Tiny wasp on desktop

[rjlittlefield]

This is neither the greatest technical quality nor a great composition, but I figure it's OK "under the circumstances".

I was sitting at my computer last night when I observed some small speck of black moving across a piece of paper on my desk. I had no clue what it was, so I hauled out a 10X magnifier and took a look. To my surprise, I saw a tiny wasp. So I briefly trapped the wasp under a glass while I assembled some photo gear. Then I removed the glass and shot like crazy while the critter scurried around. This is the best I got before it disappeared entirely.

To understand the size of this beast, consider the very low key scale that I photoshopped onto the background from shooting a ruler after the wasp left. Those are 1 mm tick marks, so yep, this critter was less than 1/10" total length, from the tips of its antennae to the ends of its wings!

The background, by the way, is polished oak sitting under a clear plastic desk protector. You can see a few scratches on the surface of the plastic.

Canon T1i camera, Sigma 105 mm macro lens at close focus plus 68 mm of tubes, a bit over 2X on sensor. This is a substantial crop, showing a little more than 1/2 of the original frame width. ISO 100, f/8, onboard flash with small aluminum foil snoot and tissue diffuser.

Noting motion blur on the hind leg even with flash exposure, I guess this critter was moving pretty good at the time!

--Rik

[Ken Ramos]

Often read of these tiny wasps but have yet to see one personally and from your write up and the size indicated, chances are slim that I ever will. While at work Friday, a small wasp of unknown identity to me, landed directly on a yard or two of white cloth fabric that I was working on. A female it was and ever so tiny as not to be seen had it not landed on the fabric. The boss would have just loved my enthusiasm as it bubbled over upon me, in getting the wasp on my finger tip to show everyone nearby my workstation. Interesting photo there Rik, thanks!
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However, while there is grace where in all that I might live, while there is still breath in my being, while I may or may not accomplish anything more in life than to be living, I shall reflect upon the past, applying it to the present, for to possibly perceive to a near certainty, the outcome of the future.

Ken 2014

[rjlittlefield]

Thanks, Ken. I assume this was a braconid, but I don't really know for sure. Long ago I saw a picture of one standing on the side of a large moth egg, the wasp being dwarfed by the egg. I'm not sure this one was quite that small, but it might have been. Unfortunately I don't have any big moth eggs to compare against!

--Rik

[LordV]

Well spotted Rik
These things can be very small
Think the one below is the smallest I've shot at 0.62mm body length

Brian V.


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www.flickr.com/photos/lordv
canon20D,350D,40D,5Dmk2, sigma 105mm EX, Tamron 90mm, canon MPE-65

[rjlittlefield]

Ah, lovely! Yours seems to have feathered wings. Mine appears to be solid membranes. Big differences in the antennae also.

--Rik

[Harold Gough]

[Harold Gough]

[Tesselator]

[rjlittlefield]