[BruceBanner]

That last is funny be "thongs" here are definitely not worn on our feet.


I said you Ozzies but I was only going by your location under your name. Didn't know you were a transplant.
As an honorary Ozzie myself, I'll have to ask our mod team that are true Ozzies, pjv, and Ashraf, what they're called, eh.

transplant... lmao, I love that!

[photolady95]

You're the one said you're original UK, if you moved to Australia, that makes you a transplant. LOL Like the yanks we get here in our state, If they weren't born here, but live here now, they're transplants.

[noelcmn]

Baby Mantis I found when working in the garden


On my finger


No idea what these are

[photolady95]

Nice shots, Noel...........but when do you ever find time to work in the garden? LOL

[noelcmn]

A close up of that Locust

[photolady95]

Are you using your Raynox for close ups now or was that a crop, Noel? However you got it, that's awesome!

[WPRESTO]

Really nice set of images, noel. The white insect looks like a cockroach nymph.

[noelcmn]

Nice shots, Noel...........but when do you ever find time to work in the garden? LOL

My Apologies, should have responded to this earlier. Partly a necessity, as the weeds, given that we had lots of rain, had overgrown the path to the toilets at the church, and some of the ladies were afraid the might get attacked, by insects of course. Partly too that I had decided to devote about 2 or 3 hours in the mornings to doing some gardening, seeing that its holiday season, and ministry matters were at a low ebb. And as you can gather, its not that the Camera was left behind.

Are you using your Raynox for close ups now or was that a crop, Noel? However you got it, that's awesome!

I lost the Raynox a while back, October I think, so i'm back to using the Sigma 28-80mm Aspherical Macro lens, usually coupled with the screw-on magnifying glass. Or else its the good old Tammy 70-300mm. Imho, it does pretty good at macro. And thank you for your kind comments.

Really nice set of images, noel. The white insect looks like a cockroach nymph.

Thank you sir! Cockroach? It was huge, at least 30cm.

Some more
Oh dear!


Here the Tammy did not do so good, but I had little choice, that ant was moving that wasp at top speed.


Still with the Tammy.

[WPRESTO]

Thank you sir! Cockroach? It was huge, at least 30cm.

Are you sure that isn't 30mm?


The American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana) has been introduced to South Africa. Adult measure up to 50+mm, Immediately after molting the instar is white, but turns mahogany brown as the chitin dries and hardens. However, the two dark cockroaches in your picture don't look to me like American cockroaches - they are too dark or black.

[noelcmn]

Ooops- 30mm it is. Still too big for my liking. Thank you once again, as usual informative and interesting. My first thought when I saw them was they were offspring, hanging onto mom's apron strings as it were. Or predatory perhaps. Or wanting to mate. They were not vary active.

[noelcmn]

[swanlefitte]

[Des]

Haven't been to this thread for a while. Catching up on many awesome images.

Hover fly on Austral Grass-tree (Xanthorrhoea australis). K-S2 + DFA 100 Macro WR.





The trickiest part of these shots was holding a flash and diffuser in my left hand while trying to focus and shoot using just my right. I've now got a cheap bracket and arm to hold the flash, which should make things easier.

[Des]

Hover fly again on a different flower. K-S2 + DFA 100.

[swanlefitte]

The bracket helps with holding alot.
Great shots and one handed.