Fierce Fighting Face, Pt. 2 - _TNY_4541
At home, I have no issues finding the green tiger beetle, but there are three more tiger species in Sweden. One which doesn't live as far north as me (in Stockholm), and then there are two more species.
This year I learned that the rarer species has it's strongest habitat in the country just 25 km from where my mother-in-law lives (500 km north of me). Well, I was there a couple of days ago - but didn't see any tigers.
In early July (of 2023), we made a short trip out in the woods near the house and that's when I made a discovery: the other northern species!
This is a wood tiger beetle (Cicindela sylvatica), also known as the heath tiger beetle.
I saw something flying ahead of us on the sandy forest road so I pursued it and every time I got close, it took off again.
After four or five tries I decided on trying a flanking motion and with the forest behind me I managed to get close enough to see what I was chasing. And there it was - my second species of tiger beetle!
Since I had the 180 mm Sigma macro plus 2x teleconverter on the camera, I didn't have to get as close to it as if I had fitted the MP-E65 - which was very good and I am quite pleased with the results. This is also about as close as the lens would focus which means it is at 2:1 magnification and that the beetle's face was ~20 cm from the front lens.
Do you think it is better-looking than the green species here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52828155245/ or is that one cooler?
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53025267370/ www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53025267370/
Fierce Fighting Face, Pt. 2 - _TNY_4541
At home, I have no issues finding the green tiger beetle, but there are three more tiger species in Sweden. One which doesn't live as far north as me (in Stockholm), and then there are two more species.
This year I learned that the rarer species has it's strongest habitat in the country just 25 km from where my mother-in-law lives (500 km north of me). Well, I was there a couple of days ago - but didn't see any tigers.
In early July (of 2023), we made a short trip out in the woods near the house and that's when I made a discovery: the other northern species!
This is a wood tiger beetle (Cicindela sylvatica), also known as the heath tiger beetle.
I saw something flying ahead of us on the sandy forest road so I pursued it and every time I got close, it took off again.
After four or five tries I decided on trying a flanking motion and with the forest behind me I managed to get close enough to see what I was chasing. And there it was - my second species of tiger beetle!
Since I had the 180 mm Sigma macro plus 2x teleconverter on the camera, I didn't have to get as close to it as if I had fitted the MP-E65 - which was very good and I am quite pleased with the results. This is also about as close as the lens would focus which means it is at 2:1 magnification and that the beetle's face was ~20 cm from the front lens.
Do you think it is better-looking than the green species here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52828155245/ or is that one cooler?
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53025267370/ www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53025267370/