1007_0522 Grey Blister Beetle
I recently uploaded a shot of a Blister Beetle I could identify - Nuttall's. This appears to be another blister beetle species, perhaps Epicauta. I photographed it back in 2010 on a Prickly-pear Cactus bloom, munching away on the pale yellow petals. I will try to get this properly tagged in the near future. I have trouble with sparrows, so must confess that I find the insect world overwhelming - and don't get me started on lichens!
Even without a species I.D., I can report that these beetles are common and widespread throughout our area. This comes as no surprise: there are more beetles than any other form of animal life on earth. J.B.S. Haldane, the Scottish biologist, when asked what conclusions he might have come to concerning the creator through his lifelong studies, is said to have quipped, "He seems to have an inordinate fondness for beetles."
Beetles of all kinds are important for prairie ecosystems. They thin out some types of prairie plants to prevent them from dominating, they are pollinators of many flowering plants, and they provide food for innumerable small mammals. birds. fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
For this shot I used a tripod and the 105mm macro lens with 1.7x teleconverter to allow greater working distance and give me better background control. Note the ISO, set at 200. With the sensors on my newer cameras I'd likely be shooting this today at ISO 800 to obtain an image of equal quality (better, actually, due to the increase in megapixels). Because my subjects were in constant motion, at 1/15 s most of my shots were throwaways. I think I had three or four that were in focus and not blurred from subject motion.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2010 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
1007_0522 Grey Blister Beetle
I recently uploaded a shot of a Blister Beetle I could identify - Nuttall's. This appears to be another blister beetle species, perhaps Epicauta. I photographed it back in 2010 on a Prickly-pear Cactus bloom, munching away on the pale yellow petals. I will try to get this properly tagged in the near future. I have trouble with sparrows, so must confess that I find the insect world overwhelming - and don't get me started on lichens!
Even without a species I.D., I can report that these beetles are common and widespread throughout our area. This comes as no surprise: there are more beetles than any other form of animal life on earth. J.B.S. Haldane, the Scottish biologist, when asked what conclusions he might have come to concerning the creator through his lifelong studies, is said to have quipped, "He seems to have an inordinate fondness for beetles."
Beetles of all kinds are important for prairie ecosystems. They thin out some types of prairie plants to prevent them from dominating, they are pollinators of many flowering plants, and they provide food for innumerable small mammals. birds. fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
For this shot I used a tripod and the 105mm macro lens with 1.7x teleconverter to allow greater working distance and give me better background control. Note the ISO, set at 200. With the sensors on my newer cameras I'd likely be shooting this today at ISO 800 to obtain an image of equal quality (better, actually, due to the increase in megapixels). Because my subjects were in constant motion, at 1/15 s most of my shots were throwaways. I think I had three or four that were in focus and not blurred from subject motion.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2010 James R. Page - all rights reserved.