Favourite Bug Shots

[Doug L]

After a few warm days, the little bit of snow we got this winter is almost gone. Almost time to get my macro lenses out and look for some spring bugs. Here are a few macro images I've taken in the past. The first two are with a 90mm lens and short extension tube.

Crab Spider - a female Goldenrod Spider (Misumena Vatia) on Blueweed (Vipers Bugloss)
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Jumping Spider - probably a Bronze Lake Hopper (Eris Militaris)
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The next shots were taken with a 3:1 Macro lens - images have also been cropped. The resolution is probably down to a few microns - the length of the baby spider's body and the diameter of the nymph Ambush Bug's head is only 1mm.

Baby Crab Spider (maybe Misumena Vatia but not sure) at the top of a tiny plant stem.
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A nymph Jagged Ambush Bug. Even as youngsters, these critters have a wicked looking grappling claw (attached to a huge Popeye-like forearm muscle) that they use to latch onto their prey.
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[kmunroe]

great close-ups Doug

[celksy]

Wow, these are so cool! Those faces! Really amazing; I can't wait to see more.

[Bambi]

Wow, these are so cool! Those faces! Really amazing; I can't wait to see more.

I agree. :)

[jude01]

Awesome images! I love the eye on the Jagged Ambush Bug!

[Doug L]

Thanks, everyone. When I first started photographing bugs a couple of years ago, I knew zilch about them, and I thought most were creepy - especially spiders. Now I love insects and spiders - especially the jumpers (Salticidae family). With their two huge main eyes, they exhude a lot of personality.

[Mad Aussie]

There's a few bugs around here I wouldn't let you get that close to!! But these are cool. I like the faces we can see.

[vyeko]

Amazing macros.Bravo!!!

[XPWizard]

Those are really cool!

[Hillbillygirl]

Beautiful macro's Doug. So well done, especially knowing how amazingly tiny these creatures you captured really are.

[Iguanasan]

Wonderful macros, Doug. An excellent set. I can't pick a favourite, I like 'em all.

[Doug L]

Thanks all, for the nice comments. Macro photography can be very demanding - especially the really high-mag stuff. The slightest miscue with focus or camera vibration can spoil the image. To minimize these, I use a small tripod (whenever possible), fire the shutter via cable release, use mirror lockup (if the subject's not moving) and use the camera's flash at 1/200th sec. shutter speed. The flash is modified to diffuse and direct the light where I need it. I'll post a few images of my homemade mod (costs only a few cents) in the photo gear section. Using the flash is a big help. It enables me to stop down the aperture, increasing the tiny depth of field.

[Runmonty]

Amazing shots - It is like a whole other world that we dont normally see. Thanks for sharing