Thistle Magnet

All Photos by Fred Fisher  4/10/2013

Lots of insects like New Mexico Thistle (Cirsium neomexicanum); bees dive in above.

The 'bugs' above are a type of Blister Beetle. From Margarethe Brummermann:

Dull orange beetles of the genus Nemognatha love the thick pink heads of New Mexico Thistles. Their elongated maxillae form a sucking tube that allows them to compete with bees for the nectar. On the flower heads they also find mates and lay their eggs.

Two-tailed Swallowtail nectaring. 

Thanks, Fred Fisher, for these fantastic finds!