Post your insects

[PhotoByTrace]

Painted Grasshawk dragonfly (Neurothemis stigmatizans). The red is the male; the yellow is the female.
These were taken with an 18-200mm lens and cropped (macro lens is on my wishlist).

[Letrow]

Painted Grasshawk dragonfly (Neurothemis stigmatizans). The red is the male; the yellow is the female.
These were taken with an 18-200mm lens and cropped (macro lens is on my wishlist).

Beautiful crop with that 18-200mm. I have this lens (Nikon) and the macro and nowadays I use the macro mainly, but this brings back memories of how practical it is to just walk around with this small lens.

[MiniChris]

I have disscovered my 35mm 1.8 to also be a nice macro alternative. I can create background bokeh to die for and still have a shapr foreground with great depth within that narrow field. However, I have been quite impressed with the performance of my 55-300 Nikkor. I just wish I could have afforded the 2.8 version...sighhhhhh, it's only money.

[PhotoByTrace]

I have disscovered my 35mm 1.8 to also be a nice macro alternative. I can create background bokeh to die for and still have a shapr foreground with great depth within that narrow field. However, I have been quite impressed with the performance of my 55-300 Nikkor. I just wish I could have afforded the 2.8 version...sighhhhhh, it's only money.

I like your light weight alternatives... but the one I've been contemplating is the hefty nikkor 105mm but have a wide angle lens on my wish list above it, so I imagine it'll be 12months at least before the macro lens comes to fruition. Occasionally take close-ups with my 50mm but prefer the 18-200mm.

[PhotoByTrace]

Beautiful crop with that 18-200mm. I have this lens (Nikon) and the macro and nowadays I use the macro mainly, but this brings back memories of how practical it is to just walk around with this small lens.

Thanks! And I do love the versatility and practicality of this lens

[Geoff F]

Green Lacewing - Chrysoperla carnea



The trouble with this insect is that it wouldn't stay still and I needed to get absolutely square with it to overcome the shallow depth of field.

But after numerous tripod position shifts and height changes I decided to stay put and wait until it came into a suitable position; for a fraction of a second.

[Pandrion]

Some sort of Shield Bug, I've not seen this variety before.



The bee's not very crisp but I liked the colours and bokeh

[Seriche]

This is an action shot and I tried so hard to get the focus on the eyes but it was moving towards me at quite a clip and I was not very successful with the eye contact business.


Galloping, (sigh) again lost the eye focus, however this does demonstrate that when these things get moving most feet are not on the ground. Somewhat like a Cheetah except of course the cheetah having only 4 legs manages to have them all off the ground in full flight


And the still life that I PP'd to death. If I see another one of these and have my fancy backgrounds handy I will see if I can lure it onto something nicer. I think it makes a nice abstract, but not on cement.


thought I better add the smiley in case you thought I was serious.

Wendy

Wendy, I love your action shots! How did you get that heavenly light? I've never seen that in a macro shot before.

Seri

[Seriche]

Painted Grasshawk dragonfly (Neurothemis stigmatizans). The red is the male; the yellow is the female.
These were taken with an 18-200mm lens and cropped (macro lens is on my wishlist).

Trace, they're utterly beautiful! The one below looks as if he's holding on in a gale - it's a great effect, and his tail looks as if it's gold-plated. Wonderful shots, and can't wait to see what you do when you get a macro lens

Seri

[Seriche]

Green Lacewing - Chrysoperla carnea



The trouble with this insect is that it wouldn't stay still and I needed to get absolutely square with it to overcome the shallow depth of field.

But after numerous tripod position shifts and height changes I decided to stay put and wait until it came into a suitable position; for a fraction of a second.

You lucky, lucky man - I've never managed to see a lacewing when it isn't dark. They're so beautiful, as your photo shows so well. I know they're nocturnal, and I'm in bed by dusk, but would have expected to see them around dawn. When did you spot yours, and are there any food plants they particularly like?

Seri

[Dons]

Peck's Skipper

wowww... this is very good macro... and the colour brings up the little guy very nicely...

[Seriche]

Some sort of Shield Bug, I've not seen this variety before.



The bee's not very crisp but I liked the colours and bokeh

Your shield bug is a beauty! Did you ever find out what kind it is? I've never seen one like that but I'm a lot further north than you are.

I love the second photo. Great composition and colours. I don't think it's a bee though; more likely one of the mimics. Can't tell for sure, but it looks a lot like the hoverfly Volucella zonaria, which is one of my favourites as they're so handsome.

Seri

[Dons]

my pictures.. hope you all like it... thx...

red wings dragonfly..

[Dons]

little orange insect ( i don't know the name.. )

[Seriche]

my pictures.. hope you all like it... thx...

red wings dragonfly..

I love the image, especially its simplicity, and it reminds me of an oriental print. It's great to see something different done with insect close-ups and macros. You're inspiring me. I'll be experimenting later

Seri

[Dons]

grasshopper

[Dons]

beezzzzzzz...

[Pandrion]

Thanks for the comment and information Seri.
That's an eye-opener for me about the bee mimics, didn't know there were such things. I'll shall have to start doing some research.

There's an amazing variety of shield bugs down here, both in colouring and form, but after showing this picture to a couple of local naturalists I think this must be one of the rarer ones.

Mike

[Seriche]

beezzzzzzz...

Hello Donny You've been posting some fabulous images here. Those bee shots are my favourites. You have an enviable quality of light in your part of the world to be able to catch those bees in flight so well without a flash. And that 300mm works so well (I've only ever used a 105, and now, a 100mm).

You've developed a very distinct style of your own, and those bees really are superb!

Seri

[Seriche]

Thanks for the comment and information Seri.

You're very welcome. I love trying to ID things and if I don't know, I usually know someone who does. If I chance it and I'm wrong, someone will correct me, so I get there in the end

That's an eye-opener for me about the bee mimics, didn't know there were such things. I'll shall have to start doing some research.

Flies mimic all kinds of other things like wasps and spider predators too. Of all the invertebrates I love spiders and flies the best; they're such intriguing creatures.

If you ever need to know more about diptera, I recommend this site without hesitation. It has the most reliable information and some very beautiful images of flies:

http://www.diptera.info/news.php

And just for random fun, take a look at this:

http://www.hhmi.org/genesweshare/b300.html

There's an amazing variety of shield bugs down here, both in colouring and form, but after showing this picture to a couple of local naturalists I think this must be one of the rarer ones.

I do hope you have a rarity on your hands - that's always so exciting

I'm trying to find out what my latest one is. We only have a handful of shield bug types around here, and this one looks just like a green shield bug on top, but underneath it was quite brightly yellow and red. It's probably just an immature form - they're always fooling me into thinking I've discovered something new. Anyway, it's not such a great shot, but since we were talking about shield bugs I thought I could slip it in here while no one else was looking

Don't forget to post the ID when you get it.

Seri