rjlittlefield wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 16, 2024 5:07 pm

Interesting bi-color mandible on that beast!

--Rik

It has been sitting on my desk, dry, for a few months if that has made a difference.

I saw my first outdoor fly today and I thought I should check out my focus stacking rig which hasn't been used in two months. Everything is good (smiley face). Wasp at 1.25x, 121 steps at 50µm.

Another desk find this mornin'. A ratty specimen of a fly. All images taken with the Canon MPE-65mm on a Canon 5D MK IV at f8. Nuff said. fly 1.5x 44 steps 350µm copy 1024.jpg Front view at 1.5x, 44 steps at 350µm. I should have louped it first to see the "blown" eye. Oh, well... fly face 3x 41 step...

Another time killer (with Johnny Horton singing When It's Springtime In Alaska (It's Forty Below)) just like it is here now. A ratty wasp. unknown wasp dorsal 1.5x 24 steps 350µm copy 1024.jpg Dorsal view, 15mm nose to butt. 1.5x, 24 steps at 350µm. wasp face 3x 18 steps 150µm copy 1024.jpg Face vie...

Ah, winter arrived yesterday (two months late) so I killed some time with this beetle (still waiting for a definitive ID). Sadly I broke the tarsi on its right rear. Anyway, all images at f8 with the Canon MPE-65mm on a Canon 5D MK IV. unknown dorsal 1x 18 steps copy 1024.jpg Dorsal view 1x, 18 step...

Interesting. I see a parrot bearing gifts. Nice capture.

Marcepstein wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 08, 2024 12:01 pm

Colors are very nice. What f stop were they at?

f8 for everything.

For certain specimen cleaning like your wasp, an ultrasonic cleaner is a time saver. I use distilled water (room temperature) a drop of Finish Jet Dry and about 60 seconds. Then I let it, the specimen, air dry on a coffee filter and if it is hairy I'll use thin strips of coffee filter to comb the ha...

Found this Cicindelidia punctulata on my desk and was fascinated by its mouth. All images with the Canon MPE-65mm and Canon 5D MK IV. First macro/focus stacks of the year. tiger beetle dorsal 1x 17 steps copy 1024.jpg Specimen 12mm, dorsal view at 1x and 17 steps. tiger beetle face 4x 45 steps copy ...

Just found this Bald-faced hornet sitting on my desk (dry) from this past summer. A little dirty. Anyway... bald-faced 2.5x 29 steps copy 1024.jpg Face view at 2.5x, 29 steps. bald-faced stinger 10x copy 1024.jpg Stinger at 10x, 51 steps at 20µm. bald-faced tarsi 10x copy 1024.jpg Tarsi at 10x, 128 ...

Interesting. I started with six plants (Showy Milkweed - Asclepias speciosa) about six years ago which are native to Alberta. I got em from a buddy's ranch in the southern part of the province which is dry. Now, I have to pull plants because they are literally everywhere in my yard. Last year the or...

MarkSturtevant wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 03, 2023 5:13 pm

Those are exceptionally sharp and clear images.

Canon 1D MK III, Canon 1.4 extender with Canon 180mm macro lens and Yongnuo twin macrolite (difused) on a monopod. Lazy man's macro photography (winky eye). Oh, I tried the E-TTL function on the flash, it left me impressed.

Dang, my macro photography has slipped in the amount of insects I have shot this year. This year insect wise is really strange with all the wild fires we have plus the high temperatures (days above 30 plus celsius). So, I spent twenty minutes on Saturday (August 26) in the corner of one of our flowe...

Welcome aboard, Bruce. Nice images.

hayath wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 04, 2023 2:40 am

Thanks much, everyone for the kind words!

AIP - I can confirm these are from the platnhopper nymphs, I've seen and photographed nymphs nestled in them

Thanx for the info.