[WPRESTO]

Since my Flickr account is limited I don't post much anymore. I have to delete a photo to put one up. It does mean I only put up my better ones though.

Yes a monarch caterpillar in February here in New Orleans.


A little one washing up in the morning sun. Caught it just a minute before it went flying around the yard.

You really nailed the little fellow at his ablutions. I know all too well how difficult it is to obtain such an image.

[WPRESTO]

No insects around at this time of year unless there's a swarm of springtails ("snow fleas") but curiously, and worryingly, although there was such an outburst for many years, there hasn't been one for about the past decade.
In any case, I processed some "seconds" from years back, images not quite as good as those already posted of the same specimens. The cone-headed grasshopper is a studio image, the other two were taken in the field.

[photolady95]

Maybe that's what I should do, Walt, go back over some of my old shots to see what I missed and post those because even though it's warming up around here, the insects are still hiding.

[swanlefitte]

anyone know what this is? I have never seen one until just now in the backyard. I thought it was a matchstick grasshopper but they live in Austrailia.

[WPRESTO]

anyone know what this is? I have never seen one until just now in the backyard. I thought it was a matchstick grasshopper but they live in Austrailia.

It's an orthopteran (grasshopper) of some kind that is not familiar to me. The antennae are shorter and thicker than the long thread-like antennae of many orthopterans(eg katydids and the cone-headed 'hopper I posted just above), so it might be a nymph (sub-adult). Try looking through the images on bugnet.

[swanlefitte]

Thanks I will check it out.

[swanlefitte]

Found it. Stick like Grasshopper - Leptysma marginicollis

[WPRESTO]

Found it. Stick like Grasshopper - Leptysma marginicollis

Cool!

From me, three more seconds from year ago.

[swanlefitte]

What big jaws you have.
I first read your post as very precise timing. Taken 1year 3seconds before posting. 😀

[WPRESTO]

What big jaws you have.
I first read your post as very precise timing. Taken 1year 3seconds before posting. 😀

That's cool, although I cannot guarantee that the camera's time stamp was correct because I don't always set it. Had one of the bodies recording the year as 2024 or something of the sort. Talk about getting ahead of myself.

[KC0PET]

That's cool, although I cannot guarantee that the camera's time stamp was correct because I don't always set it. Had one of the bodies recording the year as 2024 or something of the sort. Talk about getting ahead of myself.

You could always claim time travel as the reason

[Thagomizer]

My wife and I were out for a walk today when she spotted something tiny, moving in the snow. It was an insect, the first of 2019 for me. I had my 16-85 rather than anything properly macro, so these are more record shots than attempts at portraiture.

I give you the Winter Stonefly:



and a 100% crop:



When processing images from the rest of the walk, I found another that I had not seen at all when I was shooting. Resting Pteranodon with Bonus Bug:



...and at 100%:

[noelcmn]

Noel, are you still using that Raynox? Seems you're getting better focus if you are.

No, Lost the Raynox a while ago. WPRESTO has arrange a replacement for me and it should arrive any day now. So it's mostly the Tamron 70-300mm, or the Sigma 28-80mm, usually coupled with the screw on magnifying glass.

Wonderful shots here of late. WPRESTO-keep doing second rounds. Some magical ones you got. We have a very similar cone head locust around here.

My inferior ones


Rather difficult to get this earwig, restless critter

[photolady95]

I'm sorry but how could you lose a Raynox? LOL Glad you're getting another though. Walt is a generous guy!

On not seeing insects or not yet insects when shooting other things. I did the same yesterday. Shooting for SIC, when I got back inside to the computer and off loaded the photos from the card, I discovered something on the flower petal.

[TER-OR]

Yeah, you see those little thrips on everything. Most are mostly harmless, but some can really damage sensitive garden plants.

Anyone care to hazard a guess about this little fly with a white abdomen? I'll upload to Bug Guide. You'll also see some thrips. The flower is a Daisy Fleabane, about 10-15mm diameter.