Snow Bugs - Laura Gillis

While stuck in the house waiting for the ice and snow to thaw I got a few bugs done. This weather is making me anxious for spring and the first buzzings of insect life. I know, I will be regretting that statement when the mosquitoes start up but I am just really ready to get out for a while.

First is the Green June Beetle -- a pretty little stout-bodied beetle.

Next, I have two unidentified beetles. The first one I am fairly sure is in the Click Beetle group but the second one I haven’t found yet. He has pinchers up front and an extremely tough shell. (He was a challenge to get the pin through the thorax.) I don’t think he is an Iron Clad Beetle though.

This little Straight-Lanced Meadow Katydid is just tiny and cute... Only three quarters of an inch long from her nose to the tip of her lance. Earlier I had sketched and posted an older adult that was an inch longer but this one was just so cute I had to include her also.

And then there is the big honkin’ Sphinx Moth. 

I worked on this guy for several days and I never did get it to where it does justice to the real thing. I haven’t identified this one with the magenta spots yet but when I get to some hi-speed internet I plan to do some research on these. This was a beautiful moth -- the heavy body is 2.5 inches long and the resting wings are almost three inches wide. When I see these feeding on flowers I almost always think I have a hummingbird at first!

I hope you and yours are all safe and warm and riding out these winter storms!

All are ink & watercolor in the Moleskine Watercolor Journal

Greater Angle-wing Katydids - Laura Gillis

Female and male versions of the Greater Angle-wing Katydid.

Ink & watercolor in the moleskine watercolor journal

Another Katydid - Laura Gillis

We seem to have a lot of different Katydids and Grasshoppers this year. So, here's another one. I couldn't find this one in any of my books though. I might need to look for a book of Orthoptera -- I bet that would be a BIG one!

Ink & watercolor in the Moleskine watercolor journal

Back to the Bugs - Laura Gillis

I am back to the bugs again and with some really interesting finds.

You can't really tell it here but this was a huge weevil. He was right at 1/2 inch long. I was under the Pecan trees when he landed on my shoulder so I guess he was after the new pecans that are showing up on the trees.

The finished page 22.

All are ink & watercolor in the Moleskine watercolor journal.