Craneflies are budding too!

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:19 pm

Along with the trees and various shrubs that are beginning to bud and to bloom, it seems that Craneflies are getting in on the action too. This one fell from a tree limb, I am supposing, and landed promptly on my ever increasing forehead. Thus causing an "oh ma gosh, there is a spider on me, fit,"

when the long legs passed across and down over my eyebrows

In a flurry of hand waving and jitterbugging, it finally fell to the ground, where upon seeing what and where it was, I promptly photographed it.

Cranefly, immature
EOS 20D
1/250 sec. @ f/11 ISO 100
Canon 430EX Speedlite @ -1/3
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro
Midday @ work

Note that the wings are not fully developed yet but it displays a nice pair of navigational and inflight stabilization gyros. I could say more about pairs of navigational and stabilization gyro's but I won't

(Image data, same as above)

And while we are goofing off at work, here is a nice Lady Bug. No navigational gyro's though.

crotermund · Post by **crotermund** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:37 pm

Nice Cranefly, Ken. I really like the pose on the edge of the leaf like that. I find craneflies can be challenging to get the shot that you want because of the way they always seem to be sprawled out with their legs sticking out 8 inches in every direction. I've never seen one without it's wings fully developed.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 2:16 am

I have never seen one like this before either. Like you, usually I find them sprawled out and on the lawn or on the window screen. I Googled the things but really came up with a lot of useless info, well for what I was wanting anyway, I may just have Googled in the wrong places

Thanks Craig

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 4:46 am

You've got a nice shot there Ken (the crane fly). One of those photos that you spend time looking at detail. I'm puzzled over the undeveloped wings too?

Your ladybird's got a lot of spots too. In the UK we have a similar looking sp. Hippodamia 13-punctata it's longer than the more common 7 spot.

Bruce

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:12 am

The first crainfly shot for 2007. I think you scared it so much , you shriveled his wings

and the ladybird beetle looks like it just woke up. Great photos Ken...the start of a new season.

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:12 am

love the ladybug shot, you did well with the bg

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:16 pm

Yeah those shriveled wings have me puzzled too, never seen a Cranefly like this before. Must have scared it

As for the Lady Bug/Bird, the background had me undecided as to whether or not to make it a verticle with all those diagonals but as you can see I chose not to. Maybe I should have tried it just to see, I might do that later.

Thanks Guys!