I was drawn to her, as she to the flower.
A Spring Azure the size of a dime, sipping slowly from Boneset in the field of goldenrod. Another of the Gossamer-winged, another Blue, in a rare moment of rest.
I inched the camera slowly forward, catching a picture every several inches until I was almost on top of her. Marveling at her fine features magnified by my lens—the coal black eyes, white-feathered legs, banded antennae…how perfectly lovely on one so small.
Abruptly, her wings flew open and it seemed she lunged forward, further into the flower from which she’d been feeding.
Then fluttered strongly, the dusty blues in reverse.
She’d been caught—in that instant. The powerful mantis-like front legs of an even smaller Ambush Bug held her firmly, while the toxin from its mouth acted fast.
I hadn’t seen her hiding within the white bloom--her light green forelegs the color of plant stems, orange eyes upon a cryptic face, so flower-like. As she waited, poised to snatch a visitor to her flower.
Within seconds both were still.
The open wings of gossamer blue, quiet.
On the leaf below, were 4 blue wings.
click photos to enlarge
(do you see the Ambush Bug waiting in the first photo?)