Your Best Insect Macro
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Lady's Smock or Cuckoo Flower.
Self seeded in my garden and by far the best insect plant I have, will save seed and spread it around.
Something a little different here... a fly in flight! I had a few lazy hours to sit out on my patio and it was fun watching and trying to capture all the little critters that came around. The background is a bag of soil waiting to go in the flower garden. The flower is called "Smartweed Persicaria maculosa" and I often let it grow where it is because I like the flowers! This is probably the best insect flight I've captured thus far! Anita and I are headed to Roanoke and church this morning. I hope everyone has a blessed Sabbath Day today.
Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)
A brief rest from catching insects bt still watching to see where the best insects are for lunch.
綠繡眼
（學名：Zosterops japonicus）
亦稱日菲綠繡眼，暗綠綉眼鳥，青笛仔、青啼仔，相思仔、白眼圈。日本稱為目白。其他俗名包括繡眼兒、粉眼兒、粉燕兒、白眼兒、白日眶等。
The warbling white-eye (Zosterops japonicus), also known as the Japanese white-eye and mountain white-eye
© copyright by Ching-Wei Chang 張慶維 維哥Taiwan, Rep. of China
A subtly beautiful beetle by a mountain creek. I found this beetle in an area I have been going to for years, but I only went there once this year. When I got there the first time this year, I saw that the extreme rains we got over the winter had caused the creek to become a destructive torrent, and almost the entire creekside area where I used to find my best insects was wiped out with little but sand and rocks left. I guess I should stop complaining during the drought years, AKA, be careful what you wish for!
I think this is one of my best insect macro shots..
This giant dragonfly shot was taken at the dacha.
(Best viewed large)
Osmia leaiana feeding on helenium in my garden with its mouthparts open (they look like those big hands you clap with at sporting events!!). I believe this is the first time this specie has been recorded in Lancs., although I'm sure all solitary bees are hugely under-recorded
Apart from Buddleja perhaps, Hemp-agrimony must be one of the best insect attractors at this time of year
I'll assume that you all know what an adult katydid looks like: kinda like a flat green grasshopper with long antennae and not much going for it photographically, though that may only be my opinion.
I was hiking the skyline trail in the Diablo Foothills, looked down when I saw one of the first California Poppies I'd seen that year, and there right smack dab in the middle was a Fork-tailed Bush Katydid Nymph. In case you think I knew what a Fork-tailed Bush Katydid Nymph looked like, you'd be as wrong as could be. I knew what a katydid looked like. I knew what a poppy was, but I didn't have a clue what this jewel was. All I could think of was that, if this was the Roaring Twenties, van cleef & arpels of Paris would have made a gold pin with emeralds, diamonds, platinum, and whatever else it would take to come up with a gorgeous art deco piece of ... art.
I had to call a friend of mine, a biologist, entomologist, birder, artist, and author on all manner of animal life that live in the Sierra Nevadas and the Diablo Range, emailed a photo, and within five minutes I had my answer. I had to write it down because I knew I'd never remember Fork-tailed Bush Katydid Nymph, and to prove it, I still have to find the photo which I purposely gave it its proper name because none of it makes sense other than "nymph."
Anyway, next time you're hiking the hills or even just walking the dog, if there are flowers, you may not know what you're missing. What caught my attention - other than the gold gold - were the three inch antennae, really too big to get into the frame, but then I wasn't sure I wanted them. The only word I can find for this insect is "lavish." Mother Nature certainly can be creative!
A decade later: James and I are the only ones to have post a Fork-tailed Bush Katydid Nymph's portrait on Flickr - flic.kr/p/2jkyVBK
Chalcosoma chiron designed by Kota Imai, folded by me
Paper: 45 (?) cm double tissue
CP: www.flickr.com/photos/119910244@N05/14626795880/
It's one of the best insect designs I' ve ever seen.
赤翡翠（學名：Halcyon coromanda）
The ruddy kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda) is a medium-sized tree kingfisher, widely distributed in east and southeast Asia.
Taiwan, Rep. of China
© copyright by Ching-Wei Chang 張慶維 維哥
斑文鳥
（學名：Lonchura punctulata），
俗名鱗胸文鳥、魚鱗沉香算命鳥、小紡織鳥、烏合畢、烏嘴（喙）畢仔、禾嗶仔（客語）、蓽雀
The scaly-breasted munia or spotted munia (Lonchura punctulata)
Taiwan, Rep. of China
© copyright by Ching-Wei Chang 張慶維 維哥
I'm going to be getting around to editing the pile of old stuff that's just sitting on my hard drive. This was taken back in October and I'm only getting around to it now because I wanted to post it in a "Best Insect photo" contest. It's already not the best insect pic there but what the heck.
This isn't as sharp as I would like it to be but I really like it as an image so here you go.
UPDATE: A new personal best! Recognition by the Mysteriously Fickle Explore Diety within 24 hours of posting, #277. This has led to the most exuberant of genuflection and rattleshaking in the Peoples household. The sacrificial offerings are working!
UPDATE #2, 5-24-09: Up to #77 on Explore. That explains all the hits.
UPDATE #3, 5-24-09: Now up to #38 for it's posting date in Explore.
UPDATE #4, 5-25-09: A new personal high, reached #11 in Explore... then dropped out completely. Go figure.
UPDATE #5, 5-26-09: Up to #6 in Explore.
-ep
A red tailed bumblebee pollinating a flower. I managed to get a nice eye shot 😊
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Also check my Instagram if you want to see more: www.instagram.com/alan_hollowed/
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Another Tarifa archive shot - nearly done now. This was from a small field by a stream up in the foothills. Possibly one of the best insect sites I've ever found - we spent 2 days there and many of the insect shots in my Tarifa folder were from there - including Monarch, Plain tiger, Borbo's skipper, Wall, 2 grasshopper and 2 mantis species. A wonderful site!
One more in comments and more here www.flickr.com/photos/85387952@N00/sets/72157624830567599/
This is my entry for Contest XVII: Your Best Insect Photo of 2011, please vote for me!!
www.flickr.com/groups/spectacular_insects/discuss/7215762...
The in-flight Megachile leaf-cutter bee photobombed this Thread-waisted wasp (Ammophila procera) on Veronica spicata 'red fox’ (which, along with 'sunny border blue,' is about the best insect attractor I’ve ever had).
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copyright © Mim Eisenberg/mimbrava studio. All rights reserved.
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赤翡翠（學名：Halcyon coromanda）
The ruddy kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda) is a medium-sized tree kingfisher, widely distributed in east and southeast Asia.
Taiwan, Rep. of China
© copyright by Ching-Wei Chang 張慶維 維哥
赤翡翠（學名：Halcyon coromanda）
The ruddy kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda) is a medium-sized tree kingfisher, widely distributed in east and southeast Asia.
Taiwan, Rep. of China
© copyright by Ching-Wei Chang 張慶維 維哥
FZ18+RAYNOX DCR250 are the best insect collecting net for adults. Its far more exciting than collecting insects when i was a kid.
Great Spangled Fritillary feeding on Butterfly Weed. I did not see many of these over this past summer. There actually seemed to be less butterflies overall. It's feeding on butterfly weed which is an orange colored milkweed. This is probably the single best insect attractor in my garden.
Seymour, CT USA
A hoverfly doing what it does best. This is uncropped. There's a very, very good chance this is the best insect in flight image I'll ever get! It was a very obliging little fella :0)
Taken with the 40mm f/2.8 reversed on extension tubes. Not sure of the exact magnification but it's better than 1:1.
Natural light, no flash. Lens was set to f/13 then removed and reversed.
The best insect day of the season so far, really the best in years both in terms of number of creatures, number of interesting creatures, and creatures that allowed me close access. At the end of the walk, I ran by a last few plants that often have interesting creatures and found two or three very good finds, including this well-camouflaged hopper.
Prickly box is jus the best insect attractors at the right moment. Unfortunately I wasn't staying close to these trees and it was windy when I visited. Are these Dermestid beetles?
Sleeping angel (bronze statue on my courtyard table) and a fly. It almost looked like a tear with the naked eye. Then the camera took over. Poor guy must've been ill of just liked striking a pose. He barely moved. My gain. To all who capture those magnificent macro shots, especially my biggest inspiration and contact "Larry's Photography" This has been my best insect photo opt ever!
One of 11 Black swallowtail caterpillars ... they seem to be growing faster than the others did. Storms beat down the fennel last night and I had to prop it up - again. It's 7 feet tall. Knock-out roses provide the bokeh.
Georgia yard - yesterday
Winner, Challenge Factory, Green, 7-12
Winner, Thumbs Up, Green & Red, 7-12
Winner (Unanimous), Thumbs Up, Two Thumbs Up, Bonus round, 8-12
Winner, Big Momma Award, The Mother of All Challenge Groups, Anything goes, 8-12
Winner (Sweep), Game, 2nd chooses, 2-14
Winner (Sweep), Game, gamex2, 3-14
Winner (Sweep), Game, gamex3, 3-14
Winner, Faves, 30-49 faves, 4-14
Winner (Sweep), Storybook, Lines, 6-14
Winner, Storybook, Through the Woods, 9-14
My best insect macro shot to date. Check out the flecks of pollen on the fly's body, and the compound eyes.
育雛 Brooding
台灣紫嘯鶇（學名：Myophonus insularis，英文名 Taiwan Whistling Thrush，又叫琉璃鳥）
The Taiwan whistling thrush (Myophonus insularis), also known as the Formosan whistling thrush
© copyright by Ching-Wei Chang 張慶維 維哥Taiwan, Rep. of China
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Research Service (ARS) Entomologist Jerry Hogsette sets out stable fly traps and targets for a field study on May 24, 2012. Stable flies breed in manure, wet straw, and decaying vegetation, and they feed on the blood of livestock and people. Expertise gained in field tests for controlling these flies and other biting insects helps ARS scientists find the best insect controls for the military, farmers, and consumers. USDA photo by Stephen Ausmus.
Today I spent the afternoon looking for the elusive Clark's Sphinx Moth. Only one was briefly seen. In fact we didn't see much of anything else we were looking for. I'm always grateful to be able to be out and about enjoying my passion. All days are fun but some are also tough. On those days when the best insect you see is captive, that's tough luck. However, it was still fun being out there. Solano County, CA.
Some of the design progression leading up to this build from oldest (left) to final (right, bottom). This build was specific for the Maker Faire, so it had a lot of call-outs to the community. The back is a scaled model of the Arduino Micro (this and the Pro Mini are my general weapons of choice for work and play...at $10-20 dollars for a re-programmable controller it's kind of the Best). Insect arms/wings are a shot out both to Hexbugs and to some of the work from the Faire's guest of honor and wearables ninja, Anouk Wipprecht.
This one was supertough to design for! I'd never been to a Maker Faire before and wanted it to be toned down enough for all ages but still fun and interesting. I also didn't want it to be too costume-y and distract from the display of the functional parts.
Since the show focused on function, I left a lot of the work on aesthetics and visual integration of the pieces for after the event. In its current state, this project is certainly still a work in progress, and has quite a bit to go before its next showing....