A hummingbird clearwing moth in flight brings back the colors of late summer as autumn fades.

A bumblebee lifts off from a flower and hovers for a moment before moving to the next bloom.

A bumblebee with a face full of pollen flies between flowers, carrying out the small but vital work of pollination that keeps wild plants and gardens thriving.

Cicada Killer Wasps emerge in Illinois each July, excavating nests in loose, sandy soil beneath the surface.

Ants visit peony buds for sugary secretions, and their activity may help discourage other insects from feeding on the plants.

A Snowberry Clearwing moth visits flowering milkweed in early July, hovering so quickly it is often mistaken for a bumblebee.

A Cabbage White Butterfly flits from flower to flower, its graceful flight contrasting with its caterpillar's garden appetite.

After a summer with very few Black Swallowtails, this male finally appears among the flowers, pausing for nectar just long enough for a welcome photograph.

A female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail rises from one garden flower toward another, her wings caught in mid-flight against a soft backdrop of summer blooms.

A bumblebee hovers briefly above a flower, legs packed with pollen, pausing just long enough to gather its next load before moving on.