Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Stink Bug

I think I have the correct ID for this Stink Bug, seen along the Bertha Lake Trail in Waterton Lakes National Park, on 20 June 2015. We only walked as far as Bertha Falls, not the lake. I was so lucky to be invited to join friends Sandy and Heide on a three-day trip to Waterton Lakes National Park, from 19-21 (inclusive) June 2015. We met up with other members of the Alberta Native Plant Council for their annual Botany Alberta weekend. Most people who attended stayed at the Crooked Creek Campground, a 5.6 km drive east of the Waterton Park Gate on Highway 5, but my friends and I stayed at the Crandell Mountain Lodge on the edge of Waterton town. The ANPC people had a list of species that they hoped to find, and they were very successful. Our stay down south overlapped the annual Waterton Wildflower Festival, but we came across very few people on our various drives and hikes. Needless to say, I was extremely fortunate to spend three days with people who are very knowledgeable about plants and many other things. This meant that I got to see many wildflower species, including several that were new to me, such as the gorgeous Mariposa Lily. It was one of the flowers that was on my Wish List - and there were hundreds of them to be seen! I had also never seen the spectacular Bear Grass and I was so thrilled that there were still several plants in bloom. Absolutely made my day! Our two main hikes of the weekend were the Bertha Lake Trail as far as the Bertha Falls (on 20 June), and the Crandell Lake Trail (on 21 June). Makes me smile when a described "short, easy hike" in a book or on the Internet turns into a full day of exploration along the trail, taking hours to reach the destination, though returning to the cars in a much shorter time. Our walks/hikes are very slow-paced with endless stops to look at/for plants and to take photos. This makes it possible for me to go along. Crandell Lake from the Crandell Campground trailhead: Return distance 4.0 km (2.4 miles), elevation gain 150 metres (492'), hiking time 1.5 hours (we took all day!). Bertha Falls from the townsite trailhead: Return distance 5.6 km (3.4 miles), elevation gain 150 metres (492'), hiking time 1.5 hours (again, we took all day). For me, this hike felt much further than it was! The wind made photographing plants a real challenge, including the beautiful Mariposa Lilies in the meadow along the Hay Barn road. Trying to catch a quick shot when a flower is blowing in and out of the viewfinder is not easy! Unfortunately, I'm no longer able to get down and take macro shots (my lens needs to be about 4" away from the subject), so my photos have to be telemacro. I've been trying to find an online list of plant species in Waterton Park, but have so far been out of luck. I do have the book, "Wildflowers of Waterton Park" by Jacinthe Lavoie and Ian Wilson, which has an Index of Plant names, but I was hoping to find a list that I could print out. It's going to take me ages to type descriptions for the various photos I'll slowly be posting, and I will no doubt keep adding new bits and pieces over time. There is just so much information I want to add, but my descriptions are already way too long. Also, my photos of quite a few of the plants will be posted for the use of ANPC members and are, unfortunately, really poor images. Need them added to my Waterton Lakes album, so please bear with me : ) Luckily, you don't even need to look at them.

These were no more than tiny red specks on this fallen branch (maybe an inch to an inch and a half diameter) and in fact I stopped to look because I thought it might be some kind of teeny red fungi. However, when I picked up the branch to take a closer look, the specks all started to move - fast! I believe these are Hemipterans, True Bugs, more specifically Shield Bugs or Stink Bugs. Nymphs, the immature insects, are more difficult to accurately identify, but our money is on the Harlequin Bug, Murgantia histrionica." From What's that Bug?. The above information was not on my photo, but someone else's of what seemed to be identical insects. I love the red and black and the three lines on each perfect little bug. Found on the private, southern edge of the Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area, just southwest of the city, on Sunday - oh, I guess that was yesterday : )

This Nodding Onion bud was seen when we spent a very enjoyable day botanizing J. Edworthy's land, past Black Diamond on July 29th. I didn't notice the little green visitor (maybe a Shield Bug?) until I went to crop this supermacro image : )

We were watching this little green Stink Bug (also called a Shield Bug), part way up the trail at Horseshoe Canyon a few days ago. This area is a 1 1/2 to 2 hour drive north east of Calgary, to the Badlands near Drumheller. Famous Dinosaur country : ) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentatomoidea

I thought this was a Shield Bug (on Yarrow plant), but then came across a different name of something similar on Google. Thought I wrote it somewhere, but I can't remember where : ) Or maybe it's an immature one of a Shield Bug species? Quite a fancy pattern for such a tiny bug. Found and shared by Doug (dougwaylett) in Jim Coutts' homestead garden, just north east of Nanton, Alberta. Thanks, Doug!

Thanks, Doug, for finding and sharing this tiny bug yesterday, when six of us went on a hike at Fullerton Loop, Kananaskis (starting from Allan Bill Pond). I wonder if it is some kind of Shield Bug (nymph?). I tend to use the word "hike" when we botanize for a full day, but our pace is SO slow because we are stopping every foot or two, to search, examine, record, photograph, LOL. I think we covered about 10 km in total.

We came across this Shield Bug with bright orange legs when four of us went to explore a private property down near Millarville recently.

I hadn't seen this kind of Shield or Stink Bug before. Usually, I see only the Green Stink Bug. I don't have an ID for this one. I am assuming that the photo of the Stink Bug nymphs that I uploaded yesterday belong to the same species as this bug. Or maybe this is even a Green Stink Bug not yet fully developed? Note on 8th September: thanks, Doug, for the ID!

This small Green Stink Bug was wandering all over a Canada Thistle this afternoon. I love seeing these. Actually, I saw all sorts of things on my walk today, starting off with a family of Ring-necked Pheasants running through the long grass. Also saw what must have been bear droppings - filled with berries!

These teeny bugs were found by a friend. Without my glasses, I wasn't quite sure what I was photographing, but they turned out to be Stink Bug nymphs. Quite attractive. Presumably they are the nymphs of the Stink Bug adults we found on the same tree.

We came across this Stink Bug this afternoon, as well as another similar one on a Golden Bean flower. I was so happy, as I believe this was my first insect of the year. Thanks, Doug, for the ID! I had come to pretty much the same conclusion after checking several web sites.

These Stink Bugs were mating on a Gaillardia flower. I felt as if I was intruding, but I had never even seen a Stink Bug before. They are shield-shaped and are sometimes also called Shield Bugs. Stink Bugs can come in many colours and patterns but "mine" were very non-descript. These are not beetles, but True Bugs in the family Pentatomidae.