected, and therefore most thrilling, finds from last year was finding a colony of diminutive Eastern Red Damsels, Amphiagrion saucium, north of Debert last August. Averaging about 25mm (1") in total length, these tiny red damselflies are voracious predators of even smaller insects. Unfortunately I had discovered them at the very end of their flight period and getting good photos was a challenge. I vowed that I would return to the site this year so this is a male that was photographed on June 17. I will have to return again soon to photograph a female!

Flower (or Hover) Flies Fill the Gap... 

Last fall, when both butterflies and odonates were scarce, I became interested in the beautiful flower flies, also called hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphinae). This year I've continued this short love affair, which now threatens to continue over the long haul, and have been taking photos of every new and different fly that I see. This fly—you can easily see the bright yellow halteres behind the wings in this shot—is a female Sphaerophoria contigua, is no more than about 9 mm (about 3/8") long, and was photographed at Roaches Pond Park in Spryfield on June 12.

Go Ahead...Make My Day! 

They're not called "bold jumpers" for nothing! This Northern Bold Jumper, Phidippus borealis, appears to be contemplating attacking the camera (or the photographer). Photographed north of Debert on June 17.

Bald-Faced Hornet cleaning mandibles... 

This Bald-Faced Hornet, Dolichovespula maculata, surprised me when it landed on a branch of a small tree beside me at Roaches Pond Park in Spryfield on June 20 then proceeded to hang upside-down from the branch while it busily cleaned its mandibles and antennae.

Third Year for Harvesters at Roaches Pond... 

A freshly-emerged Harvester, Feniseca tarquinius, our only carnivorous species of butterfly (their caterpillars eat Wooly Alder Aphids rather than eating plants), perched on an Alder waiting for a prospective mate. Photo taken June 24 at Roaches Pond Park in Spryfield. This is the third year in a row that I've found Harvesters at Roaches Pond Park.

Puddling Canadian Tiger Swallowtails... 

A large puddle party of 19 Canadian Tiger Swallowtails, Papilio canadensis, found north of Debert on June 17.

Two "small" groups (11 above, 8 below) of puddling Canadian Tiger Swallowtails, Papilio canadensis, found near Brooklyn on June 23. The two groups were only 3 metres apart and were constantly exchanging members. The smaller group was actually in a shadier spot so most new members immediately spread their wings to bask while feeding.

Harlequin Darner in Flight... 

I had never seen Harlequin Darners, Gomphaeschna furcillata, before this year but have now found and photographed them in several locations, including my favorite local "outdoor photography studio," Roaches Pond Park in Spryfield (west of Halifax), over the past month. My first encounter was arguably the best: I was able to photograph this male in flight near South Uniacke on June 11.

The Common (but elusive) Cherry Gall Azure... 

There are three species of Azures in Nova Scotia: the "Spring" Azure (more correctly called, here in Nova Scotia, the Northern Azure, Celastrina lucia), the "Late Spring" Azure (most commonly called the Cherry Gall Azure, Celastrina serotina) and the Summer Azure, Celastrina neglecta. Despite the abundance of "late Spring" azures in Nova Scotia, actually finding the butterfly associating with its larval host, is a matter of "being in the right place at the right time." Here is the common, but elusive, Cherry Gall Azure, photographed at Smiley's Provincial Park on Monday, June 23, 2014.