Butterfiles and Spiders

 

I recently traded in my beloved Nikon camera and three lenses for a partial payment on a new Olympus 12-100mm Pro
Zoom lens for the OM-D E-M1 Mark III.  As I experiment with the new lens, I am also quickly settling into how it works.

I am moving on to the smaller butterflies, much easier to get with the wide zoom range and crystal clear lens.  This is a Salt Marsh Skipper, only about an inch long.  I actually confirmed its correct name with a different shot, but this is the best portrait.

I call this my Menage a Trois picture.  The two Fiery Skippers on the left were literally hooked up, doing their thing when the third Skipper started to attack them.  The attacker appears to be a male, going after the other male on the right side. Maybe butterflies get jealous? 

This Argiope aurantia spider has many common names, as simple as Yellow Garden Spider and can be found across North and Central America.  This one has captured a Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly in its web under the tree in the middle of the labyrinth.  There were also other prey in its sprawling web.  Enjoying nature is not for the soft hearted.