Dad
Mom
Infant
Leitz Ortholux microscope
4X Leitz projection eyepiece plus 1/3x relay lens
Image No. 1 Dad
44 images at .002 inch increments
Leitz 2.5 X Plan Achromat objective
Leitz dry darkfield condenser D 0.80
Image No. 2 Mom
99 images at .001 inch increments
Leitz 4 X Plan Fluorite Achromat objective
Diffused Fiber Optic illumination
Image No. 3 Infant
269 images at 2.5 micron increments
Olympus 10x S Plan achromat objective
Leitz dry darkfield condenser D 0.80
Canon 50D
Zerene and Photoshop processing.
Welcome to the Pholcus phalangioides family. They don’t seem to have much to do with each other except for mating in real life, but I bring them together here to show some interesting differences.
I marvel at the gender differences not to mention the astonishing transformation from the infant stage. The subject in the first image is displaying the amazing palps of a mature adult male. I tried to make a dramatic dark ground image and ended up overexposing them a bit. They are folded nearly in half in this image. It is interesting to compare the eye structure and palp differences between the female in image number two. Our infant spiderling is thrown in to show how significant the transformation is in successive molting into adulthood. Enjoy.
Walt
