Mosquito larva head, single & stero

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NikonUser
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Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:03 am
Location: southern New Brunswick, Canada

Mosquito larva head, single & stero

Post by NikonUser »

I was surprised to see a few larvae in my outside aquarium. It seems unlikely that these will emerge as adults this year as the weather has turned cold (although very warm today, Nov 12 2012).
Larva in 50% Protoslo with a few drops of alcohol; fully sedated.
Ventral view of head capsule showing complex of mouthparts
10x Nikon CF N Plan Achromat on bellows, vertical setup, single flash, styrofoam cup diffuser, ZS Pmax.
single shot from jpg's
stereo from NEFs>TIFfs
Image
Image
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

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

Striking! Many thanks for the stereo. It makes the structure much more clear.

--Rik

Charles Krebs
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Post by Charles Krebs »

Very nice indeed!

Cactusdave
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Post by Cactusdave »

Super!
Leitz Ortholux 1, Zeiss standard, Nikon Diaphot inverted, Canon photographic gear

Saul
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Post by Saul »

Impressive photo !

dissent
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Post by dissent »

I had no idea that mosquitoes has so much hair!! Terrific image.
- Ian
"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't." - Mark Twain

NikonUser
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Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:03 am
Location: southern New Brunswick, Canada

Post by NikonUser »

Thanks folks for your responses.
I cleared the head and made a permanent mount in Canada Balsam with the plan to show the mouth parts in more detail - but as noted by 'dissent' lots and lots of hair such that almost everything is obscured. :(
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

NikonUser
Posts: 2693
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:03 am
Location: southern New Brunswick, Canada

Post by NikonUser »

I did some more work on this mosquito larva, specifically the head+thorax to show imaginal discs and images of the siphon to show the characters useful for larval ID.
I decided to check and see what "Google" had to say about imaginal discs; surprise surprise, seems I posted similar info and images from what looks to be the same species almost 2 years ago.
The memory weakens.

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... f431ea97ef
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

ChrisR
Site Admin
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Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:58 am
Location: Near London, UK

Post by ChrisR »

permanent mount in Canada Balsam
Please 'scuse my ignorance, do you mean it's immersed in balsam, under a slide??

NikonUser
Posts: 2693
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:03 am
Location: southern New Brunswick, Canada

Post by NikonUser »

The posted images, single shot & stereo of head, are of a live (heavily sedated, likely dead) larva in water+Protoslo+IPA.

Later I removed the head and mounted it, in Canada Balsam, on a slide under a coverglass. Such specimens become more transparent and more glass-like; better to see detail under a microscope.
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

curt0909
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Post by curt0909 »

Beautiful photo.

lauriek
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Re: Mosquito larva head, single & stero

Post by lauriek »

NikonUser wrote:Larva in 50% Protoslo with a few drops of alcohol; fully sedated.
Nicely shot and some good info here.

I remember when I shot one of these a while back I had it in a very small amount of water on a slide and it kept thrashing wildly around, had a great deal of trouble getting any stacks at all and was pleased to get anything I could post! :)

Anyone know a good place to get Protoslo in the UK or Europe?

NikonUser
Posts: 2693
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:03 am
Location: southern New Brunswick, Canada

Post by NikonUser »

Thanks curt & laurie.

Laurie, see here:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=14920
under Methyl Cellulose
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

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dmillard
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Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:37 pm
Location: Austin, Texas

Post by dmillard »

Beautiful images!

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