A cuckoo bee cleans its outstretched tongue, readying for the next sips of nectar.
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A cuckoo bee clamps onto a rhododendron leaf to make cleaning a little easier, and stays for the night held only by its mandibles.
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On a bright and sunny spring morning, dandelions attract a number of these mining bees.
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A mining bee on a crocus looks playfully towards the camera, with tongue outstretched in readiness for the next sip of nectar.
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A honey bee collects pollen industriously on another crocus, buzzing quickly from one crocus to another on this early spring afternoon.
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A honey bee laden with pollen pauses for a quick clean inside this crocus.
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A bumble bee covered in crocus pollen pauses on the edge of a crocus petal, surveying flowers across the patch, before deciding to take off in what it deems a favorable direction.
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A mining bee with its astounding mandibles feasts upon this crocus on a sunny April afternoon.
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A bumble bee poses for a picture before buzzing off to the next aster on a late summer afternoon.
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A bumble bee, having fallen from an aster above, desperately struggles to retain a grasp on this piece of vegetation (read the buzzy moment in full).
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A bumble bee pauses to clean its tongue before flying off to another aster for more nectar.
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So often, bumble bees don't bother flying, instead dangling off the edges of flowers in order to drop lazily into surrounding flowers.
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Iridescent green sweat bees are amazing to behold, somewhat smaller than honey bees, and even more energized – and they're not keen on photographers.
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An iridescent green sweat bee cleans its antennae before darting off, its three simple eyes protruding noticeably on its head.
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A leaf-cutter bee's mandibles look impressive, and in our photographic confrontation, it appeared accustomed to having the upper hand.
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A honey bee cleans its tongue after a great deal of buzzing over this sedum.
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A honey bee with tongue outstretched, sipping from the abundant nectar in Queen Anne's Lace.
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A bumble bee on an August morning after the summer rains of the prior night, totally drenched and clinging to a flower.
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A sweat bee with tongue plunged into a sunflower on a sunny and warm late summer's afternoon.
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A honey bee drinks nectar from a dandelion on a mid-summer's day, wings at the ready to take off.
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A golden buprestid basks in the sun to warm up before taking off from atop a blade of grass.
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A woolly bear caterpillar walks swiftly along a piece of dead grass – these caterpillars are almost always on the move.
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A ladybug awakes to another chilly late summer morning, clinging to grass seeds and holding a drop of dew in its mandibles.
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A hover fly mimicking a bee loves the aster nectar just as much as bees do, and mingles with the cloud of small bumble bees surrounding this aster bush.
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A stink bug with proboscis partially outstretched pauses on some grass seeds for a picture.
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An assassin bug – with deadly proboscis tucked in towards its body – blends in with the seeds and flower stems while awaiting its next victim.
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A grasshopper surveys its surroundings from atop a broom seedpod in late summer.
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A leaf-footed bug flits amidst the dense and twiggy broom on a late summer's afternoon.
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Two hover flies pause for awhile on a blackberry leaf before flying off, still coupled, in search of another spot – they fit together so neatly, all the odd shapes of their bodies explained or at least taken advantage of – they form a miniature biplane flying together.
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A praying mantis spends many minutes cleaning each of its legs, its unusual mandibles appearing to act as useful extra appendages.
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A boxelder bug surveys its surroundings as it climbs towards the top of a stalk of grass seeds.
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A boxelder bug, climbing down a stalk of grass seeds late in the afternoon on a late summer's day, looks towards the camera.
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A green sawfly buzzes with incredible speed in the midday sun in the middle of summer – a primitive relative of bees and wasps.
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These insect portraits spring from a lifelong interest in insects and their kin. Inevitably, many bees sneak into these photos... as there's really nothing quite as buzzy as a bee.
Click on any photo to enlarge it and to buy a print or framed photo of that bug.
Interested in seeing more? The new photo stream includes these and 77 other photos (and counting!)
All these insects make their home in the McKenzie River Valley, nestled in Southern Oregon, in between Eugene and Bend (on the west side of the mountains).
It's a chilly climate much of the year, with a great deal of rain and even a bit of snow. But around summer, the warmth brings out such an abundance of six-legged glee that winter is easily forgotten.
Concerned about our buzzy friends and their recent declines in population? Buzz by the Xerces Society – and soon my new site Save Bees – to see how to help!
Photos are printed with archival inks on bright white photo paper with a pearlescent finish.
Frames are made of wood (black, walnut, or natural, chosen to match the photo). The photo floats between glass.
Prices include shipping via Priority Mail (within the U.S.) or International Priority Mail (outside the U.S.)
Email or call for more details about any specific bugs or special requests for Oregonian bugs not yet seen here.
Élise Fog has been bugging for as long as she can remember. She currently bugs with a Canon EOS 40D, MP-E 65mm (macro lens), and MT-24EX (macro flash).
You might also enjoy a short video of a leaf-cutter bee waking up, or a quick read of some buzzy moments.
A project of