Box Elder Bug
Running a bug website changes people; I have learned to carry my camera with me everywhere, “just in case”. Just in case I see a bug? Well, yes, but more importantly, just in case I’m visiting a friend and they say “Hey, let’s go see if there are any bugs in my back yard for your website!” A couple of weeks ago I was visiting my good friend Don, and he said just this thing. It was after the snow and several cold snaps so I wasn’t particularly hopeful, but no sooner had we stepped out onto the porch but there was this hardy little box elder bug bravely soaking up the meager rays of Autumn sunlight.
I love the bicolor contrast on this bug. If you look at the high-resolution image, for example, there are two red bumps between its eyes, and even the joint of its knee has a flash of red in it.