Nature
awild | January 14, 2010
Arilus cristatus, the wheel bug
Photo details: (top, middle) Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D.
ISO 100, f/13, 1/160 sec, diffused twin flash
(bottom) Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D.
ISO 200, f/11, 1/160 sec, diffuse overhead flash
awild | January 13, 2010If I were to mention an ant-fungus mutualism- that is, an ecological partnership between an ant and a fungus that benefits both- most biologically literate people might think of the famed leafcutter ants and the edible mycelia they cultivate. But that is just one example.
Several other fungi have entered into productive relationships with ants, assisting especially in ant architecture. Consider:
Lasius umbratus walking in the galleries of an underground carton nest (Illinois)
A larger view of the same nest. The intricate galleries are made from fungal mycelia growing through a…
awild | January 5, 2010Yesterday afternoon, perhaps tired of keeping up with the subzero temps, our furnace up and quit. We were able to keep the house somewhat above freezing until the repair guy installed the replacement bits this morning. We're all fixed now. But the outage wasn't without a bright side: the ice crystals on the windows grew especially wild:
awild | January 2, 2010Ice on the windows:
Photo details: Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D.
(top) ISO 250, f/4, 1/320 sec; (bottom )ISO 160, f/5, 1/500 sec
grrlscientist | December 29, 2009tags: The Nature of Cell Science, cell biology, microscopy, research, science, music, Venetian Snares, Szamár Madár, field work, Dirk Pacholsky, streaming video
Cell biologist, Dirk Pacholsky, created this video. He writes; "Certainly it´s irony in the title, because these images never made it to publication status. Sitting over the microscope, whilst listening to music the idea popped up to combine microscopic imagery with electronic music. The Scientist will certainly see more than a carpenter, but both might enjoy the beauty. Concerning the accompanying music, it is Venetian Snares (oh…
awild | December 28, 2009Earlier I listed my pick of the best insect photos of the year taken by other photographers. Now it's my turn. In 2009, I snapped 8000 exposures to produce 805 processed, saleable images of live insects. Below are my favorites.
A parasitic Pseudacteon fly targets a fire ant in Argentina
Male size variation in Onthophagus dung beetles
Aphaenogaster ants are tempted by the elaiosome of a bloodroot seed, Illinois
Eastern treehole mosquito larvae, Illinois
Trophallaxis in wood ants, Wisconsin
Face to face with a giant water bug, Illinois
male and female northern walking sticks,…
grrlscientist | December 25, 2009tags: Polar Bear Versus Walrus Colony, nature, global warming, climate change, BBC, Planet Earth, documentary, streaming video
This video documents an awesome fight for survival as a grown male polar bear takes on a walrus colony at the edge of the Arctic circle. This was a truly epic battle, phenomenally captured in high quality, from the BBC natural history masterpiece, Planet Earth.
What surprised you most about this footage? I was surprised that the walruses did not work together to defeat/get rid of the polar bear.
awild | December 23, 2009In 2009 the world's macrophotographers- both amateur and professional- continued to capture breathtaking images of the arthropod microscape. I've been bookmarking insect photos from around the web that catch my eye, and after spending some time this week reviewing the candidates I've selected nine favorites. Wow. These are the images from fellow photographers that most captured my imagination over the past year.
Together, by Jan Zajc
untitled, by Bonali Giuseppe
Frog beetle ready for take-off, by Alfred Preuss
Ants climbing tree, by Uros Kotnik
Water striders, by Clay Bolt
Eyes…
awild | December 15, 2009Agapostemon sp. - Halictidae
Fairport, NY, USA
Photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 20D.
ISO 100, f/13, 1/250 sec, twin flash diffused through tracing paper
awild | December 12, 2009
Photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 20D.
ISO 100, f/13, 1/250 sec, twin flash diffused through tracing paper
awild | December 8, 2009
Formica integroides wood ants tending pine aphids (California, USA)
Photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS D60.
ISO 100, f/13, 1/200 sec, twin flash diffused through tracing paper
awild | December 4, 2009
Trox - Hide Beetle - Arizona, USA
Scarab's shrewd cousin,
Elytra warty like hide.
Must be Trogidae!
Photo details: Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens on a Canon EOS 20D
ISO 100, f/16, 1/250 sec, indirect strobe in white box
awild | December 1, 2009
Cephalotes grandinosus, an herbivorous ant
Why are there so many ants?
This is a more perplexing question than it may seem. At first glance ants are predators and scavengers. Yet predators should be few in number, balanced on a narrow trophic peak and depending on high prey biomass to exist. Why are terrestrial ecosystems dominated by these little hunters?
A landmark study several years ago by Dinah Davidson provided an answer: many ants are not predators at all. They're herbivores. Sure, they snack now and again on flesh. But ants get most of their energy from plants, either…
awild | November 30, 2009
Anochetus mayri
Anochetus mayri is an ant most North American myrmecologists will not have encountered in the field. This toothy exotic is a small brown insect, less than half a centimeter long, known in the United States only from scattered locations in suburban Florida. I photographed one this summer on a collecting trip to West Palm Beach.
Anochetus mayri illustrates a couple recurring themes in myrmecology.Â
First is just how inadequate our taxonomic understanding of ant species remains.  While identifying this ant in West Palm Beach is easy enough- A. mayri is the only…
awild | November 27, 2009
Notoxus desertus - Antlike Flower Beetle
Pyramid Lake, Nevada
This furry little beetle comes with its own sun visor, a horn-like structure that projects over the head from the pronotum. I photographed this Notoxus along the shores of Pyramid Lake where it was feeding on pollen.
Photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS D60
ISO 100, f/13, 1/250 sec, diffused twin flash
awild | November 24, 2009
Belostoma sp. water bug, Illinois
I'm so used to taking photos of fast-moving ants and beetles that a sedentary insect comes as something of a relief. Instead, the challenge with this Belostoma giant water bug was lighting the shot.
Aquariums are prone to reflections and dust on the glass. I arranged a diffused flash above the tank, positioned behind the glass so as not to leave a reflection by illuminating the camera.
Photo details: Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D
ISO 100, f/8.0, 1/200 sec, diffused overhead flash
awild | November 20, 2009Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus
Goldenrod Soldier Beetles
Illinois, USA
Here at Myrmecos Blog we aim for a family-friendly atmosphere. Except for beetle sex. Sometimes we just can't resist.
(There's also plant sex going on here too, if you're into that sort of thing...)
Photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D
ISO 100, f/13, 1/250 sec, diffused twin flash
awild | November 13, 2009
Edrotes ventricosus (Tenebrionidae) - Dune Beetle
California, USA
In arid environments around the world, darkling beetles in the family Tenebrionidae are among the most prominent insects. Their thick, waxy cuticles excel at retaining moisture. Edrotes ventricosus is a dune inhabitant in southern California.
Photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 20D
ISO 100, f/13, 1/250 sec, diffused twin flash