Ngl I thought it was pretty funny. All subjects are wild and living, mostly photographed in the morning darkness when they’re inactive.

1. Bald-faced hornet
2. Darkling beetle
3. Damselfly
4. Paper wasp
5. Six-spotted tiger beetle
6. Gnat ogre
7. Saddleback caterpillar
8. Paper wasp
9. Damselfly
10. Hanging thief robber fly
11. Bumblebee
12. Spined micrathena
13. Mottled tortoise beetle
14. Gnat ogre w/ mite
15. Carpenter bee
16. Asterisk spider
17. Wolf spider w/ babies
18. Spotted orbweaver
19. Bald-faced hornet
20. Fishing spider

More close-ups: @bens_small_world

I was in Mã Đà forest - Đồng Nai - Việt Nam. I had to lie down on the ground to take photos of those butterflies drinking water and even peeing

Those butterflies are not scared of my presence and just chilling by themselves, sometimes I can touch a few without having them flying away

The last photo showcasing a praying mantis threatening me with his stance, he was found on a branch near the bank, too. What a naughty one!

Taken near Osprey Village, Canada BC, this afternoon while on a walk with my beautiful wife.

Just like a hummingbird, the broad-bordered bee hawk-moth (Hemaris fuciformis) can hover in place while unrolling its proboscis toward the flower.
📷 Canon EOS R5 Mark II · RF 100-500mm

Better than any helicopter: The hummingbird moth doesn’t even land while drinking nectar, as it simply hovers perfectly in the air! 🌸✨
Capturing the hummingbird moth sharply in mid-hover is no easy task when it darts so swiftly from flower to flower. Even with an extreme shutter speed of 1/5000s, the wings are still motion-blurred due to the rapid movement. But at up to 80 wingbeats per second, that is hardly surprising! This fascinating spectacle of nature is a true challenge for any camera. 📸🔥
📷 Canon EOS R5 Mark II · RF 200–800mm

The light in the background is a lantern on a restaurant wall.

All of these photos were taken with this combo: Panasonic G9 Mark II PRO & OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm F3.5 Macro 2:1 IS PRO + Godox V860 III O + Diffuser

Except for the last one: Pentax-A SMC 50mm F2.8 Macro 1:2 (Using natural light)

If you have any questions about the species’s names or the technique, I will try my best to answer and help you.

(The last photo is a bonus)

I wish everyone good health and great success in 2026!

A lime butterfly on a giant african snail

It’s a beautiful sunny day today and I decided to take a walk up in the garden to photograph some birds, a buzzard flew off our picnic table as soon as I walked up and I thought today wasn’t going to be my day. Walked by our Buddleia and was very pleasantly surprised (plus two NOT buddleia)

Took these with Sony A1II and Sony 200-600mm FE (I was planning on birds!)

if you want IDs on any of these, please ask! i know the species of all of these (...except the first wasp)

Went out to family property in the country to shoot some butterflies before the last of the wildflowers are gone for the season. I’m absolutely in love with this profile shot of a painted lady! Decided to do two different color edits, which grabs your eye? I’d like to hear!

Edit: I do realize I left part of the masking off under the belly, luckily I save my original tiffs 😅

Spent some time with this little one. I love their see-through wings. Which photo is the best of the batch?