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There are several species of Owl butterflies belonging to the genus Caligo. With wingspans up to 15cm, they are some of the largest species of butterflies to be seen in the forests of the tropical Americas. Species are known for the cryptic markings and large conspicuous eye spots on the underside of their closed wings, which resemble the eyes of an owl. The species name Caligo (which translates to “darkness”) refers to these butterflies preference for activity during the hours of dawn and dusk as they fly through the forest in search of ripe fruit to feed on. It is only then that the flash of blue or purple colours on the upper side of the wings becomes visible, seen here on this Teucer Giant-Owl Butterfly photographed on the island of Trinidad.
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Image Caption: An Owl Butterfly (Caligo teucer) resting on a leaf with its wings open, exposing a brilliant shade of blue on the upperside of its wings. Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
This is how I would normally see Sweat Bees bedding down in my Geranium flowers, snoozing between the petals.
Possibly Halictus sexcinctus.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F14, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to over 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order.
Technique: After photographing this mason bee in my lavender I turned it loose in a plant on my patio while I went to have lunch. Evidently the little guy got active and had lunch as well, because this is how I found him later on that same afternoon. Cool, partly cloudy, weather created stop and go conditions for the bee and made it easier for me to get close.
Megachile (Chalicodoma) parietina, Male.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to over 2x) + a diffused MT-24EX (both flash heads on the Canon flash mount, E-TTL metering). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.
Before sundown I went for a walk in my yard to see if I could find something to point the camera at and I spotted this European Wool Carder Bee snoozing in one of my Sunflowers.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (over 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX RT (E-TTL metering). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI, Sharpen AI, and Clarity in that order.
Several different species of solitary bee sleep by clamping their mandibles onto something. The way that their jaws are designed they natural close and the critter has to use its muscles to open them, so it can snooze and still stay clamped tight. But to come off of that perch they have to get their metabolism going, and this Resin Bee is trying to push off of the grass stem that it chose to sleep on cause it wants to get away from me. Not long after I got this shot he managed to free himself and take off.
Trachusa interrupta, male. Image taken in Lago Patria, Italy in June of 2021.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F14, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (3x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC. This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order.
There is a rooster close to my new place that crows at the crack of dawn. The only good thing about it is that it wakes me up just after 5am and I go looking for something lethargic to shoot. I found this European Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium manicatum) snoozing in my Lavender but it woke up as I got close. Didn't get many frames before it got tired of my camera in its face.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F14, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (almost 3x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI and Clarity in that order. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.
I found this rather alien looking metallic beetle eating Dandelion pollen and followed it around the flower waiting for it to pause long enough for me to get a shot. Not exactly sure what species it is.
Tentatively identified as Buprestidae, likely in the genus Acmaeodera. Common name: Jewel Beetle.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (almost 3x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI and Clarity in that order. I held the flower close to a wall to keep the background from being black.
An early morning shot of a dew covered Metallic Beetle. This was the second field test of the new diffuser that I built for the MT-26EX RT.
Note: Possible ID: Anthaxia fulgurans
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/125, ISO 200) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (2x) + a diffused MT-26EX RT (E-TTL metering). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI, Sharpen AI, and Clarity in that order.
Cool temps and partly cloudy weather provided the perfect conditions to go looking for a dormant solitary bee. Not sure about the species, and unfortunately it took off before I could get a full body shot. Image taken in Bacoli, Italy in November of 2019.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to under 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT (E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, slightly cropped, frame taken hand held.
Before sundown I went for a walk in my yard to see if I could find something to point the camera at and I spotted this European Wool Carder Bee snoozing in one of my Sunflowers.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (over 3x) + a diffused MT-26EX RT (E-TTL metering). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI, Sharpen AI, and Clarity in that order.
Another cool, partly cloudy day so I went looking for solitary bees since they have a tough time staying active in this weather. Although this female Mason Bee might look ferocious she's just chattering her mandibles in an attempt to get her metabolism going so she can get away from that jerk with the camera ;) I'm not sure if this is a Red or a European Blue Mason, the males are easier for me to identify.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/125, ISO 200) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (over 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI and Clarity in that order.
When I found this bee I wasn't sure what it was doing, but it didn't seem skittish so I decided to try and take a shot. When I looked through the view finder I realized that it was blowing a bubble, and every other second or so it would stick its proboscis out. The prevailing theory is that insects blow bubbles to expose their stomach contents to the air to aid beneficial bacteria in breaking down what they've eaten. Note: I've also been told that they can blow bubbles as a way to cool off, but it wasn't hot on the day I took this shot and the critter was in the shade. Still interesting that they can exchange heat that way.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/100, ISO 200) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (over 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX RT (E-TTL metering). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI, Sharpen AI, and Clarity in that order.
The underside of a Black Swallowtail caterpillar that one rarely sees. This one is adhering to a plastic dish. Afterwards, it was released unharmed.
[Note: no animals were harmed in the filming of this scene.]
Macro Mondays
Theme: Bottoms Up
HMM!
A Hairy Footed Bee was a rare visitor to my yard when I lived in Bacoli, Italy and I have yet to see them in Lago Patria. Image taken in March of 2020.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to over 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX RT (E-TTL metering with -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI, Clarity, and Denoise AI in that order.
I had a tough time photographing female Sweat Bees while they were collecting pollen in Sourgrass flowers because it wasn't windy enough. There was only an intermittent light breeze, so when I grabbed onto the flower's stem to keep it steady she noticed me and stopped foraging. Much easier when the vibration of the wind can mask the vibration that I cause when shooting these scenes.
Sweat Bees in Sourgrass Deconstruction
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (around 2.5x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC, second curtain sync). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI, Denoise AI, and Clarity in that order.
I followed this Long Horned Bee as it walked around a flower, photographing it whenever it would pause long enough for me to compose the frame. Most of the critters that I photograph have short life spans, and this one is already gone.
Tetralonia malvae, male.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to a little over 1x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order.
A little warmer today and it has brought the butterflies out again. Here is a Small Copper on the Manx Birdlife Reserve.
A group of Sweat Bees set up camp in one of my Geranium flowers. They like to sleep under the leaves in groups, and the plant seems to offer them some good protection. I checked on them after a heavy thunderstorm and they seemed to be OK. They are called Sweat Bees because some of them are attracted to the minerals in your sweat. Image taken in Lago Patria, Italy in August of 2021.
Possibly Halictus sexcinctus.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F14, 1/250, ISO 200) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to over 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order.
some people call them froghoppers, on account of their jumping skills, but i think they resemble little cicadas in the face...
backyard capture in chesterfield
I bought a kit last year so I could raise a few Swallowtail Butterflies (Papilio machaon) and this is a frame with the Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens set to just under 5x.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to almost 5x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order.
Photographer Tal Shagan uses our Nikon to Sony lens adapter to mount his Nikkor 105mm Macro Lens on his Sony a6300, capturing stunning macro images like this. Click here to learn more about our lens adapters: bit.ly/2i456xJ
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The sun is warm today but the breeze is cool, so I went looking for critters that were foraging in the shade hoping to find one that was lethargic. I managed to get close to a Sweat Bee and while I was looking through the view finder she started cleaning her proboscis. Pretty common for flying insects to do a little maintenance before they take off.
Tech Specs: Canon 90D (F11, 1/125, ISO 200) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT, E-TTL metering, -2/3 FEC. This is a single frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI and Clarity in that order. Shutter and ISO set to expose the sky in the background.