Danae Wolfe | Chasing Bugs

Hi. I wanted to take a moment to properly introduce myself. I’m Danae and I like bugs. I’m a macro photographer, conservation educator, writer, and public speaker who focuses on fostering appreciation and stewardship of insects and spiders. If you like bugs, let’s connect. 🪲🦋🐛🐞🐝

Just bumbling around.

Fireflies over Everett Covered Bridge, which crosses Furnace Run in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. ✨

Fireflies have been loving this week's heat and humidity. Every night has been better than the one before. I sat outside for about an hour last night photographing the amazing firefly display in my suburban backyard and it was pure magic! ✨

Feeling crabby.

I had the great pleasure of meeting @chasingbugs.com today, at the annual Plan It Native conference in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. We each gave a presentation and signed books. Wonderful day! #bugsky #scicomm

Kudos to those who chose to leave their leaves this fall. May your yard have an abundance of fireflies next summer. ✨

I originally invited conservation photographer @chasingbugs.com to write this for the @sejorg.bsky.social magazine, but I thought it deserved an even bigger audience, so I'm republishing in on @therevelator.org today: therevelator.org/write-about-...

Entomologist 1: Hmm, what should we name this one? Entomologist 2: Well, its red spots make it look as though it’s been stabbed. Twice. Entomologist 1: Perfect, we’ll call it the twice-stabbed lady beetle.

Oak treehoppers are out! Known for their endearing maternal care, mamas remain with their babies until they emerge as adults and eventually leave the oak branch where they were born.

This week, migrating monarchs stopped to roost in large clusters among the branches of silver maples and spruce in rural Ohio. It was a spectacular sight! #monarchs

It’s oak treehopper season! We went scouting for oak treehopper colonies last night and found three mamas keeping a watchful eye on their eggs. Soon, eggs will hatch, giving way to small nymphs. Mama will stay with her offspring until they mature and leave the colony as new adults.

Did you know that firefly glow as larvae and pupae? I found this shrimp-like pupa in my garden earlier this summer. 🍤

The cutest little bumble bee (I believe a Bombus perplexus) found respite from the afternoon sun under a coneflower in my pollinator garden. 🐝 #pollinator #bee

First monarch of the summer!

It’s World Firefly Day! Everyone loves the glow. But #fireflies spend most of their lives underground, hidden in the damp soil and leaf litter, glowing softly where almost no one sees. So what do fireflies need from us? 🌙 Darkness 🌱 Undisturbed soils 🍂 Leaf litter and logs 🚫 No chemicals 🕰 Time

I need to photograph firefly larvae. What’s the best way to find them? Start digging through leaf litter in my yard?!

The synchronous fireflies are beginning their annual light show in the Great Smoky Mountains right about now. And like an insatiable thirst, my soul aches to be there.

The Bringing Inspiration To Earth Show/podcast library of 1,500 episodes is now available at www.spreaker.com/podcast/bite... Be sure to click the 'Follow' button to get info information about new episodes! #spreakerpodcast #iHeartRadio #applepodcasts #bringinginspirationtoearth @chasingbugs.com

Today is World Bee Day. There are around 20,000 species of bees in the world, yet honey bees gets most of the fanfare. Here’s to the sweat bees, the leafcutter bees, the mason bees, the longhorn bees, the bumble bees, the carpenter bees, the squash bees, and all the rest of our unsung bee heroes!

IT’S PUBLICATION DAY! Grass Isn’t Greener is officially out in the world! And I’ve been busy jumping from one interview to the next to promote the book. Between this week and next, I have nearly 20 media interviews and I couldn’t be more excited! 🥳

It’s officially the week of the release of Grass Isn’t Greener, and I had the pleasure of joining Ray Brown on this morning’s episode of @talkinbirdsradio.bsky.social to chat about the book. You can listen to the segment here: www.talkinbirds.com/archive

Happy Mother’s Day to mothers of all sizes and sorts.

May the forest be with you.

To exist on the same planet as this creature is a privilege.

Hello, bright eyes. 🤩

It’s easy to feel the weight of lost protections and broken promises. But stewardship was never theirs to give or take. Small acts still matter—in the patches we rewild, in the pollinators we protect, in the native seeds we sow, and in the wild things we tend. Hope still matters. Happy Earth Day.

Peek-a-boo! This male luna moth’s large, feathery antennae aren’t just for show. They’re finely tuned instruments designed to pick up the faintest scent of a female from miles away (think of them as nature’s GPS). Also, when are we going to get a moth emoji? And a firefly!?

And now, my favorite Easter tradition.

And so begins a busy season of book promotions. I have 13 upcoming radio, TV, and podcast interviews and around a dozen different talks scheduled in the coming months. I’m also working on a second book proposal for a bug book, which I’m incredibly excited about. Busy as a bee! 🐝

When you expect your bird feeder camera to capture birds but captures this instead…

The humble lifecycle of a two-marked treehopper. I love finding these among the leaves of my redbuds each spring.

Who you looking at? Io moths are one of my favorite moths (then again, I’ve never met a giant silk moth that I didn’t love).

The diversity of insects and spiders in this world is astounding. 😍

So much happening in this photo. Newly hatched sawfly larvae make quick work of skeletonizing a leaf. Nearby, a group of sawfly eggs are nearly bursting with larvae ready to emerge.

You got mud on your face, big disgrace… Just kidding, you’re perfect in every way.

Bottoms up! These two sawfly larvae are enjoying an afternoon snack.

I designed a series of colorful buggy bookmarks to distribute at author events in the coming months for the release of Grass Isn’t Greener. I can’t wait to hand these out! 🐛🦋🐝🐞

Those lashes! 😍

My reaction when someone thinks I’m weird for liking bugs…

There was a time when May 2025 felt like a lifetime away. It’s hard to believe that we’re now one month away from the release of Grass Isn’t Greener. I hope this book inspires the next generation of everyday conservationists. @timberpress.bsky.social #conservationstartsathome

If global warming was fake it would be such a dope conspiracy theory.

Happy dragon is happy to see you.

Eye candy! Candy-striped leafhoppers (Graphocephala coccinea) are among my favorite common backyard bugs.

Just a fluffy guy.

Native plants are the backbone of healthy ecosystems—and the key to creating habitat right in your own yard. They’ve evolved alongside local wildlife, offering critical sources of food and shelter (and beauty!). Learn more about native plants and their benefits: www.chasingbugs.com/native-plants/

As a follow up to my previous firefly post, I just published a more in-depth primer on how to help fireflies at home. ✨

If you’re in the line of storms tonight, be vigilant and stay safe, friends.