View allAll Photos Tagged bug
At a price of 45 Sterling Pounds, the Vaude Cycle 25 comes fitted with a rain cover; the Arkel Bug at a price in excess of 100 Sterling Pounds, does not.
---
A much anticipated comparison between two pannier/rucksac products from two of the leading brands (a pity Ortlieb hasn’t come out with a good solution yet).
So I got the Arkel Bug a couple of years ago, and was extremely disappointed with the result. The fitting hooks did not fit my Zefal rack (one of the most widely available brands in France and Spain), so I had to replace the rack. Then I discovered that the aluminium hooks were so sharp that they literally destroyed the metal part of the rack on the contact point.
As a rucksack is not very comfortable either, the metal hook that attaches the bag to the bottom part of the bike rack is always on the way (that’s on your back); you got two clunky bits of aluminium up your neck (the bag is really tall), there’s no chest strap, and to make things worse, the bottom of the bag is shaped as a wedge, so the bag is never ever going to stand, it just falls (ok for a pannier that you are not going to be putting anywhere but on your bike rack…but not very clever for a rucksack that you are to take with you anywhere, librarly, class, office, sports centre, etc).
On the fabric/material side comes the only plus of the bag. The entire product oozes quality (at 179 $ / 100 GBP is the least you can get); for the ridiculously high price you don’t even get a rain cover. Result: I haven’t used the bag for 2 years. The inside of the bag is “Spartan” to say the least. The back is not padded and there is no pocket/keyring/pen holder of any kind.
Same goes for the outer pocket (there is an extra hidden pocket that is supposed to house the raincover). So it seems that they took a pannier and tried to double it as a rucksack adding some features; a complete fail (since it simply doesn’t work), obviously in my opinion.
So last month I bought a Vaude Cycle 25, another pannier/rucksack combo I had been looking at for years (after wasting a lot of cash on the Arkel Bug, I didn’t exactly felt like spending more on another bag, so I stuck to my Ortlieb panniers until now). So I got the Vaude. What a nice surprise.
The bag is almost 400 gram lighter that it’s Canadian counterpart (which is nearly 50% of its weight). The bag comes with plastic hooks that fit into my Tubus rack AND it comes with an extra pair of hooks for thicker tubed racks (say a Zefal or a German/Dutch bike). The fitting on the bike is fast with a black adjustable rubber band. The fabric not the Vaude is not as sturdy as the Arkel’s Cordura, but it’s tons lighter AND comes with a raincover, that it’s neatly stowed on a lower compartment. This same compartment houses the “pannier system” ; you simply undo the zip, and the pannier hooks disappear of sight under the bag leaving you with a proper rucksack (way more comfortable than the Arkel), a bag that no one would actually suspects is a pannier.
The inside of the bag looks also like a proper rucksack, there is a padded compartment for a laptop/books, a keyring hanger, and the outer pocket has lots of little pockets for coins, mobile phone, etc.
The Vaude comes with an extra flexible attachment to carry a helmet. All in all, a really well made bag, light, comfortable and nice. But most of all, a product that delivers (at a reasonable price, you could actually buy more than 2 Vaude for the price of the Arkel).
Arkel Bug: 1365 gr (3 Lb): 179 $ (100 GBP)
Vaude Cycle 25: 980 gr (2 Lb 2 Oz): 45 GBP
A review of someone who likes the Arkel Bug: EcoVelo
A review of someone who does not like the Arkel Bug: Why I hate my Arkel Bug
Not sure what this is but he landed on my deck today for a photo op. His body looked more like a moth but if you look closely, he looks like he has hooves... so could he be some kind of horsefly? heh
"Mr Wheel Bug ... You're a Scary Guy!" This is a line from the Wheel Bug Rap (see below)
This was the first really exciting bug I ever photographed. Compared with the Assassin Bug and even the Ambush Bug, the Wheel Bug is bigger and really has that pre-historic dinosaur look. All are in the family Reduviidae. All three attack their prey by grabbing hold with claws and then impaling with their fang like beak. Through the beak is injected poison and digestive enzymes. The beak then doubles as a straw to consume the predigested meal.
The Wheel Bug Rap
Said (or sung) with a funky beat
Your nose is a hypodermic needle,
Your back has wings to fly,
Your legs have hooks to grasp your prey,
And hold them till they die.
(Chorus)
They call you wheel bug,
Cause your back is a wheel,
It's shape is kinda rough.
You're a real bug
With wings, six legs,
And lots of other insect stuff.
Your head is shaped like two arrows,
Right On It ... a beak and three eyes,
With two feelers of red, you're a sight to dread!
Mr. Wheel Bug ... you're a scary guy.
(Chorus)
Your beak extends like a switch blade,
It's pointed and hollow and kills!
It's a real poison pen ... but there's more!
It's a straw to drink your meals.
(Chorus)
Wheel bug you're so ... prehistoric,
It's good you're only ... one inch long,
I'm glad you're a bug and I'm not one,
And that's the end of this song.
My first wheel bug shot taken last year: www.flickr.com/photos/drphotomoto/3002340775/
Bugger .. look at the camber on those back wheels .
A fine pair of VW Bugs , and there were more ..
Cooly Rocks On
Coolangatta . Gold Coast
VW Beetles (Vochos) of Mexico would be a worthy photo project. They are awesome and they are legion.
Hasselblad 500c/m, 60mm Distagon, Fuji Provia 100F. 10-63
Although this picture is not really sharp I nevertheless like it.
I'm afraid I will be IMacless for a while... as this memory card doesn't want to get out of the CD slot...
Have a great week my Flickr friends!
© All rights reserved. Please don't use any of my images on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.
Can you believe they made a sporty three-wheeler? Well they did, and here it is, the Bong Bug!
The Bond Bug is a small British two-seat, three-wheeled automobile which was built from 1970 to 1974, initially by Bond Cars Ltd and subsequently by the Reliant Motor Company. It is a wedge-shaped microcar, with a lift-up canopy and side screens instead of conventional doors.
Following the purchase of Bond Cars Ltd., Reliant commissioned Tom Karen of Ogle Design to design a fun car. The Bond Bug was based on Chief Engineer John Crosthwaite's newly designed chassis and some Reliant Regal running gear. The original concept was explored by chopping down a production Regal vehicle, the rear of the car being shortened to end over the rear axle. This prototype could be seen for many years later, languishing in the yard at the rear of the factory, by anyone who cared to look through the chain-link fence from the canal towpath.
The engine is the front-mounted 700 cc (later uprated to 750 cc) Reliant light-alloy four-cylinder unit, developed from the Austin 7, and which protruded into the passenger cabin. At launch 29hp was claimed for the less expensive 700 and 700E models. The more up-market 700ES incorporates a redesigned cylinder head which permitted the compression ratio to be increased from 7.35:1 to 8.4:1. This provided a power increase to 31hp as well as improved torque for the then range topping 700ES.
The Bond Bug 700ES also offers more supportive seats as well as more padding over the engine cowl, twin mudflaps, an ashtray, a rubber front bumper and a spare wheel.
The car enjoyed an upbeat launch, at which Reliant's Ray Wiggin stated: "The fact it has three wheels is quite incidental. It's a new form of transport. So now, in fact, we think it's going to appeal to a much wider section of the market than we originally envisaged."
The Bug was available in a bright orange tangerine colour, although six white Bugs were produced for a Rothmans cigarette promotion - one of which was also used in an advertisement for Cape fruit and at the moment a Dulux Bond Bug is said to be under commission. Its fame was helped along by a distinctive Corgi Toys die-cast toy car. Although it had a fairly short production run (1970–1974), it has a dedicated following today.
In contrast to the image of three-wheeled Reliants as being slow, the Bond Bug was capable of 76mph, in excess of the UK national speed limit, and comparable to small saloon cars such as the basic 850 cc Mini (72mph) and the Hillman Imp (80mph). However, it could not match the speed of the Mini Cooper S (96mph) or larger saloons such as the Ford Cortina Mark III (104mph in the highest-powered variant), or even ageing models of two-seater sports cars, such as the MG MGB (103mph) or the Lotus Seven, where by 1970 even the lowest-powered version of the S4 could reach 108mph.
The Bond Bug was sold as being fun to drive, with the low seating position giving a similar exaggerated impression of speed as in a go-kart, while the actual speed was similar to that reached by high performance cars only a few years earlier (indeed, earlier versions of the Lotus 7 had a top speed of 76 mph right up until 1968, and their trim level, e.g. side curtains instead of windows, was also similar).
The Bug was, however, no cheaper than more practical cars. It cost £629, while a basic 850 cc Mini, a four-seater much faster round corners but with considerably inferior acceleration, cost £620. Also, while a basic Lotus Seven (with much faster acceleration and good cornering) cost £945 in 1970, it was also available as a complete knocked down kit much more cheaply, partly because of more favourable tax treatment.
Assassin bug sculpture by David Rogers at Cape Fear Botanical Gardens in Fayetteville, North Carolina
Grey Fan-tail enjoying a feast of flying bugs.... Seen at Bodalla in New South Wales.... Short-listed by the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of The Year Competition 2022. This photo appeared in their exhibition and the book of the exhibition yet it has drawn few likes on Flicker or on Instagram... Curious isn't it?
He was climbing around on my blinds. Only about an inch long but moving very slowly like a stick bug (if that is even a correct term) so I thought he might just be a youngster. Anyway, he is still in the house somewhere. I guess I should have captured him and released him outside.
Hand held macro
Many of you know about the ambush bug. I love this shot because it shows the legs and how they are adapted for holding prey (front) and anchoring while capturing prey (hind legs.) I also like this shot because it shows the groove the antenna fit into for protection during combat. Note too the poisonous beak tucked in behind the face plate. Also admire the serrated crab like claws used for grasping prey. All in all it is a worthy opponent.
1. Sunflower Book Cover, 2. Busy Bees in the Hive-mug rug for #samqg #hottamales, 3. flickr.com/photos/97385180@N03/13911148400/, 4. chrysocarabus hispanus, 5. Bichos, 6. Bichos, 7. Bichos, 8. wipe those bugs of your nose!, 9. bug of the day, 10. Insectomanie 1, 11. the fly, 12. vintage button, 13. blackwork bugs, 14. Making Bugs, 15. All The Buzz Privy Pouch, 16. bee in love!, 17. Fruit and bug bag, 18. [04.03.09] squeeeeeee!, 19. Zippered Pouch #3, 20. Entomologiste - A cube
Created with fd's Flickr Toys
You can download or view Macroscopic Solutions’ images in more detail by selecting any image and clicking the downward facing arrow in the lower-right corner of the image display screen.
Three individuals of Macroscopic Solutions, LLC captured the images in this database collaboratively.
Contact information:
Mark Smith M.S. Geoscientist
mark@macroscopicsolutions.com
Daniel Saftner B.S. Geoscientist and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer
daniel@macroscopicsolutions.com
Annette Evans Ph.D. Student at the University of Connecticut
annette@macroscopicsolutions.com
Detail of one of the two outer zipped pockets in the Arkel Bug. The zip in this one is water resistant. The pocket does not have any special inside diveder/pocket/mesh
---
A much anticipated comparison between two pannier/rucksac products from two of the leading brands (a pity Ortlieb hasn’t come out with a good solution yet).
So I got the Arkel Bug a couple of years ago, and was extremely disappointed with the result. The fitting hooks did not fit my Zefal rack (one of the most widely available brands in France and Spain), so I had to replace the rack. Then I discovered that the aluminium hooks were so sharp that they literally destroyed the metal part of the rack on the contact point.
As a rucksack is not very comfortable either, the metal hook that attaches the bag to the bottom part of the bike rack is always on the way (that’s on your back); you got two clunky bits of aluminium up your neck (the bag is really tall), there’s no chest strap, and to make things worse, the bottom of the bag is shaped as a wedge, so the bag is never ever going to stand, it just falls (ok for a pannier that you are not going to be putting anywhere but on your bike rack…but not very clever for a rucksack that you are to take with you anywhere, librarly, class, office, sports centre, etc).
On the fabric/material side comes the only plus of the bag. The entire product oozes quality (at 179 $ / 100 GBP is the least you can get); for the ridiculously high price you don’t even get a rain cover. Result: I haven’t used the bag for 2 years. The inside of the bag is “Spartan” to say the least. The back is not padded and there is no pocket/keyring/pen holder of any kind.
Same goes for the outer pocket (there is an extra hidden pocket that is supposed to house the raincover). So it seems that they took a pannier and tried to double it as a rucksack adding some features; a complete fail (since it simply doesn’t work), obviously in my opinion.
So last month I bought a Vaude Cycle 25, another pannier/rucksack combo I had been looking at for years (after wasting a lot of cash on the Arkel Bug, I didn’t exactly felt like spending more on another bag, so I stuck to my Ortlieb panniers until now). So I got the Vaude. What a nice surprise.
The bag is almost 400 gram lighter that it’s Canadian counterpart (which is nearly 50% of its weight). The bag comes with plastic hooks that fit into my Tubus rack AND it comes with an extra pair of hooks for thicker tubed racks (say a Zefal or a German/Dutch bike). The fitting on the bike is fast with a black adjustable rubber band. The fabric not the Vaude is not as sturdy as the Arkel’s Cordura, but it’s tons lighter AND comes with a raincover, that it’s neatly stowed on a lower compartment. This same compartment houses the “pannier system” ; you simply undo the zip, and the pannier hooks disappear of sight under the bag leaving you with a proper rucksack (way more comfortable than the Arkel), a bag that no one would actually suspects is a pannier.
The inside of the bag looks also like a proper rucksack, there is a padded compartment for a laptop/books, a keyring hanger, and the outer pocket has lots of little pockets for coins, mobile phone, etc.
The Vaude comes with an extra flexible attachment to carry a helmet. All in all, a really well made bag, light, comfortable and nice. But most of all, a product that delivers (at a reasonable price, you could actually buy more than 2 Vaude for the price of the Arkel).
Arkel Bug: 1365 gr (3 Lb): 179 $ (100 GBP)
Vaude Cycle 25: 980 gr (2 Lb 2 Oz): 45 GBP
A review of someone who likes the Arkel Bug: EcoVelo
A review of someone who does not like the Arkel Bug: Why I hate my Arkel Bug
Novelty bug cupcakes custom made to order for a 3rd birthday party. Featuring snails, caterpillars, dragonflies, ladybirds and bumble bees.
Technical information:
astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2010/07/ngc-6302-bug-nebula.html
An animated 3D:
astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2010/07/ngc-6302-bug-nebula-as-...
3D-studies in different formats:
Thanks to the magic of www.busselecta.com/bugselecta/ (via Lloydy). A black oval window bug with polished volvo wheels and suspension level 3 of course! Must be able to feel all those miniature holes in the road...
Briolette Bug - 4-5 November, 2009
I was looking at this orange tourmaline briolette in my collection, trying to think of what to make with it, and decided on a bug. I thought it would look perfect as the abdomen peeking through lacy wire wings. Here's the result. :D
Lady bug rug. In my youngest two daughters room. They love lady bugs thus the color choice. Took amout 1 month to make. Made from wool fabric that had been stored in my great aunts basement for over 50 years
1) Subject: Damsel bug
2) Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1
3) Lens : Nikon E Plan 10x LWD
4) Other : M42 Bellow / Rail RS90 / 8μm
5) ISO100 / 1/8sec / Silent Mode (Electronic Shutter)
6) Stack # : 216 / Zerene / Bugslabber / LR / PS/
7) Lighting : Yongnuo YN-24EX with selfmade diffuser
Magnification: 10x
A Bug shot from my hike up the Volcano of Fire in magnificent Colima, México.
Una toma de mi experiencia subiendo el Volcan de Fuego cerca de la hermosa cuidad de Colima, México.
Their stench reminds me of dandelions. I'm mostly posting this for ChinchillaVilla -- as proof that this place really is crawling with shield bugs. Scooped them off the veranda, front door and siding when we took Beebs for a walk. There are so many outside that in 60 seconds you'll have a dozen in your hands...peeing on you. So I brought a jar to carry them in and let them pee on each other if that's how they wanted to act. You see all the moisture in that jar?Yeah, they are literally pissed off to be stuck in there. In case you're curious, I let them back outside after taking their picture and they all wandered off like nothing happened :)
Detail of the outer pocket in the Vaude Cycle 25. Note the mesh zipped pocket for keys, coins, etc; as well as the pen holders.
---
A much anticipated comparison between two pannier/rucksac products from two of the leading brands (a pity Ortlieb hasn’t come out with a good solution yet).
So I got the Arkel Bug a couple of years ago, and was extremely disappointed with the result. The fitting hooks did not fit my Zefal rack (one of the most widely available brands in France and Spain), so I had to replace the rack. Then I discovered that the aluminium hooks were so sharp that they literally destroyed the metal part of the rack on the contact point.
As a rucksack is not very comfortable either, the metal hook that attaches the bag to the bottom part of the bike rack is always on the way (that’s on your back); you got two clunky bits of aluminium up your neck (the bag is really tall), there’s no chest strap, and to make things worse, the bottom of the bag is shaped as a wedge, so the bag is never ever going to stand, it just falls (ok for a pannier that you are not going to be putting anywhere but on your bike rack…but not very clever for a rucksack that you are to take with you anywhere, librarly, class, office, sports centre, etc).
On the fabric/material side comes the only plus of the bag. The entire product oozes quality (at 179 $ / 100 GBP is the least you can get); for the ridiculously high price you don’t even get a rain cover. Result: I haven’t used the bag for 2 years. The inside of the bag is “Spartan” to say the least. The back is not padded and there is no pocket/keyring/pen holder of any kind.
Same goes for the outer pocket (there is an extra hidden pocket that is supposed to house the raincover). So it seems that they took a pannier and tried to double it as a rucksack adding some features; a complete fail (since it simply doesn’t work), obviously in my opinion.
So last month I bought a Vaude Cycle 25, another pannier/rucksack combo I had been looking at for years (after wasting a lot of cash on the Arkel Bug, I didn’t exactly felt like spending more on another bag, so I stuck to my Ortlieb panniers until now). So I got the Vaude. What a nice surprise.
The bag is almost 400 gram lighter that it’s Canadian counterpart (which is nearly 50% of its weight). The bag comes with plastic hooks that fit into my Tubus rack AND it comes with an extra pair of hooks for thicker tubed racks (say a Zefal or a German/Dutch bike). The fitting on the bike is fast with a black adjustable rubber band. The fabric not the Vaude is not as sturdy as the Arkel’s Cordura, but it’s tons lighter AND comes with a raincover, that it’s neatly stowed on a lower compartment. This same compartment houses the “pannier system” ; you simply undo the zip, and the pannier hooks disappear of sight under the bag leaving you with a proper rucksack (way more comfortable than the Arkel), a bag that no one would actually suspects is a pannier.
The inside of the bag looks also like a proper rucksack, there is a padded compartment for a laptop/books, a keyring hanger, and the outer pocket has lots of little pockets for coins, mobile phone, etc.
The Vaude comes with an extra flexible attachment to carry a helmet. All in all, a really well made bag, light, comfortable and nice. But most of all, a product that delivers (at a reasonable price, you could actually buy more than 2 Vaude for the price of the Arkel).
Arkel Bug: 1365 gr (3 Lb): 179 $ (100 GBP)
Vaude Cycle 25: 980 gr (2 Lb 2 Oz): 45 GBP
A review of someone who likes the Arkel Bug: EcoVelo
A review of someone who does not like the Arkel Bug: Why I hate my Arkel Bug
This is my first attempt at interval shooting of lightning bugs. An earlier attempt of mine was simply long exposure.
The green lights are the male bugs. I used a stack of layers in PhotoShop for time lapse photography. The purple light is the residue of the sun that set at least half an hour earlier.
I wish this photo were better.
I struggled with the interval settings of my camera for a long time in the dark. My camera's buttons are illuminated as its back LCD, so I could navigate the settings reasonably well in the dark. I thought I had set up the camera correctly during the day hours but here in the field at night it just wouldn't go on. Finally, I realized I had turned on my timer to photo the dim scenery at twilight and that the interval program could not be activated while the timer was on. Whew! Problem solved. But I think I knocked the focus of my lens slightly off in the process of fixing the interval shooting.
By my third attempt, I was better with my camera and its nighttime stack/interval settings but unfortunately the lightning bugs had faded out. I think for the season. They also were collecting in the trees, where they weren't moving much. The field I used on my first attempt was much better since the lightning bugs were on the move.
My first attempt above may be the lightning bugs' last big shindig this season. I see them still out but they just aren't in the numbers that they were. I also have a scenic location picked out, but apparently, the lightning bugs do not consider my location such a perfect place.
I'm posting this as a benchmark for myself. I know the perfect background that I want for a lightning bug shooting. Now if only the lightning bugs and my camera will cooperate.