In mid-June this year the two lilac bushes in our yard bloomed profusely. Several different kinds of bugs shared in our enjoyment of the lilac flowers. The photos below show the larger insects in the lilacs. There were more bugs that were too small and fast to photograph.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Papilio glaucus
Male Eastern Swallowtail Butterflies are yellow, and females are either black or yellow.
Hobomok Skipper Butterfly
Lon hobomok
Snowberry Clearwing Moth
Hemaris diffinis
This moth resembles a small hummingbird; accordingly, it is sometimes referred to as a “hummingbird moth”. Another strange nickname for it is “flying lobster”.
Two-spotted Bumblebee
Bombus bimaculatus
These bees live in underground nests, commonly in forested areas. They rely upon pre-existing holes for the nests, such as abandoned rodent burrows. Unlike many other species of bees with declining populations, the two-spotted bumblebee is thriving.
North MN Outdoors 