Posted in Flowers, Gardening, Macro Photography, Photography, tagged Canon 100mm macro lens, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, flowers, green spring gardens, pansy, zinnia on November 7, 2012| 6 Comments »
During a walk this past weekend through a local garden, I was surprised at how many flowers were still blooming (or were newly blooming). Here is a somewhat random assortment of photos of those flowers, some of which I can identify such as a zinnia and a pansy, but others are nameless beauties to me.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged Canon 100mm macro lens, Canon Rebel XT, green spring gardens, Harmonia axyridis, lady beetle, ladybird, ladybug, Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle on November 6, 2012| 20 Comments »
I know that ladybugs don’t really have babies, but, seriously, how many people will read a posting with words like “larva” and “pupa” in the title? A more accurate title would be something like “Larva and Pupa of the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis).”
This past weekend I was wandering through a local garden when I spotted a strange-looking little yellow and black insect. Upon closer investigation, I discovered several more of them on the plant, along with some orange and black objects that I thought might be insects too, but they were not moving. This was a good excuse to take out my macro lens and to follow the old adage about shooting first and asking questions later.
After a bit of research, I realized that I had captured two different phases in the life cycles of a ladybug. Lady-bugs.org and ladybug-life-cycle.com offer additional details on the stages of development of a ladybug, but allow me to summarize for folks like me who don’t follow insects for a living. The ladybug’s life cycle is about four to six weeks long, with four stages (egg, larva, pupa, and adult). During the larval stage, the ladybug larvae shed their exoskeletons three times before the pupation stage begins. It is during the pupa stage that the metamorphosis takes place that is almost as magical as it is for butterflies and the insect that I photographed turns into a full grown ladybug.
Thanks to bugguide, I was able to identify my bug as the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis). The article notes that the larvae look like tiny alligators and grow to be larger in size than the eventual ladybug. It describes the pupa as “an elongated dome shape, usually found attached to a leaf, with the spiky remains of the last larval skin usually clinging to one end. The branched spines of this skin are usually visible.”
It was fascinating to discover the details of what I had photographed—metamorphosis never ceases to amaze me. Here are a couple of my favorite shots of the ladybug larvae and several of different pupa. Be sure to click on them to see more details.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged bee, bumblebee, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, carpenter bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee, green spring gardens, purple flower on November 4, 2012| 5 Comments »
Yesterday I returned to my photographic roots at Green Spring Gardens, a county-run historic park, to shoot flowers and bugs, the subjects I started with six months ago when Cindy Dyer, my mentor and muse, helped me get serious about my photography. It was cloudy and cool (about 47 degrees F (8.3 degrees C) and I didn’t expect to see many insects active. There was quite a variety of flowers blooming, including many that have been present all summer. Perhaps when we have a hard freeze, some of them will die off, but for now they provide a blast of bright color that contrasts with the now fading fall foliage.
Bee in early November
I was surprised when I encountered this bee, the only one that I saw all day. It seemed to be moving slowly in the colder weather, but was industriously working on this purple flower. Judging from its relatively hairless abdomen, I think that this might be a carpenter bee rather than a bumblebee, though I am not completely sure about the identification.
I have always mentally associated bees with spring, but now, as I look more closely at nature, I realize that I have to question all of my previous assumptions. That’s probably a good thing for me to do regularly, and not just in my photography.
Bee working in the cold
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged Banded Wooly Bear caterpillar, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, caterpillar, Huntley Meadows Park, Isabella Tiger Moth, Pyrrharctia isabella, swimming, Wooly Bear caterpillar on November 3, 2012| 10 Comments »
Looking down in the water, I was a little surprised to see a Banded Wooly Bear caterpillar (Pyrrharctia isabella) swimming, albeit not too quickly. He would slowly undulate his hairy body for a stroke and pause, and then repeat the process. It was fascinating to see the little air bubbles surrounding his mouth and the gentle ripples produced by his movement.
This caterpillar will almost certainly overwinter in his current state and pupate in the spring into an Isabella Tiger Moth. Bugguide notes that there are normally two broods, on that pupates in the summer and the other in the following spring. I have looked at some photos of the moth and can’t help but note that the caterpillar stage is a lot more attractive and interesting.
Wooly Bear caterpillar swimming (click for higher resolution)
Wooly Bear caterpillar pauses for a breath (click for higher resolution)
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Art, Landscape, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged autumn, backlight, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, drops of water, fall, Huntley Meadows Park, leaf on November 2, 2012| 1 Comment »
The leaf is back-lit and drops of dew glisten on its surface, a surface that is scarred and torn and unevenly colored with the tints of the fall. In its beautiful imperfection, this autumn leaf speaks to me in the simple, abstract language of lines and shapes, of light and color.
Abstract fall leaf
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged beautiful dragonfly, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Celithemis eponina, dragonfy, Halloween, Halloween Pennant dragonfly on October 31, 2012| 5 Comments »
Originally posted on 25 August 2012
I am re-posting this image for three primary reasons.
Happy Halloween!
Text of original post:
I remember my excitement the first time I saw a really cool dragonfly a few months ago that turned out to be a Halloween Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis eponina). He had a very distinctive look with brown spots and stripes on his wings and orange veins. That first time I was happy to get any shot of the dragonfly.
Today I think that I encountered a Halloween Pennant for a second time. I was still very much taken by his looks but I had the presence of mind to circle about a bit, trying to get a good angle for the shot. The shot below is the one that I like the best of those that I took.
As I think about it, I go through this cycle a lot. I’m so in awe and wonder when I encounter something new that photography is not my first priority. Instead I am living the experience. Maybe my photos the first time are not the best, but that’s ok for me, because living my life is more important than merely recording it in my photos. That may be why I like to go back to places a second time and then focus a bit more on getting good shots.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Humor, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged barn spider, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Halloween, Hentz's orbweaver, Huntley Meadows Park, Neoscona crucifera, spider on October 30, 2012| 4 Comments »
It seems appropriate to post a photo of a spider on the evening before Halloween. I was not able to get a look at the spider’s front side when I photographed it this past weekend at Huntley Meadows Park, so I can’t identify it. I know for sure, though, that I never want to wake up in the morning and have this view of a spider. With my near-sighted vision, that would mean that it was way too close to me for my comfort. Happy Halloween!
UPDATE: Thanks to the assistance of my mentor and fellow blogger, Cindy Dyer, I am now pretty sure that the spider is the orb-weaver spider Neoscona Crucifera, sometimes known as Hentz’s orb-weaver or a barn spider (though there are other spiders known as barn spiders too).
Pre-Halloween spider enjoys a snack
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Humor, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, Sports, tagged black and yellow caterpillar, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, caterpillar, Huntley Meadows Park, Pittsburgh Steelers on October 29, 2012| 12 Comments »
This past weekend I came across a caterpillar that I had never seen before. Its black, yellow, and white markings somehow made me think of the Pittsburgh Steelers NFL team that wears those same colors. For now, I am referring to it as the Steelers caterpillar, though, of course, it has a “real” name.
I’m having trouble identifying it—it may be a Smartweed caterpillar, also known as a Smeared Dagger caterpillar (who makes up these names?), although it seems to be lacking the red coloration in the hairs that I see in most photos. If anyone can make a positive identification, please let me know. Who knows, maybe the Steelers need a fuzzy new mascot?
Pittsburgh Steelers caterpillar
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged bees, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, fall, flowers, Franconia, late October insects, skipper on October 28, 2012| 10 Comments »
Bees were one of my initial subjects when I started photographing insects six months ago. Even now, I can’t resist snapping a few shots whenever I see them. I never expected to encounter them in late October, however, so it was a nice surprise yesterday, when I was able to capture these images of bees at work (and a skipper too).
Bee in the fall with a single flower
Bee in the fall with multiple flowers
Skipper in the fall
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, elongated spider, famly Tetragnathidae, Huntley Meadows Park, Long-jawed Orb Weaver spider, spider on October 27, 2012| 4 Comments »
Yesterday when I was walking the marsh, I glanced down and saw a spider web shining a foot or so above the surface of the brown, muddy water. There was a long, skinny insect on the web and my first thought was that this was a spider’s prey, but no spider was visible. I took some photos and did some internet research and was shocked to learn that strange insect is a spider, probably a Long-jawed Orb Weaver spider of the Family Tetragnathidae. Check out Bugguide if you want to learn more about this unusual-looking spider and click on the image to see more details.
Long-jawed Orb Weaver spider
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Huntley Meadows Park, spider, spider web, web on October 26, 2012| 7 Comments »
A few days I posted a photo of a giant spider web (which one blogger said looked to be big enough to catch a dog) processed in a couple of different ways. I received lots of helpful comments about adjustments that I made or didn’t make. With those comments in mind, I worked on this photo of a different web that I photographed earlier in October. It’s not quite as big as the previous one, but is in better condition and the spider is still present. The web was suspended between two cattails and I had enough room to set up my tripod on the boardwalk that runs through the marsh, so hopefully my shot is pretty clear (although I confess that manual focusing is still a challenge for me). I may work on some more variations of this photo, but here is my initial effort.
So what do you think of this spider web (click on it to see a higher resolution view)?
Almost giant spider web with spider
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged butterfly, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, green spring gardens, Monarch, monarch butterfly on October 25, 2012| 6 Comments »
I was going over some photos from earlier this month and came across these photos of a Monarch butterfly. I remember how excited I was when I shot them and decided to share a few of them. Early in the summer I took lots of photos of swallowtails, but I longed to photograph a Monarch butterfly. The first few that I saw flew away before I could raise my camera. Eventually, I managed to get some decent shots, but my pulse still quickens whenever I see a Monarch. Other insects may be cool or interesting or unusual, but for me there is nothing that really matches the beauty and elegance of a Monarch butterfly.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Art, Bugs, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, dew, early morning, Huntley Meadows Park, spider, spider web on October 23, 2012| 18 Comments »
I was really happy when I came across this large dew-covered spider web early one morning this past weekend. I am not sure exactly how big it was, but I think it was probably about 18-24 inches across, with an amazing number of rows, especially at the bottom part that is fully intact.
I processed the same photo in two ways to get different looks. In the first photo, I desaturated most of the color to try to draw attention to the strands of the web (and you should click on the photo to get a somewhat higher resolution view of the web). In the second photo, I tried to punch up the colors a bit by increasing the vibrance and saturation settings.
Which one do you think works best?
Spider web (mostly desaturated)
Spider web (increased vibrance)
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Huntley Meadows Park, macro photography, mantis, praying mantis on October 23, 2012| 5 Comments »
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something fly past me and land on a nearby leaf. At first I thought it was a big dragonfly (my peripheral vision is not that great), but closer examination revealed that it was a praying mantis.
Earlier in the summer I spotted my first praying mantis “in the wild,” but it moved away as I was getting my camera ready—I was hoping to avoid the same fate this time around. As I tried to frame a shot, I realized that praying mantises are not easy to shoot. Their bodies are so long and skinny that it’s hard to fit them into a photo, especially when there is heavy vegetation that prevents an unobstructed view. I finally managed to find a narrow visual pathway through the branches that resulted in this shot.
It almost looks like the praying mantis is impatiently posing for me, with its tilted head and inquisitive facial expression. The eyes are wonderful too—they seem to be expressive. The orange tones of the leaves in both the foreground and the background help to give this portrait of a praying mantis an autumnal feel.
Praying mantis in the fall
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Argiope aurantia, Black and Yellow Garden Orbweaver spider, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Halloween, Huntley Meadows Park, spider, Yellow Garden Orbweaver on October 21, 2012| 5 Comments »
Throughout much of the summer I posted photos Black and Yellow Garden Orbweaver spiders (Argiope aurantia). Having not spotted one in several weeks, that they were gone until next year. I was happy to be wrong, however, and photographed one yesterday. I was even more delighted that the background colors work well for autumn and for Halloween (and nothing says Halloween more than a creepy spider).
Autumn spider
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Humor, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, caterpillar, Cattail Caterpillar, Halloween, Huntley Meadows Park, Simyra insularis on October 19, 2012| 6 Comments »
Does Halloween have an official insect mascot? Maybe we need an election, since it seems to be season for campaigning.
When I first saw this photo of a Cattail caterpillar (Simyra insularis) that I took a week ago, I was struck by the fact that its black and orange colors seemed perfectly appropriate for Halloween. (In a previous posting about this species, it was the pattern of the caterpillar that was its most notable feature.)
Does anyone else have a viable candidate? If so, post your photos and let’s make this a race!
Vote for me to be the official insect mascot for Halloween
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly, Canon 100mm macro lens, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, dragonfly, Huntley Meadows Park, Sympetrum vicinum on October 17, 2012| 6 Comments »
As the weather has cooled off, there have been fewer and fewer dragonflies buzzing around in the marsh area. Occasionally I see a Common Whitetail dragonfly, but that has been pretty much it. This past weekend, however, I encountered some new, colorful dragonflies that I am pretty sure are Autumn Meadowhawk dragonflies (Sympetrum vicinum).
It was relatively early in the morning when some fellow photographers pointed out an orange-colored dragonfly perched on some leaves. According to their information, the dragonfly was unlikely to move until the temperature rose to about 70 degrees. I wasn’t so sure about their calculations and so I hastened to take some shots with my 55-250mm zoom lens. Here is an overall shot to give you an idea what an Autumn Meadhawk looks like (the sun was a bright and I couldn’t shield it so there are some unfortunate hot spots).
Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly
Once I had a record shot, I became a bit bolder and decided to try my 100mm macro lens. The major problem I had was that the dragonfly was about a foot below me and about two feet away from me (I was on a raised boardwalk), so holding the lens steady was a problem. I did get a couple of close-up shots, like this one. I am always amazed when you can see the little hairs on a dragonfly’s “face.”
Close-up shot of Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly
There were still some harsh shadows and hotspots, so I decided to use my collapsible diffuser to soften the light. Unfortunately, the dragonfly must have thought I was a predator, because it flew away as soon as I cast a shadow on it with the diffuser. Later that day, however, I encountered the Autumn Meadowhawks several times, but they refused to perch on plants, preferring to land on the boardwalk. Feeling a little frustrated, I took some shots of them on the boardwalk and ended up with the following image that I like, even if it’s not exactly a “natural” environment.
Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly on the boardwalk
I am not sure how long these dragonflies will hang around, but it is nice seeing some new species as the seasons change, an unexpected bonus for me this past weekend.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
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Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, Portraits, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, grasshopper, Huntley Meadows Park, illumination, sidelit on October 17, 2012| 3 Comments »
It’s the middle of October and grasshoppers are still hopping, though it seems that there are fewer of them than a month ago. This grasshopper was willing to stay still long enough to pose for this informal portrait. The sunlight was coming from the side and the back, helping to illuminate the underside of the grasshopper that is usually in the shadows and there is a nice glow to the grasshopper. I like the effect.
Illuminated fall grasshopper
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged Agelenopsis, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, grass spider, Huntley Meadows Park, spider, water drops, web on October 15, 2012| 2 Comments »
Have you ever woken up on a fall morning and noticed the dewy grass and bushes littered with spider webs? I don’t mean the beautiful geometric-patterned webs of the orb-weaving spiders, but webs that appear to be nothing more than loosely woven sheets of spider silk. Normally I don’t give them a second glance, but one morning this weekend I stopped and looked at one of them more closely.
Close-up of web in the grass
I discovered a beautiful little world, filled with tiny beads of water, captured by the threads of the web. I think the spider is a grass spider of the genus Agelenopsis. Wikipedia notes that the webs of grass spiders are not sticky, but the spiders makes up for that by being able to run really quickly.
Here is a view of an entire web through a telephoto lens. I was on a walkway several feet above ground-level when I took the shots, so I was not able to get actual close-up shots. The photo is not a very good one, but it gives you an idea of how nondescript the web looked at first glance.
Web in the grass
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Art, Bugs, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged Argiope aurantia, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, dew-covered, early morning, Huntley Meadows Park, spider art, spider webs, webs on October 13, 2012| 6 Comments »
The large yellow-and-black spiders (Argiope aurantia) that I have observed throughout the summer seem to have disappeared. I was hoping to see the egg sacs that they produce in the fall, but I guess I’ll have to wait until next year.
However, there must be spiders still around, because early yesterday morning there were quite a few dew-covered spider webs. Last month I did a couple of postings about webs at the same location at Huntley Meadows Park (see Amazing Spider Webs and More Spider Art), but I am so fascinated by the individuality of the webs that I thought I’d post one from yesterday (and I think there might be a few more shots coming). I do not know how the spiders figure out the designs of the webs, but it seems that there is creativity involved in fitting a web into a specific spot, even if there is a “standard” pattern for different varieties of spiders.
This web was located behind the railing of a little bridge that crosses part of the marsh land and joins two sections of a boardwalk. I was shooting into the sun that was still very low in the sky. The sunlight reflecting on one side of the railing suggests that I was not facing directly east. but was angled a little. Behind the web is a field of cattails, though you can’t really see any details.
Spider webs are like snowflakes for me (and it won’t be too long before we see them again). At first they all may seem to be the same, but when you take the time to look more closely at them, you realize each is unique. People are like that too.
Early morning spider web
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Humor, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged bee, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, daddy longlegs, green spring gardens, harvestman, insect interaction, interaction on October 10, 2012| 1 Comment »
I am always fascinated whenever I happen to capture two different insects in a single image, especially when they appear to be interacting. A bee flew onto a flowering plant and appears to be having a conversation with a daddy longlegs (aka harvestman) that was already there. Does one of them look at the other as a potential prey? Are they sharing information? Is one asking the other out on a date?
Can you hear me now?
Insect interaction
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged barcode, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, caterpillar, Cattail Caterpillar, Huntley Meadows Park, Simyra insularis on October 7, 2012| 7 Comments »
Some of my friends of Facebook think that I make up the name of some of the insects whose pictures I post. After all, can there really be an insect called the Handsome Meadow Katydid? Normally, the official names are so strange that there is no need to invent new ones.
Today, however, I decided to make up a name for a caterpillar that my friend Cindy Dyer helped me identify earlier in the summer, when I did a posting entitled Patterned Caterpillar. The caterpillar’s real name is a Cattail caterpillar (Simyra insularis) and I photographed it this weekend at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, VA.
This caterpillar’s black-and-white patterns are such a perfect match for those ubiquitous markings found on all products that I want to rename it as the Barcode caterpillar. What would register if you scanned this caterpillar at the checkout counter at a store?
Cattail caterpillar (Simyra insularis)
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Alexandria VA, butterfly, Cameron Run, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Danaus plexippus, ladybug, monarch butterfly, yellow flower on October 6, 2012| 3 Comments »
We continue to fade to brown, with only muted color changes as the leaves begin to fall from the tree. As if to compensate for the lack of spectacular foliage, brightly colored flowers are still blooming. I managed to get some shots of equally colorful insects interacting with yellow flowers. When I see Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexxipus), they are usually in the midst of blooming flowers, but I was surprised to also see a shiny red ladybug near the center of a yellow flower.
Monarch butterfly on yellow flower
Ladybug on yellow flower
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged acrobatic, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Cirque du Soleil, Handsome Meadow Katydid, Huntley Meadows Park, Orchelimum pulchellum on October 4, 2012| 6 Comments »
Several years ago I saw one of the Cirque du Soleil productions, an event full of dazzling costumes and amazing acrobatic feats. Memories of that unforgettable experience were triggered when I first viewed this photo of another Handsome Meadow Katydid (Orchelimum pulchellum) at Huntley Meadows Park. I have previously posted a number of different images of this very photogenic insect, but this one shows my beautiful friend in action, rather than in a static pose.
Acrobatic Handsome Meadow Katydid
I recall how the acrobats of the Cirque du Soleil were suspended high in mid-air, holding on (often with what seemed to be a single toe) to a trapeze or to a slender rope. My little katydid is not risking his life in that way, but I do find it amazing how he is clinging to the single stalk of grass. His brilliant colors continue to amaze me and the red blotches on his face accentuate the circus-like effect, as you can see in this close-up view of his face.
Close-up view of a Handsome Meadow Katydid
I will be a little sad when I stop seeing my colorful little friends at Huntley Meadows Park, but the memories will remain. Perhaps in the future, some brightly colored object or acrobatic pose will trigger memories of these katydids, nature’s own Cirque du Soleil.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged brown spider, Canon 100mm macro lens, Canon Rebel XT, front door, spoder, web on October 3, 2012| 6 Comments »
As I was reaching down one recent morning to pick up my newspaper from the small concrete stoop of my townhouse, I happened to look up and saw a beautiful spider web reflected in the early morning sun. In the center of the web was a small, fuzzy brown spider with what appeared to be short legs.
The spider was positioned in such a way that I could use my macro lens to get some close-up shots, but he was too high in the air for me to use a tripod or to brace my arms for optimal steadiness. I also did not have a choice of too many angles, because the spider was suspended over a large bush that impeded my access. I took a lot of photos, many of which came out really out of focus.
Here are my favorite shots, two of which show the underside of the spider and two show a side view. I really like the markings and texture of this little spider, though I am not at all sure what kind he is. The unidentified spider is living proof, however, that the most interesting things are sometimes literally just outside our front door—all we have to do is open our eyes as we open the door.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged bee, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, carpenter bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee, green eyes, Huntley Meadows Park, Xylocopa virginica on October 1, 2012| 3 Comments »
It was a dark and cloudy afternoon and the rain was threatening to start at any moment (and eventually did). Even my usual grasshoppers and spiders seemed to have disappeared from sight. I was losing hope that I would find anything interesting to photograph when I stumbled upon a large bee on a bright yellow plant.
It looked like a carpenter bee, but the eyes were unusually light in color. I am pretty sure that it is an Eastern Carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) and the white patch on the face indicates that it is a male. There are other photos on-line of carpenter bees with green eyes, but I am not sure how common it is to find one like this. I don’t recall ever seeing one like it before.
Male Eastern Carpenter bee
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Flowers, Gardening, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged Asiatic dayflower, blue flower, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Commelina Communis, Rock Creek on October 1, 2012| 5 Comments »
This past weekend some small blue wildflowers caught my eye. They seemed a bit unusual, because they had two large blue petals and what appeared to be smaller white petals. In addition, they had really long stamen.
According to a Wikipedia article, these are Asiatic dayflowers (Commelina communis), a plant native to East and Southeast Asia that has been introduced into the eastern part of the United States. The flowers are used in traditional Chinese medicine and they are used to produce a dye in Japan.
As is frequently the case with wildflowers, there seems to be some debate about whether this is a weed or a flower. Call it what you will, it is a strikingly beautiful plant.
Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis)
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged acrobatic, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, damselflies, flexible, Huntley Meadows Park, mating damselflies on September 28, 2012| 4 Comments »
Damseflies are really small and if they were not brightly colored, they would be difficult to see. However, when there are two of them flying together (really together), they are slightly easier to detect. Anatomically speaking, I am having a little trouble figuring how the mating takes place with the damselflies as pictured below, but suffice it to say that damselflies are more flexible and acrobatic than I had previously thought.
I took these shots this afternoon at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, VA. Getting a decent image was a bit of a challenge because I was shooting from a raised boardwalk almost two feet above the water level and the damselflies keep landing on vegetation that was just in the shadows underneath the boardwalk. As a result, my position sometimes resembled that of the lighter-colored damselfly.
Close-up of mating damselflies
Mating damselflies
Acrobatic mating damselflies
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Acronicta oblinita, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, caterpillar, Cattail Caterpillar, Huntley Meadows Park, Simyra insularis, Smeared Dagger Moth caterpillar on September 26, 2012| 1 Comment »
The bright green leaves of the plants in the marsh have faded and most of the colors are more subdued than in early summer. Against that muted backdrop, I was surprised to come across a brightly colored caterpillar this past weekend. It looks a bit like the Cattail Caterpillar (Simyra insularis) that I photographed and described earlier this year, although the spiky red tufts are more extreme on this caterpillar. I think I can detect the prominent black and white pattern that was so visible in the image that I posted previously.
This is the first year that I have paid close attention to the cyclical changes in plants, animals, birds, and insects. I am excited to see what new species will come into my field of vision as we move through the fall.
UPDATE: I did a little more research and now think that this caterpillar is actually a Smeared Dagger Moth caterpillar (Acronicta oblinita).
Colorful caterpillar in late September
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Handsome Meadow Katydid, Huntley Meadows Park, Orchelimum pulchellum on September 24, 2012| 11 Comments »
I still can’t get over the striking blue eyes of a Handsome Meadow Katydid (Orchelimum pulchellum), so I am posting a shot from yesterday that highlights that feature (and my apologies to Frank Sinatra for borrowing the title of his 1973 album for this post).
The katydid almost seemed to be looking right up at me, perhaps wondering why I am disturbing him. I find the details of his feet to be utterly fascinating and I’ve made sure that you can see some of the many neon-like colors of his body.
Check out some of my other postings if this is your first encounter with this gorgeous katydid. You’re almost certain to fall in love with him too.
Ol’ Blue Eyes (Handsome Meadow Katydid)
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bugs, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged Agyrodes, Canon 100mm macro lens, Canon Rebel XT, dewdrop spider, Huntley Meadows Park, kleptoparasitic spider, spider, spiders on September 23, 2012| 7 Comments »
Last week I did a posting entitled “Kleptoparasitic Spider“ that talked of the little spiders that hang around a larger spider’s web and steal or feed on the prey captured by the other spider. Today I managed to take a much clearer shot of one such spider. I am pretty sure the little spider below is of the genus Argyrodes, which are also known as dewdrop spiders.
The spider was positioned in such a way that I was able to get close enough to use my 100mm macro lens, although there was not really enough room for me to shoot with a tripod. I was able to close down only to F10 because I was shooting handheld and wanted to have a shutter speed of 1/200 sec, so depth of field suffered a little. I have found that depth of field is a problem with spiders most of the time because of the length and positioning of their legs.
This spider was really tiny and I am happy that I was able to get this good a photo of it. The portions of the web that are visible help to add an interesting geometric pattern to the background, which I think enhances the image.
Dewdrop spider (genus Agyrodes)
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 