ShutterbugTrails Photography by Mynette

05/13/2025

17-year Cicada Brood XIV near Cincinnati, Ohio. Yesterday I saw a few, but today they have started to take over the Irises in the backyard!

Fun little fact...
There are expected to be 1.5 million cicadas emerging per 1 acre!

09/01/2023

ATTENTION!
If you see this moth, report it to the Department of Agriculture.
I found this Box Tree moth the other day and found out it is very invasive. They destroy boxwood shrubs and have started to spread through North America. Within hours of reporting my siting, someone from the Ohio Department of Agriculture called me and wanted more info. They then set traps around the area so they can find the source of infestation. The Cincinnati area has multiple sitings but this one was the first reported from the Dayton area.

07/10/2023

I always love when I come across a hummingbird clearwing moth! They hover like hummingbirds and are just a little larger than a bumblee. Here, it is pollinating bee balm.

04/22/2023

It's Earth Day! Did you know we can all do a few simple things that will make a huge impact on the environment and protect nature:
-Recycle
-Don't litter
-Plant a tree
-Conserve water
-Reusable shopping bags
-Stop using plastic straws
-Plant native plants for pollinators
-Donate clothing and other items instead of sending them to the landfill.
-Spend time in nature and observe the beauty that surrounds us as a constant reminder that we need to care about how we are impacting the Earth!💚🌎

03/28/2023

I never get tired of photographing dragonflies! Their large compound eyes always amaze me with the thousands of tiny lenses on the eyes that allow them to see 360° around them. This helps make them the most successful predator on the planet with a 95% catch rate every time it hunts prey. That's pretty impressive!
(Blue Dasher Dragonfly, m)

03/25/2023

Carolina Mantis catching a sweat bee! This was a cool moment in nature where I was at the right place, right time!

03/24/2023

Looking through some older photos and I found this one I captured of an Orchard spider with a fresh catch!

03/03/2023

I haven't been keeping up with posting on this page for a couple years, but this Spring/Summer I have some plans to get this going again and including some new fun media to learn about insects and nature!

This article was posted today and I wanted to share because discoveries like this are why I keep getting out and taking insect photos and identifying them! Hoping one day I photograph something new or rediscovered!

https://www.facebook.com/100764596991/posts/10160359462691992/?mibextid=Nif5oz

A giant, flying bug found at a Walmart turned out to be a rare insect from the Jurassic period.

09/06/2022

Check out that camouflage! I found a female Carolina Mantis on a houseplant on my front porch and another female Carolina Mantis on a very fried tomato plant out back. They're different colors, but are both females of the same species. When some mantises molt(shed their skin) to become adults, their color can change to green or brown depending on their surroundings. It is a gradual color change over several days. This was a perfect example of nature's adaptations at work!

06/17/2021

What's the Brood X Cicada situation where you are? Here in Warren County, Ohio they're still buzzing but they're past their peak. See ya in 17 years!