My modest urban backyard in Lexington, Kentucky, is a surprisingly rich biotope for bugs (arthropods), surprising with respect to my own low expectations, and rich in the number of species, not individuals, that pass through. The total number of bugs has declined dramatically over the past two decades, here as much as everywhere else. Twenty years ago, when I opened the kitchen window for a few seconds at night, a dense cloud of moths and beetles would pour in. Today, it’s down to two or three mosquitoes. This collection takes a look at the state of affairs in the early 2020's. It is an excerpt from a project that I started during the first Covid summer, featuring bugs from within a fifty-foot radius around my kitchen, all photographed alive and unsedated. Some technical notes are here.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/83a1f55e-0d08-445e-b51a-e4af1e207b52_rw_3840.jpg?h=39e3d4f384ece9db736f46309084089d)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/83a37ae0-4e7b-4fcb-a841-a3053e90ad5a_rw_1920.jpg?h=fc6d272267153bbdb3a1bf840611770a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/84a14941-27e1-4d31-8c23-c6066de81798_rw_1920.jpg?h=b7e49c0469832df754e70b3242bdb2c2)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/b1225c78-de59-4316-9aab-d3201ad8cc73_rw_1920.jpg?h=0d47dd973d9d017190940dfdc2868e7f)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/0732ed70-dc91-41b8-a5f7-aefe2c0cdec7_rw_1920.jpg?h=194537943a4f58a9b00e13ef87975382)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/37397499-d2f6-45e9-b92b-5d20098b5834_rw_1920.jpg?h=9605891385aec72958b1d06c557d6710)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/49ec6f95-fb72-4801-bc20-3e2d84b3f9b6_rw_1920.jpg?h=00bcafc1bd9780cf442d975de2f2c242)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/b41cd58e-dbc6-4829-8322-277cf24ad3ba_rw_1920.jpg?h=1daa1b4e5b01c5e7f9e6d3a2cdc00f89)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/cd26abb3-7dc3-47f8-a0cb-7332d6fc9a1c_rw_1920.jpg?h=6c654e8d03f3a3e29c67f0c2cd87f13e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/5d8e5789-c6b2-4e90-9d00-dc3cab2150d6_rw_1920.jpg?h=89fe72588a12c98e5109c355e94869c1)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/27e43e97-9cf4-4a6f-8253-170c2140b0f3_rw_1920.jpg?h=6adf4fc7e3787b2c20c0135c2344379e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/efddc6dc-e355-42cb-a522-84754d816718_rw_1920.jpg?h=0faeaf032a1509c001bc4f0383a66d0c)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/71253d44-e98b-44f0-9560-1012ef6bc6c0_rw_1920.jpg?h=524ce075dab1b00584abee8b6baadac0)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/fbf4efea-a752-4be4-9332-e9cf1dd4d983_rw_1920.jpg?h=7750aabd19b781b7f6930229c20da217)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/83823ce5-3ad0-4406-b082-ffca16667ffb_rw_1920.jpg?h=6a6bce1bbb21e96cfe8ffdbb5ccd3e11)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/796a95a3-6135-4728-a415-938eba38b33e_rw_3840.jpg?h=d43e9cda09997f85581376ff45efd4a8)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/050027ac-09e3-4304-ae54-b4af64049e3b_rw_3840.jpg?h=b31ee918be8509a9e10150ad5c7e567e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/296f4e4f-2553-46ee-a7fc-c8bcf3afbb78_rw_1920.jpg?h=5834ba0a64a2f95b7db4ad1a68595f14)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/f7fdba72-ad46-4c19-b367-08c723c9c437_rw_1920.jpg?h=05e3614221cf1661b15163c70f46e0d2)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/f2ac0cd6-9d57-40d6-8283-c66bc15fda91_rw_1920.jpg?h=d44445869a1d730a671e8c31d646a8ff)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/4efad23a-10f9-4ccf-ab64-0fe046259d27_rw_1920.jpg?h=978de77a49bcae8f25169b8075a20e82)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/c3e74468-48b2-443c-8299-af535371807e_rw_3840.jpg?h=321e9fbce44013fb8e424c4993411218)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/17da4a24-cfe5-4089-ba26-62d8bb7d5522_rw_1920.jpg?h=edcfebc29365796bfd1ce1aaa0f84047)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/b98f6d2a-766f-40c0-87f9-8cb5428e680f_rw_1920.jpg?h=ffa173a0f26aa45ce5d193fb126c8dd3)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/f096d89a-564a-427d-8417-d963d77a88e3_rw_1920.jpg?h=8bfc9cfe08266073839042a698b3e70b)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/cec67c3c-bc58-4371-b99c-6305305f21e8_rw_1920.jpg?h=bcb1b907236364a8ae259fe1b32dd3f8)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/83c731d5-1d9f-4c71-9f53-f70ce6f2c513_rw_1920.jpg?h=debbe1e09f66925d0ddbc7c4f81daf1a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/09cdd901-5e57-49d3-b891-8ca5e9689948_rw_1920.jpg?h=2dd18db1dd37819268697e3b46883b3a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/9f2b0e21-4457-4147-b548-36a25a3f256b_rw_1920.jpg?h=59994bc5dff162ff1249910633d679ff)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/7a797cf0-b528-4e6f-8dc4-1ab2427823cf_rw_1920.jpg?h=f9d649fae262abd6fc7776a75c1ccd6f)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/e3190599-ec69-4747-9e89-d56ca396dc71_rw_1920.jpg?h=e41ba1e28c3156f8e01c2885c58338a3)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/01cea070-8e9f-4ab0-9ac2-197ea05ce4a4_rw_1920.jpg?h=6eb39bb646ef4c4397d9beef31e0c5d4)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/c9b68290-8390-43ba-8d1c-e9e6439847ea_rw_1920.jpg?h=f9e153ce20e0b32f189f1c8d06c63fcf)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/68240b03-c348-48de-bd80-6b9a6e9e21f8_rw_1920.jpg?h=d88522ae3d2d884e6b9ab412153c2cfd)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/31d061b7-1981-4a48-9deb-08a255269038_rw_1920.jpg?h=b3de40c0b586411227f6e290ae1e0e3e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/9f34bf8e-89ca-4923-9f00-ebc1dcdceb98_rw_1920.jpg?h=4a434527858189f87dab3aa9daa1ca49)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/20878dab-7de4-4287-918e-93b8678fcb42_rw_1920.jpg?h=403af895b74ba649b4826fcae6e95af5)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/3b286aa6-4734-41db-b1fb-9c16697070de_rw_1920.jpg?h=be5c5afbff2a54ae873c99231e24763f)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/979636ca-4330-4d13-8700-26350c88d77d_rw_1920.jpg?h=79f56dc9ce0e10b582cadc7088e8f313)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/bc391bfd-ec35-454e-a08a-36735d5a46e2_rw_1920.jpg?h=9761aab3593d21167e645c9758ba4945)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/cdd6f810-424c-45a6-b154-3d4e3fe06e28_rw_1920.jpg?h=e7a31e479657b3546fa0b394eb0c3ef9)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/bec15d23-e1ec-4838-b9ae-135e6c211b7b_rw_3840.jpg?h=49de34455a249d64332a1468add44f5c)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4bc869e4-bbbc-4a25-a53a-2a7a74b5fdb3/fe54e33a-4d68-4e89-b7d4-10f7bbd11e51_rw_1920.jpg?h=313c77144783a1c22c2d1b218b962257)