Post your insects

[Letrow]

Some of you will know that I like doing macro shots of flowers. Now and then I get lucky and am able to photograph an insect as well (they are quick moving little buggers though).

But I couldn't find a thread that I can post to (I did a search and couldn't really find anything except for spiders) and where I can see shots from others as well.

Which is why I started this one...feel free to post your photos

[Letrow]

I was able to get real close to this insect (it is not a bee and not a fly and I don't really know much more tbh), when it decided to go to the underside of the leaf. In the end I liked that position best. Let me know what you think.


Edit: hoverfly; one of the Eristalis family (thanks Geoff)

and this was him/her before it moved to the underside

[Letrow]

One of my earlier attempts at macro, shot with the Ricoh GX200



Although the macro option is quite useful the DOF is terrible compared to what I can do with the Nikon D7000 and the 105mm macro lens. There is TOO MUCH detail in the background.
But I did like the Ricoh at the time (and it is lightweight of course compared to the Nikon). Nowadays I would only use it for non-macro photographs I think.

[Jim B.]

Bee on a Speedwell flower.



Fork Tailed Katydid Nymph on Red Bee Balm

[Letrow]

Bee on a Speedwell flower.



Fork Tailed Katydid Nymph on Red Bee Balm

Nice Jim, especially the nymph. We may get them here, but I've never seen them in these colours.
And those wings on the bees, I always wonder whether there are bloodvessels running through them, you know? These small thin lines you see.

[Geoff F]

Peter, your fly is a hoverfly; and one of the Eristalis family. I would like to see the hind tibia but suspect it is probably Eristalis tenax.

In the UK they have the common name of Drone Fly because they mimic honey bees.

Anybody want a good laugh?

Today I went out to photograph insects but after driving 5 miles I found a thick sea fog over the scene. Undaunted, I had the flash anyway, I walked a mile until I found something which I couldn't identify by sight; so I opened my backpack and started setting up my camera gear.

Two lenses - but no camera body!

However, I will have a look and see if I can find something handy, from another day, to post.

[Letrow]

Peter, your fly is a hoverfly; and one of the Eristalis family. I would like to see the hind tibia but suspect it is probably Eristalis tenax.

In the UK they have the common name of Drone Fly because they mimic honey bees.

Anybody want a good laugh?

Today I went out to photograph insects but after driving 5 miles I found a thick sea fog over the scene. Undaunted, I had the flash anyway, I walked a mile until I found something which I couldn't identify by sight; so I opened my backpack and started setting up my camera gear.

Two lenses - but no camera body!

However, I will have a look and see if I can find something handy, from another day, to post.

That is quite funny actually , it has happened to me in a different form.

[sidecarural]

Hi, here is a close picture of a bee. I took it last week visiting a nice garden in Merano (Italy).

Ciao
Luciano (Milan, Italy)

[Letrow]

Hi, here is a close picture of a bee. I took it last week visiting a nice garden in Merano (Italy).

Ciao
Luciano (Milan, Italy)

That is a beauty Luciano, especially that yellow pollen.
And welcome on the forum by the way, I see this is your first post

[Letrow]

Coenagrionidae (in Dutch we call them waterjuffers). His bigger cousin was flying around as well, but too fast for me to capture.

[Geoff F]

It's coming to get you!



A Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) emerging from behind a leaf. Thought I would show something different from flies and bees.

[Jim B.]

Peck's Skipper

[Pandrion]

Damselfly or Dragonfly



Was taking a picture of my dog, saw a flash of colour on the shrub beside me. Only had time for instinctive manual focus and it had gone. He measures about 2.5 cms long.

This photo is considerably cropped from the original.

[Letrow]

I like photos that get close to insects, because they have this nice bokeh as well. These three illustrate what I mean perfectly

It's coming to get you!



A Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) emerging from behind a leaf. Thought I would show something different from flies and bees.

He looks like a knight in armor

Peck's Skipper

I love the eyes on this one Jim, I find it hard to c get close enough to butterflies and then they move so erratically as well

Damselfly or Dragonfly



Was taking a picture of my dog, saw a flash of colour on the shrub beside me. Only had time for instinctive manual focus and it had gone. He measures about 2.5 cms long.

This photo is considerably cropped from the original.

Good capture, he is just sharp enough to make it great

[Pandrion]

Paper Wasp Drinking



Gave it a slight texture

[Geoff F]

Mike. Going by the wing shape I would suspect that is a Demoiselle. A member of the general damselfly family.

And if it was photographed in the UK I would be confident about saying it was a male of the aptly named Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) but I'm not sure about Southern France varieties.

[JohnC]

Great idea,Peter. We'll get to see insects from all over the world, amazing photos here already.

[Pandrion]

Thanks for that Geoff,

Well Demoiselle would be appropriate in France, and it certainly was beautiful, such an intense colour.
Most of the ones that I've seen here are either golden yellow or acid green but none of them want to stay still for more than a second or two. I have to admit that this capture could only be described as fluky shot.

[Letrow]

Brachycera or fly. I never cared much for flies, but if you start to read up on them they get more interesting. They still annoy me though when they get into my house


Bumblebee. It's almost as if you can stroke that hair.

[Pandrion]

You are right Peter about the hair on that bumblebee, it looks like a guinea pig from an alien planet !