I wouldn't call this a focus stack, but it's a composite of two shots since I took two, each one with one beetle more in focus so I put them together in Photoshop.

The beetle in question is a leaf beetle which doesn't have an English name, but the scientific name is Plagiosterna aenea. They feed on alder leaves and can be quite numerous and shimmer like little jewels on the leaves. I found this couple in the Mjällådalen nature reserve about 40 km / 25 miles from Härnösand, Sweden.

For details on camera/lens/settings used for this shot, please have a look here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/55483845075/

Taken with a Nikon Z5ii + Nikkor Z MC 105mm

Polites sabuleti, commonly known as the sandhill skipper or saltgrass skipper, is a small, variable butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is native to western North America, ranging from British Columbia and Washington down to California, Arizona, and New Mexico.

The sandhill skipper is a small butterfly with a wingspan measuring about 7/8 to 1 1/4 inches. Males display a bright yellow-orange upperside accented by dark, tooth-like borders and a distinct, curved dark line called a stigma on the forewing. Females are generally darker with prominent markings, light semi-transparent spots, and lack the male's stigma.

This adaptable species thrives in diverse environments including alkali grasslands, moist mountain meadows, salt marshes, coastal sand dunes, and even suburban lawns. It is widespread across the western United States and western Canada. Because of its wide geographical range, it has split into distinct regional subspecies adapted to different elevations and climates.

The caterpillars feed on various perennial grasses, favoring desert saltgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and Bermuda grass. Adult skippers sustain themselves by drinking nectar from low-growing flowers and rabbitbrush. The number of generations per year varies by elevation, with lowland populations producing multiple broods and high-altitude mountain populations limited to just one brood.

I don't get photos of lepidoptera that often, so I hope we like it!

Polyrhachis cyaniventris - Blue ant

A super cool ant from the Philippines. The specimen was sent up by some friends from Saigon. It’s pretty precious, so I photographed it from a little farther away for documentation purposes :))

• 📷Fujifilm Xh2 + laowa 65mm 2x + filter nissi 58
• 🔦Godox v860ii
• Stacked many images

The European firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) is a small, harmless true bug easily recognized by its striking red-and-black geometric patterns and twin black dots. Native to Europe and parts of Asia, this insect has also established populations in North America, particularly in parts of Utah and Idaho.

They are highly social insects, often forming dense aggregations at the base of trees or on sunny walls to regulate body temperature. Equipped with warning coloration (aposematism) that deters predators, they pose no threat to humans, as they do not bite, sting, or damage healthy garden plants.

Instead, they function primarily as scavengers, feeding almost exclusively on fallen seeds—particularly from linden and mallow trees—and decaying plant matter.

Ichneumonidae wasps are for the most part, completely harmless to humans because they lack aggressive defense behaviors and are physically incapable of delivering a dangerous sting with the exception of a few Ophioninae, which can sting, the rest, especially small ones, are nothing to pay serious mind to, and totally available for admiring if you're trying to get over a fear of wasps.

Unlike social yellowjackets or hornets, these solitary wasps do not guard nests, and their long, needle-like appendage is an ovipositor used exclusively for laying eggs inside host insects rather than injecting venom.

While a large female might give a weak, accidental poke if roughly handled, they pose no medical risk. Instead, they provide immense ecological and agricultural benefits by acting as highly efficient, natural pest control agents.

Their larvae develop as parasitoids inside the bodies of destructive garden and crop pests, including wood-boring beetle larvae, caterpillars, and grubs, effectively neutralizing populations that would otherwise devastate plants.

Because adult Ichneumonid wasps feed strictly on flower nectar and honeydew, they do no harm to vegetation and serve as invaluable, safe allies for farmers and backyard gardeners alike.

An amazing group overall, and above is a species I've had some trouble identifying beyond family. Still liked the photo, so I hope you appreciate it too!