Susan Kirby

I think bugs are so much fun to photograph. The colors are often amazing, and with butterflies, insects can be awe-inspiring.

Butterflies 2023

A Butterfly Slideshow 2022

I didn’t see as wide a variety of butterflies in 2022 as in previous years, but I was able to photograph monarchs and sachem skippers, plus tiger swallowtails.

Praying Mantises

The praying mantises in this slide show were seen at the New York Botanical Garden on October 21, 2021, and at Mount Loretto Unique Area on November 1, 2021.

Butterflies and Dragonflies, 2021

The butterflies in this slideshow were seen in Marine Park in Brooklyn, and Croton Point Park in Westchester, July and August 2021.

This slideshow features dragonflies seen on Staten Island, in Central Park and in Green-Wood Cemetery, including great blue skimmers and blue dashers.

Here and There, Lots of Bugs and Butterflies

September Is Buggy on Governors Island

A visit to Governors Island on September 18, 2020, yielded few birds, but lot of bugs on the blooms.

More buckeyes in this slideshow, plus skippers, a pearl crescent, a monarch butterfly and caterfly, and others, seen at Governors Island, September 18, 2020.

More Bugs From Around New York City

Bugs and Butterflies at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

This collection of photos was taken at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on September 21, 2019.

Snug Harbor Bugs and Butterflies

Snug Harbor on Staten Island has gorgeous flowers in the gardens and therefore some very nice bugs! These shots are from August 10, 2018.

The Bugs of Autumn

I saw some nice bugs on Governors Island on Aug. 6, 2017. I included them in a Governors Island video, and offer photos here.

I put up a video of the autumn leaves and brilliant flowers from September and October 2016. You can watch the video on the Central Park: Four Seasons page, or click here. I have posted quite a few photos from that video on the Flowers and Foliage page, but I include the ones here that had good bugs.

Papillon Perfection

On Oct. 12, 2017, one of the most perfect monarch butterflies was flitting around in Shakespeare Garden in Central Park. I couldn't resist a video and photos.

A Buckeye Butterfly in Conservatory Garden

Monarch Metamorphosis, Caterpillar Stage

On August 31, monarch caterpillars were chomping down on the milkweed in the garden east of the model boat pond (Conservatory Pond). These are monarch larvae, in the 5th instar stage, just before they go into the pupa stage and become chrysalises. What these striped critters aspire to is the magnificent monarch butterfly we are blessed with in August.

I did a Silly Video to celebrate all that munching, called Monarch Wannabes. I set it to music by Charles Gounod, including the "Funeral March of the Marionette," which is also known as Alfred Hitchcock's theme music. To be a living being that goes through all these stages, to live such a short time, seems amazing — almost Hitchcockian!

Some more photos of the creepy crawlers follow the video. They are so much fun to watch, but they chomp for 3 to 5 days, so are probably building their new homes and hanging out now (apparently, they should be called pupa or chrysalises, not cocoons, because the monarchs don't create silken coverings).

July 17, 2013; August 27, 2015; August 5, 2015

Just a Bit Buggy

Originally published July 2013

Why do I take pictures of bugs? Because I can. The dragonflies have been fun. I even have video of one tapping its tail in the water, and then, whoops! A big-mouth fish grabbed it and et it! Such is the life of bugs, I suppose.

Again, my favorite shots.