Post your insects

**Letrow** · 2nd May 2012, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by johnbharle

Peter, the ladybirds are fantastic. I can never get them to look good. You've done marvelously.

What I liked most about the two ladybirds in mating position is that the shield of the one at the back seemed translucent. With the help of the sun you can see the dark wings beneath the shield. I was lucky with the reflection of the light I guess.

**Letrow** · 2nd May 2012, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by Geoff F

Possibly ceiling bouncing the flash may also be worth a try. It's early days yet.

It might work Geoff, or some reflection material above your "studio". You might try a reflecting umbrella I guess.
I have a small box (formerly storage for A4 paper), clad in white, that I use for macro photos now and then. The light is difficult in there, because of the size, so the flash (even when used off camera) is always close by. Still looking for a better solution...

**Arlen** · 2nd May 2012, 09:13 PM

One of a series of shots of visitors to my insect attractors--white rhododendron blossoms.

Paper wasp

(Click for full size)

**Letrow** · 3rd May 2012, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by Arlen

One of a series of shots of visitors to my insect attractors--white rhododendron blossoms.

Paper wasp

(Click for full size)

Nice detail on that wasp Arlen and good DOF. Is it a crop, and what sort of camera and lens did you use?

**Arlen** · 4th May 2012, 12:37 AM

Thanks, Peter. It's almost full frame, with just tiny slivers cropped off the top and right side. The camera is a Canon 5D, and the lens is a Canon 100mm macro (non-IS version). It also included a Kenko extension tube. I think it was the 36mm one, but I don't remember for sure, because I swap the different lengths in and out as needed, and extension tubes aren't captured in the exif data.

**Letrow** · 4th May 2012, 08:59 AM

Tachinidae (thanks Geoff)

Normal fly (I think)

**Geoff F** · 4th May 2012, 06:36 PM

I think, Peter, that although the first fly appears to have cross veins at the wing tips, like Syrphidae (hoverflies) those veins are too far back from the wing tips.

So considering it's bristly appearance, I would suggest one of the Tachinidae family. And what I am actually seeing in the wing tips is the way that their 4th long wing vein sharply bends forwards. But it is a slightly strange camera angle.

If so, it is a tricky family which I haven't studied very much, and we would need more angles to attempt some ID keys. But an expert in them might easily recognise it.

Here is a bee which I found amusing.

'I am turning right'!

The shot is far from perfect but I just liked the way it held it's right wing out as it turned right. As though it was signaling it's intention to change direction.

**Letrow** · 5th May 2012, 11:08 AM

Two ladybirds heads on

**Geoff F** · 5th May 2012, 05:44 PM

How blue is a bluebell?

These always give me problems with getting the colour correct. From a distance they look a strong darkish blue, but when you get close they are a lot lighter in colour and there is a lot of magenta mixed with the blue.

There are a few other tricky flowers like this, and Irises are another typical example.

I think I've got this one about right after slightly tweaking the purples during Raw conversion.

And the model (Holly Blue) is another difficult subject. When flying, the wing upperparts are a dense rather pastel shade of mid blue. But at rest, when open, they photograph as a rather unattractive dull slatey blue.

Peter. Are you seeing any Harlequin Ladybirds this year? I found the odd one last year, but nothing yet this year.

**Bobobird** · 5th May 2012, 07:26 PM

Excellent shot Geoff.

Are you using a macro lens or something else?

**Geoff F** · 5th May 2012, 08:31 PM

Yes, Bobo. Sigma 180 mm macro lens plus 1.4x converter on a 7D.

Tripod and Speedlite flash. I normally make the camera settings in manual mode, to suit the scene, then adjust the flash compensation to suit. I mostly use flash for all macro shots even in sunshine as a bit of fill flash helps to prevent harsh shadows.

For flower photos, when I want to show a whole flower, I have found that my 24-105 L lens is sometimes better.

However, for live, in the wild, insect shots I usually reckon that I'm not going to be able to get closer than 12 ins before the subject gets scared away; so greater magnification is required. A lot of entomologists like the Sigma 150 but I have found that when I need to see specific parts of an insect for identification a bit more magnification is required.

Incidentally, I started macro work by adding a 25 mm extension tube to a Canon 70-300 lens, which was a relatively cheap and fairly effective starter. But, of course, I soon wanted even better.

**Letrow** · 6th May 2012, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by Geoff F

Peter. Are you seeing any Harlequin Ladybirds this year? I found the odd one last year, but nothing yet this year.

You mean the ones with a black shield and red dots instead of vice versa?
In that case, no. Lots of ladybirds seven spot and more, but that is it for the moment around here.

**Letrow** · 6th May 2012, 01:41 PM

Syrphidae

**Geoff F** · 6th May 2012, 06:53 PM

This site should explain all about Harlequin Ladybirds, although it is UK based http://www.harlequin-survey.org/reco...istinction.htm

It is an Asian species which was introduced into USA then Europe for pest control. They grow faster and eat more pests than native ladybirds. In some areas they appeared to be increasing in numbers so rapidly that there were fears for some native species.

The eventual outcome is currently uncertain. In some locations they do appear to have increased rather alarmingly; but elsewhere they are still something of a rarity.

That hoverfly has certainly been amongst the pollen. Is it feeding on Forget Me Not flowers (Myosotis species)?

Good sharp shots. It is Helophilus pendulus female.

The deep dip in the middle wing vein places it amongst the Eristalini family and there are only a few members of that group which have those classic thorax stripes. The dark face stripe and the hind tibia being less than half black, both clearly visible in the last photo, places it as H. pendulus.

**Vrgl** · 6th May 2012, 07:10 PM

Dragonfly with dinner

_DSC0304 by kutsies pics, on Flickr

**Letrow** · 6th May 2012, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by Geoff F

This site should explain all about Harlequin Ladybirds, although it is UK based http://www.harlequin-survey.org/reco...istinction.htm

It is an Asian species which was introduced into USA then Europe for pest control. They grow faster and eat more pests than native ladybirds. In some areas they appeared to be increasing in numbers so rapidly that there were fears for some native species.

The eventual outcome is currently uncertain. In some locations they do appear to have increased rather alarmingly; but elsewhere they are still something of a rarity.

That hoverfly has certainly been amongst the pollen. Is it feeding on Forget Me Not flowers (Myosotis species)?

Good sharp shots. It is Helophilus pendulus female.

The deep dip in the middle wing vein places it amongst the Eristalini family and there are only a few members of that group which have those classic thorax stripes. The dark face stripe and the hind tibia being less than half black, both clearly visible in the last photo, places it as H. pendulus.

Yes, that is forget-me-not, one of the prettiest smaller flowers I think. I liked the look of this hoverfly with its great colours.