I found this tiny wasp the other day, initially thought it was a fly but I thought it had some interesting colouration. Insect is around 2.5mm long.
The usual setup, Nikon 10x objective at full extension. 31 and 49 images respectively, stacked in ZS.
Chalcid wasp?
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- rjlittlefield
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Fascinating textures & colors!
I'm having trouble figuring out how those antennae are arranged and where they insert on the head. I'm guessing their bases must be above those two lower ocelli? Seems like a strange arrangement, but that's all I can figure out from what I see here. It would be interesting to do some kind of a 3D rendering of this stack. Another thing that ZS doesn't do...yet...
--Rik
I'm having trouble figuring out how those antennae are arranged and where they insert on the head. I'm guessing their bases must be above those two lower ocelli? Seems like a strange arrangement, but that's all I can figure out from what I see here. It would be interesting to do some kind of a 3D rendering of this stack. Another thing that ZS doesn't do...yet...
--Rik
That's a strange face.
Rik: I doubt that those two lower 'whatever' are ocelli. The single central dorsal ocellus is obvious, I do not know of any insect where the lateral ocelli are anterior to this dorsal one as would be the case in this insect.
Those 'whatever' almost look as though they should be the base of the antennae.
Rik: I doubt that those two lower 'whatever' are ocelli. The single central dorsal ocellus is obvious, I do not know of any insect where the lateral ocelli are anterior to this dorsal one as would be the case in this insect.
Those 'whatever' almost look as though they should be the base of the antennae.
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
Rik,
having looked at the full size image I think NU is right, those things which look a bit like ocelli are the bases of the antennae. They go up from there to an 'elbow' joint at the top, near the single ocelli you can see, and then back down again.
I expect in nature these would be side by side but frozen they went one in front of the other. This specimen was too small for me to try to tease them into a better position. So small in fact that after these stacks a piece of dust or something in the atmosphere landed on the specimen, obliterating half of the face. When I tried to remove this I lost the specimen! I was annoyed as I'd just found another interesting angle to shoot it from.
having looked at the full size image I think NU is right, those things which look a bit like ocelli are the bases of the antennae. They go up from there to an 'elbow' joint at the top, near the single ocelli you can see, and then back down again.
I expect in nature these would be side by side but frozen they went one in front of the other. This specimen was too small for me to try to tease them into a better position. So small in fact that after these stacks a piece of dust or something in the atmosphere landed on the specimen, obliterating half of the face. When I tried to remove this I lost the specimen! I was annoyed as I'd just found another interesting angle to shoot it from.
- rovebeetle
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Fascinating. Once I have enough time again I will do some research on the possibilities of acquiring such a microscope objective setup. Most of the hassle will be to persuade my director to pay for it
In addition, ZS looks very promising.
Cheers
In addition, ZS looks very promising.
That's right, the "lower ocelli" are in fact the antennal sockets. The first antennomere (scapus) is very long and reaches almost to the real ocellus.NikonUser wrote:Those 'whatever' almost look as though they should be the base of the antennae.
Cheers
Harry
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Zerene has worked out the sculpturation on the head very well. What stacking method (PMax or DMap) did you use, Laurie?
Agree with the insertion of the scapi on the lower half of the head. One can see the ball joint with which the left scapus is attached there.
I don't know why the term "chalcid" wasp for wasps of the Chalcidoidea seems sometimes used (maybe erroneously). I think it's better to use the term chalcidoid wasp.
I only know of the taxa Chalcidoidea (as 'superfamily') and Chalcididae (as 'family' within the former). The term "chalcid" would imply a taxon "Chalcidae", which I've never heard of before.
--Betty
Agree with the insertion of the scapi on the lower half of the head. One can see the ball joint with which the left scapus is attached there.
I don't know why the term "chalcid" wasp for wasps of the Chalcidoidea seems sometimes used (maybe erroneously). I think it's better to use the term chalcidoid wasp.
I only know of the taxa Chalcidoidea (as 'superfamily') and Chalcididae (as 'family' within the former). The term "chalcid" would imply a taxon "Chalcidae", which I've never heard of before.
--Betty
- rjlittlefield
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