Talking about insects and spiders to people people end up looking at me like I am the strangest person they know. Many people whom have seen pictures I have taken or that my mother have taken have actually learned to appreciate them a bit more. Actually not have as much of a fear for them as they originally did. Luckily, I try to tell people to look at the images another way. Look at the way they are designed, look at their colors, think about the benefits, etc. Basically, get them to realize there are different ways to look at things, approach things, more than one way to think about something. Which sometimes works, other times they simply refuse to change their way of thinking or do not wish to be open minded.
On a side note, not wanting to be open minded reminded me of a bumper sticker that a family member of mine had: "If only Closed Minds Came With Closed Mouths." ^_^
Below are some of the pictures I have taken of various types of insects. Note: I have 100+ insect pictures I have taken. Also 100+ spider pictures I have taken.
Not sure what kind of beetle/bug this one is. It is munching on a grasshopper/locust. I would not want to be the one on the receiving end of those pinchers (as in I would not want to be its food).
This Praying Mantis got caught up in fur/hair/webbing or something. I saved it and it sat on the top of the dowel rod that I used to save it. While it was cleaning itself, I personally removed as much as I could without hurting or spooking the Mantis. Their mouth parts are very odd.
Yellow-Jacket Wasp, I think. I cannot remember. I am just so grateful that the wasp stayed perfectly content on the wooden beam of the porch. I was panicking inside worried it would take flight and then wham. Sting/bite me. Surprisingly, I dont know what a wasp, hornet, or bee sting/bite feels like.
Close-up of a grasshopper, or so. I think the eye detail is pretty cool. Mouth parts, like with most insects, is weird looking though.
Wheel Bug, do not pick these insects up. If one is on you, get it off quickly without getting bitten. Apparently they are aggressive. So naturally, I do not mess with them. I take a picture and move on.
Scarab, also known as a Dung Beetle or a type of Dung Beetle. The colors are really cool.
Fuzzy!! So this caterpillar, not sure what species it is, but I saw it crawling along the ground while I was in Haviland, KS. I stopped, picked it up. (NOTE: There are types of Caterpillar that should not ever be picked up because of their external bodies or spines or whatever can hurt you. Not thinking, I simply picked this one up. Nothing happened to me. ^_^)
Both these two pictures are of Swallow-Tail Butterfly/Moth caterpillars. These were all over the Dill plant(s) that my dad and mom had planted. They devoured the plant, blink and you would have missed it (it seemed like). That is my hand in the second picture.
A moth that we found in the lobby of the hotel that we worked at. I caught it and got it outside. It was about half the size of my palm, if not covering the whole palm. Later saw another one outside, unfortunately people actually stepped on it.
This is the face of a Termite. I honestly could not get a clearer picture than that. Actually their faces looked pretty cool, but here is turned out fuzzy quality. I do not mind termites, as long as they are not destroying my house. Which, they were not, thankfully.
A cool and fuzzy, soft looking moth. A Sphinx type moth. Another large type moth.
Another Praying Mantis, this one appears like she is going to be laying eggs or so awhile after me taking this picture. Or that was my assumption due to the size of her abdomen or whatever.
