A Very Friendly Bug At Parfrey's Glen State Park (Photo Essay)

While at Parfrey's Glen this weekend I took a number of photos (full photo essay of the trail coming up some day.. LOL)

I was shooting some shots of these little flowers. I liked how the shadows displayed on the petals. It should have been an easy shot, but it wasn't. The shot was either over or under exposed and the shadows just weren't looking right.


In the middle of my frustration trying to get the shot, this little bug flies up and hits my cheek and lands on the back of my camera. I looked at it thinking "You stinker!" I walked to Clint who was a little ways up with the bug on the back of my camera the whole time. When Clint pulled out his camera to take a shot of it, he flew off.

Ah, but that was just our first meeting.

I went back to shoot a photo of these flowers that kinda look like wild bleeding hearts... and guess who I met again. :-)


Here's our little photo shoot. He was a friendly lil fella.

He didn't fly much. He just kinda explored the area on foot and did not mind my camera lens in his way.



I've never seen anything like him before. Any idea what he is? He looks almost dragonfly like with the body, but the end of the tail looks kinda like an earwig.




His body appears to be very flexible as well.





He's about half the size of a moth. I have no idea what sort of critter he is. Any ideas? He seemed really harmless.


All photos taken with my Canon Powershot A560 camera. No editing done other than cropping to show details. Photos taken May 3, 2008 in Parfrey's Glen State Park in Wisconsin.