View allAll Photos Tagged macroinsect
A Lilliputian in Gulliver's Travels -
After a thunderstorm passed, I heard a soft bellow somewhere along the trail. It took me awhile to locate the source and I identify a miniature cone, in fluorescent strips of safety orange and cyan perched on a leaf. I watched with amusement how he whirled round at a snail’s pace calling out: “My name is Nickelodeon, slow down there’s a muddy road ahead! Hikers and bikers in blue jeans and white socks, proceed with caution. Only those wearing nothing except gumboots needn’t fear. Mucky route ahead!” At that instant, the traffic warden's candid message and his gay colours brightened the dark skies.
A little guest enjoys my Grand-Mother's favorite flowers... which I brought years back to South of France to get her touch to the place...
Today... these have 'colonized' the whole mountain :-)
Watching You Behind Your Back (Dorsal View) -
Braving myself, I tapped the shrub once and the shy fellow ran up the stalk. He stretched his limbs in front as if fettled by invisible chains. Why do spiders like to rest like that? Was he hoping to trip absent-minded critters and sent them sprawling down his net? A spider’s personality is reflected on their belly pattern and I took the chance to decrypt the hidden meaning. Tiger stripe, zebra stripe and pajamas stripe; I counted the smoky bars between the porcelain lines and found at least three. Here’s my verdict, this spider is proud because he earned his stripes and isn’t jealous at all of leopard spots. By the way, have you ever felt spiders are watching you? On his curved abdomen, the two black splotches cleverly lend the spider the appearance of having monstrous eyes.
A Match Of Agility And Techniques -
Wrestling is not limited to the Mongolians and here in the insect kingdom, the fancinting World Championship Wrestling (WCW) is about to begin. Are you ready to scream your heart out? Swirling wings and deadlock bellies, their sweaty bodies twisted one way, then another. Steadfast for gold, the amateur pushed with all his might, hopping to edge his seasoned opponent to admit defeat. Hear the grunts and feel the tension in the air. It isn’t easy to win and the stakes are high. The winner takes it all and the loser has to surrender his pride. I’m not a grapple fan but I found myself cheering their stamina match. Two gladiators in their battle so rousing, Genghis Khan would have stood up and applaud.
Found this bee full of pollen in the flowers. Had to take the shot.
Shot originally at 38 megapixels, then cropped to focus more on the bee, and resized to 12 megapixels.
Chaque battement d’ailes, chaque mouvement discret contribue à l’équilibre fragile de la nature. Cette abeille, invisible aux yeux pressés, devient reine d’un monde miniature. Ici, elle incarne le travail et la poésie, enrobée de pollen et de lumière.
An Easy Cure For Crossed Eyes -
“Do you think I look weird?” an orange fly asked me one day in the forest. It was obvious his pupils were focusing his nose all the time, so I declared bluntly he had strabismal. “Can’t you do something and make them right?” the long-suffering fly pleaded. It bothered me he was depressed and a light bulb lit up my mind. I stick out my tongue and cast my eyeballs separately to the outer corners. The cross-eyed hopper was so mad at my mocking, his black peppers ran in a murderous frenzy within the yellow sclera. “Stop!” I shouted at the eleventh seconds and the orbiting dots stalled miraculously at the centre. Oh boy, I’m not even a medical entomologist yet I gave a quick fix to a squinty bug. Just when I thought he could pay me with an after picture to show on Flickr, he jumped.
Golden phase and critical success
The Kiss. 1907–1908. Oil on canvas. Österreichische Galerie Belvedere.Gustav Klimt's 'Golden Phase' was marked by positive critical reaction and success. Many of his paintings from this period utilized gold leaf; the prominent use of gold can first be traced back to Pallas Athene (1898) and Judith I (1901), although the works most popularly associated with this period are the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907) and The Kiss (1907 - 1908). Klimt traveled little but trips to Venice and Ravenna, both famous for their beautiful mosaics, likely inspired his gold technique and his Byzantine imagery. In 1904, he collaborated with other artists on the lavish Palais Stoclet, the home of a wealthy Belgian industrialist, which was one of the grandest monuments of the Art Nouveau age. Klimt's contributions to the dining room, including both Fulfillment and Expectation, were some of his finest decorative work, and as he publicly stated, "probably the ultimate stage of my development of ornament." Between 1907 and 1909, Klimt painted five canvases of society women wrapped in fur. His apparent love of costume is expressed in the many photographs of Flöge modeling clothing he designed.
Spider: Golden Web Spider
www.projectnoah.org/users/MicheleMorbidelli
Atlas Moth.
Attacus atlas Introduction Attacus atlas is found as various subspecies from India and Sri Lanka eastward to China and across the islands of south-east Asia to Java. There are 2 other Attacus species - wardi from Australia, and aurantiacus from Papua New Guinea. The Himalayan species edwardsii and the Malaysian species staudingeri were formerly included in Attacus but are now placed in the genus Archaeoattacus. Habitats This species is found in primary and disturbed tropical rainforest habitats at altitudes between sea level and about 1500m. Lifecycle The plump larvae of the Giant Atlas moth are huge, growing to almost 5" / 120cm. They feed on a variety of plants including Annona ( Annonaceae ) Citrus ( Rutaceae ), Nephelium ( Sapindaceae ), Cinnamomum ( Lauraceae ) and Guava ( Myrtaceae ). They often move from one plant species to another in the course of their development. Adult The Giant Atlas is generally recognised as being the largest moth in the world, having a wing area of about 400 sq cms ( 65 sq inches ). It can measure up to 30 cms across the wings, but is beaten in terms of sheer wingspan by a South American moth Thysania agrippina which measures up to 32cms across the wings, although it has a significantly smaller wing area than Attacus atlas. Despite their huge size and bright colours Atlas moths are remarkably difficult to find in the wild. The disruptive pattern breaks up the moth's outline into irregular shapes which blend well amongst a mix of living and dead foliage. If disturbed from rest Attacus atlas employs an unusual form of defence - it simply drops to the ground and slowly fans the wings. As the wings move, the "snake's head" lobe at the apex of the forewing oscillates. This is a threat gesture which deters predators who "see" a snake instead of a moth.
Experimental Fencing with A Crooked Sabre -
Most ichneumonids I come across had long tail appendage as straight and stiff as a needle, except this. A wasp was wandering over a log searching for her preferred spot and I noticed her ovipositor was bent. Although I did not see the piercing feat, I assume this is the after picture following the depositing of eggs in the inner bark. Will the exhausted drill regenerate and spring back to become straight again?
I can't resist posting more Dragons. I just adore them. When I start to see them emerging, it's a feeling that is like welcoming back old friends. Please note, this is my husbands hairy fingers, not mine LOL.
Sunshine Bread -
Nothing is more invigorating than a deep sweat; understandably saunas are the favorite recreation of butterflies. At a mineral spring resort, in the ambience of the evening glow, a sailor who just ended his seamanship unfurled wholly for his therapy. As the air began to boil, the steam fogged both his eyes and mind. In the radiant rippling warmth, it is so easy to fall a deep sleep. The timer is switched, but the sun settings are accurate infrequently. 2 minutes is protracted to 7 and … Ding! Perfectly grilled, my toasted bread singed by heat is now ready to eat. Butter up or Nutella-topped, you decide. Crisping on the outside but moist inside, my toothy toast I charge only $1.60 a slice.
i posted a better closeup of this wild-looking little helmeted squash bug nymph several months ago, but i do like the atmosphere of this composition and scale (on a large monitor)
from head on, the bug reminds me of something out of a Dr. Suess book, but sinister
backyard capture in chesterfield
a macro shot of two tiny ants drinking from nectar and rain drops on a lime blossom tree in our garden. The spring rain showers bring out the ants and other insects
A Spider Joke
The bird dung spider got into a heated debate about appearance with his next-door neighbor. While the bird drop spider continued to crouch with folded arms, the temperament bird dung spider was so worked up he couldn’t remain sitting.
Bird Drop Spider: "You’re a disgusting piece of dung that everybody avoids."
Bird Dung Spider: "Oh yeah, what are you? The pot is calling the kettle black. At least I take after the crescent shape of Delifrance pastry people eat for breakfast. You’re a gross resemblance to what is digested out, stinky poo!”
Bird Drop Spider: “A dung filled croissant you mean? And you’re that shit stick agitating a heap of dung, foul and fetching more feces with each stir. It’s such a tragedy I shook hands with you last week, now I’ll have amputate my own limbs.”
Sigh! Caught between the bird drop and dung spider, I’m in a dilemma to make a definite decision. The winner to this beauty contest, you decide.