At nearly 1am one night, I almost walked right into this beautiful bolas spider, Mastophora phrynosoma. That sweetgum tree remained her home until she laid eggs (that big ol’ abdomen wasn’t all moth) and passed on a couple months later. What marvelous creatures, eh?

A few finds from the past week :)

A tiiiiny Neelidae (<.7mm) exploring the underside of a log

Couple shots of that Lynx Spider taken on my OM-D e-m1 mark ii with the laowa 25mm 2.5-5x lens

So nice to see some spiders out on this 52 degree (11c) day! Especially after it being -10 (-23c) Last week.

Habronattus cognatus

Small Bold Jumping spiderling I noticed observing me from the leaves of a flower

Some freshly hatched predatory stink Bugs with their especially pretty eggs

I was lucky to find this stunning Io Moth (Automeris io) in Indiana. They have a huge range from Quebec to Panama, and the entire eastern US, but conveniently have a 80 mile gap circling where I live 😅.

An incredible female Phidippus comatus. A new record for BC and Canada. So far I have found a couple in Scotch broom, and one under a rock guarding her eggs. I have not seen a male yet.

Moss Springtail (Neanura muscorum) At their tiny size (2mm), these springtails are very under reported. If you'd like to find some winter inverts flip logs and look close!

Locust Borer (Megacyllene robiniae) These wasp-mimicking beetles can be very skittish. I was lucky enough to grab this shot right before they took off.

Common Green Darner (Anax junius) I love photographing these guys on cool fall days. They are never bothered by my camera being 2 inches from their face. #macro

Toadflax Brocade Moth (Calophasia lunula) Very pretty Moth catterpillar found on a Goldenrod plant.

Humpbacked Orbweaver (Eustala anastera) It took me a few years to find the green color morph of this species, but wow, it was worth it. Such a stunning spider.

Peck's Skipper (Polites peckius) This guy didn't mind me approaching at all with how focused on eating they were.

Punctate Harp Ground Beetle (Calleida punctata) Stunning ground beetle I found hanging out on a leaf just above the ground.

Bold Jumping Spider (Phidippus audax) This juvenile was enjoying an elate Turfgrass Ant as a lunch.

Jagged Ambush Bug (Phymata americana) I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure this guy caught a Blood Bee, would be a pretty rare catch! #macro #insect

Northeastern Hammertail (Efferia aestuans) This guy darted off for less than two seconds as I went to photograph them and came back with lunch, pretty impressive. #macro #insect

Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) If you want to see sleeping insects without waking up before sunrise, go out on rainy summer days!

Hoverfly (Genus Sphaerophoria) I don't attempt in-flight shots often, but this hoverfly was staying perfectly still in the air for too long not to get a few shots. #macro

Bolas Spiders (Mastophora spp) Coal City, Indiana - USA @bennygokey.bsky.social

Brilliant Jumping Spider (Phidippus clarus) peaking out from their home. Finding jumpers like this has been a fun way to photograph them. #macro #jumpingspider

Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum) Doing most of my photography mid-day, I don't often find dragonflies willing to sit still for me. It's always a nice surprise when one does. #macro #macrophotography

LeConte's Tiger Beetle (Cicindela scutellaris lecontei) This guy only let me get a side profile shot before running away, such a pretty beetle.

Here is a 19 frame focus stack of a Furrow Orbweaver enjoying her dinner

Hi! I'm Benny, and I'm obsessed with doing macro photography of invertebrates. I'm most interested in spiders, but I also love all sorts of insects. I've got thousands of photos to share! Here are a few of my favorites-

This Eastern Black Carpenter Ant Queen was missing her entire abdomen😳 I hope she could atleast enjoy the shores of Lake Michigan

White-jawed Jumping Spider (Hentzia mitrata ♂️) Camera used: 📷Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II 🔬Lens: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 60mm 🔎Clip on: Raynox DCR-250 🔦Flash: Godox V350O 🌥Diffuser: #cygnustechdiffuser

Marbled Orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus) One of my favorite species to find in the fall.

Bombylius mexicanus, not the Beefly species I'm used to seeing, I really like their rusty orange. Camera used: 📷Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II 🔬Lens: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 60mm 🔎Clip on: Raynox DCR-250 🔦Flash: Godox V350O 🌥Diffuser: #cygnustechdiffuser