2025 was a fantastic year of photography for me. I traveled to many new localities and had the opportunity to photograph many new subjects. I was able to finally check some photos off my bucket list and improve on others. This year was definitely one of the best I’ve had in a long while. I took a ton of photos this year but only chose these select few to represent the moments and places that made my 2025 amazing.
Macro Photography Setup
I used a fairly lightweight setup in 2025, relying mostly on my Nikon Z7II and Laowa 60mm 2:1 Macro lens.
- Nikon Z7II
- Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro
- Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D Wide Angle
- Added extra magnification: Raynox DCR-250
- Yongnuo Speedlite YN560 IV with a Cygnustech diffuser
2025 Highlights
Here is a collection of my most memorable shots of 2025.
- Daffodils (Narcissus sp.).
2. Silver Bush Lupine (Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons).
3. Whiteleaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida).
4. Tarantula Hawk Wasp (Pepsis pallidolimbata).
5. Yellow Crab Spider (Mecaphesa sp.).
6. Spotted Flower Buprestid (Acmaeodera sp.).
7. Cottontop Cactus (Homalocephala polycephala ssp. polycephala).
8. Odorous House Ants (Tapinoma sessile).
9. Empididae, can be found in abundance in the earl spring on the flowers of California lilacs (Ceanothus sp.).
10. Green Garden Snail (Cantareus apertus)
11. Velvety Tree Ants, attempting to break down this large meal (Liometopum occidentale)
12. Velvety tree ants (Liometopum occidentale) swarming a grey bird grasshopper (Schistocerca nitens)
13. California Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor hirsuta)
14. Broad-nosed Weevil (Adaleres sp.)
15. Leaf-footed Bugs, mating pair (Leptoglossus zonatus).
16. Brick Carpenter Ants feeding on the liquids from a seep on an oak tree (Camponotus semitestaceus).
17. Pacific Chorus Frog (Pseudacris regilla).
18. Pacific Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma constricta).
19. Valley Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa sonorina, male).
20. Pacific Dogwood, the inflorescence you see is actually the bracts, the true flower head is in the center (Cornus nuttallii).
21. Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia).
22. Ceanothus Silk Moth (Hyalophora euryalus).
23. Mason bee (Osmia sp.).
24. Viereck’s Sweat Bee collecting nectar (Lasioglossum vierecki).
25. Cylindrical Wasp Fly (Sphiximorpha cylindrica).
26. March Brown Mayfly (Rhithrogena sp.).
27. Western Black Carpenter Ants, in the process of moving their meal into their nest (Camponotus modoc).
28. Ceanothus Silk Moth, flew to the moth sheet in the early morning (Hyalophora euryalus, male).
29. Ceanothus Silk moth hindwing (Hyalophora euryalus).
30. Vestal Tiger Moth (Spilosoma vestalis).
31. Lorquin’s Admiral, collecting nutrients from animal dung (Limenitis lorquini).
32. California Tortoiseshell Butterfly, feeding on dung (Nymphalis californica).
33. Yellow-faced Bumblebee (Bombus vosnesenskii).
34. Pacific Banana Slug, mating pair (Ariolimax columbianus).
35. Pacific Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus).
36. Lion-headed Bycid (Megacyllene antennata).
37. Western Polyphemus moth, close up view of the eyespot on the hindwing (Antheraea oculea).
38. Green Warrior Beetle (Pasimachus viridans).
39. Blue Pleasing Fungus Beetles, mating pair (Cypherotylus californicus).
40. Mantispid or Mantis fly (Plega sp.).
41. Prionus Longhorn Beetle (Prionus heroicus).
42. Ox Beetle, male (Strategus aloeus).
43. Western Poplar Sphinx (Pachysphinx occidentalis, male).
44. Western Polyphemus moth, near the blacklight (Antheraea oculea).
45. Western Polyphemus moth (Antheraea oculea, male).
46. Oslar’s Imperial moth (Eacles oslari, male).
47. Western Polyphemus moth, silhouette from behind the moth sheet (Antheraea oculea).
48. Western Polyphemus moth, close up view of its face (Antheraea oculea).
49. Tohono Vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus tohono).
50. Carolina Metallic Tiger beetle (Tetracha carolina).
51. Long-jawed Longhorn Beetle (Dendrobias mandibularis).
52. Long-jawed Longhorn beetle, cleaning its antennae (Dendrobias mandibularis).
53. Bumelia Borer (Plinthocoelium suaveolens).
54. Reddish Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa rubiginosa).
55. Blue Pleasing Fungus Beetles, adults and larvae feeding on fungi (Cypherotylus californicus).
56. Blue Pleasing Fungus Beetles (Cypherotylus californicus).
57. Fiery Searcher (Calosoma scrutator).
58. Western Polyphemus moth, close up of the underside of the wings (Antheraea oculea).
59. Beyer’s Jewel Scarab, close up of its face (Chrysina beyeri).
60. Burrobrush Leaf Beetle (Leptinotarsa lineolata).
61. Acrobat Ants, workers tending to alate queen (Crematogaster hespera).
62. Plains Spadefoot Toad (Spea bombifrons).
63. Hammond’s Lined June Beetle (Polyphylla hammondi).
64. Mediterranean Mantis, showing its threat display (Iris oratoria).
What’s Next for 2026?
Plenty of new adventures and subjects await me in 2026. With new places to visit and new critters to find, 2026 is shaping up to be quite the year for photography. I am hoping to learn some new techniques and potentially obtain some new equipment as well. Who knows, maybe I’ll finally take the plunge into bird and wildlife photography and get a lens longer than my arm! Stay tuned to see what 2026 has in store for the Mothman.
You can find all of these photos and more on my photography website! – https://bugzforlife.smugmug.com/
The Adventures of Mothman 